QUILTBAG general thread?

Thank you, folks.

On lighter news, guess who's travelling to the US next month?

maxmordon said:

Thank you, folks.

On lighter news, guess who's travelling to the US next month?

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sweet! where are you going?

I will be arriving to the NYC area but I hope to visit around the country since I will be staying for over 40 days.

maxmordon said:

I will be arriving to the NYC area but I hope to visit around the country since I will be staying for over 40 days.

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have a great time!

I'm doing okay! I'm contributing to a new Spanish-speaking LGBT website.

kuwisdelu said:

How is everyone doing?

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Writing: I've been in a slump for a few months now, but I think I'm getting back into it.

Real world: [screaming indistinguishable vowel noises]

And I haven't been hurt personally by everything that's happened.

Good. Writing-wise, I just finished editing a YA LGBTQ manuscript and submitted it. Life-wise, happy in love and about to celebrate our 3 1/2 year mark. Also, enjoying my grandbabies like mad! Other-wise, feeling extremely physically tired and exhausted and achy. I think I may have to slow down on the running every day. Getting old. My body is not what it used to be... How are YOU doing?

kuwisdelu said:

My girlfriend broke up with me again and is dating a boy now, so I'm feeling pretty down. We're going to stay friends and keep living together though, so we're trying to make that work. Just ordered a new bed frame so we can sleep separately. Meanwhile, I'm sad and single again.

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I am so sorry to hear that

kuwisdelu said:

My girlfriend broke up with me again and is dating a boy now, so I'm feeling pretty down. We're going to stay friends and keep living together though, so we're trying to make that work. Just ordered a new bed frame so we can sleep separately. Meanwhile, I'm sad and single again.

I haven't really gotten any new writing done in...too long.

I'm really sorry.

In other news, though, I'm teaching a class for the first time. It's for our new MS in Data Science program, and it's only the second time this course is being taught, so I basically have to make up the syllabus from scratch. It's exciting, but I'm pretty stressed about that, too.

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That does sound exciting! Good luck with it.

maxmordon said:

I'm doing okay! I'm contributing to a new Spanish-speaking LGBT website.

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Nice! I hope it keeps going well.

Simpson17866 said:

Writing: I've been in a slump for a few months now, but I think I'm getting back into it.

Real world: [screaming indistinguishable vowel noises]

And I haven't been hurt personally by everything that's happened.

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Same on both counts, pretty much.

KTC said:

Good. Writing-wise, I just finished editing a YA LGBTQ manuscript and submitted it. Life-wise, happy in love and about to celebrate our 3 1/2 year mark. Also, enjoying my grandbabies like mad! Yay! I'm glad you're doing so well. Other-wise, feeling extremely physically tired and exhausted and achy. I think I may have to slow down on the running every day. Getting old. My body is not what it used to be...

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LOL
I know that feeling all too well.

We're mostly okay here, on a personal level. I'm a lot more worried for my daughter than I was last year, looking around at the state of the country in general and our state in particular. This is her last year at home, and I don't feel ready to send her out into an increasingly hostile world. We are trying to look at colleges that will hopefully be safer spaces, via Campus Pride and such, but it's scary.

On a positive note: I recently passed my black belt test in aikido, and am finally starting to get re-engaged with my new MS now that all my spare energy isn't going into preparing for that.

Arriving to the US this weekend. So nervous!

The first European Lesbian Conference was apparently quite the happening, with 502 participants in attendance.

At The Day Job, I'm part of an employee resource network for QUILTBAG folk and allies, the first time there's ever been something set up (usually, I start a group that has 9 or 10 people at the first couple of meetings and by the 5th or 6th meeting, I'm the only person in the room so I had no idea how to start one earlier). Our official kick-off event was on Wednesday for National Coming Out Day and we had a fireside chat with the executive vice president of our San Francisco branch (a few other branches with similar groups were cheesed that we beat them to it and invited her first!) Next week, we're having a panel discussion on Spirit Day with members of the group talking about their coming out process or what it means for them to be an ally; I'll be sitting on the panel to talk about how I came out and try to not make it an entire hour about me, which I can do when talking about coming out.

In case you're interested, the chat from Oct. 11 is now available for viewing on YouTube (that's my back of my head in the lower right corner).

So, I thought I went ace, but apparently I am gay for trans girls. Working on taking better care of myself (losing weight, exercising more) so I can be the kind of girl I'd be gay for. I'm kind of really excited about this prospect.

Congrats on the realization, Diana! I'm sure you have plenty to offer, but taking care of yourself is always good, and additional confidence always helps.

I've wondered periodically if I could be ace, or at the very least if I'm not as into men as I thought. But it's hard to judge because attractive men make me feel dysphoric.

I'm also trying to lose weight, finally getting serious about it again now that I'm pretty much fully recovered from my knee injury.

I was reluctant for a long time to associate weight with my dysphoria or gender presentation, because I didn't want to form unrealistic expectations. But since I'm still at a stage where I'm unsure about medical transition, I feel like starting to address my weight is the best step right now. If I get closer to a healthy weight, I think I'll have a better idea of what I'm working with. And if I do decide to have top surgery, it'll be better if I'm in good shape.

Also, I think I've been getting sick a lot this year from exposure on the bus, so that a good motivation to walk more when the distance is reasonable.

So, I've picked up one of those new fangled Twitter girlfriends. Taking it real slow. I'm about as happy as I've ever been. So, there's that.

Back in Venezuela for a month now. Great time in the US. I went to the NY Comic Con and lost my virginity (those two are not related).

Commas. We need them.


Max - always good to see you.


ION: Long-time Utah Senator Orin Hatch, despite his difficulty understanding the science, agrees that "gay" is an innate state of being to be embraced, not discriminated against. He questions the Mormon Church's stance.

So, my virtual twitter girlfriend has become my actual, real-life girlfriend. She flew out to Philly (from LA), and I showed her the town. Art Museum, Reading Terminal Market, Liberty Bell, Horse and Buggy tour of Old City. We would have done more, but it was really hard leaving the hotel room for some reason. So, Diana is as happy as she ever has been.

So happy for you, Diana!

Thank you both, so much. I can't believe it. But, it's real anyway.