Journey

[Lunar Origins]

Entry #1

 

Hey there.

 

It's been a long one, hasn't it?  A long road, filled with bumps and bridges and potholes and stops and goes and everything in between.

 

Please, have a seat.  You look like you need some rest.

 

My name - currently - is Kate.  Depending on how some of you know me, this name could, in theory, differ.  Some of you may know me by Lunar; others, by something else, but how I identify right now is with the name Kate.  It's short for Catherine.

 

Middle name, well, that's to be decided later.  I was stuck on "Aries" for a while but that just sounds so... edgy.  Too different, yeah?  Difference is a rather familiar topic with me, but I'll get to that later.

 

My last name is probably the one thing I dislike the most about me.  Jackson.  It's so utterly bland; uninventive at its core, at the very least, and uninspired at the very most.  Jackson - son of Jack.  Funny how that works.

 

I'm transgender.  I like it far better shortened to trans - other people prefer the terms trans*, transexual, DMAB/DFAB, MtF/FtM, etcetera.  There are literally hundreds of different ways to put it, really.

 

And, while I'm at it, yeah.  I'm a young woman.  No - I'm not delusional, in the least.  I'm a young woman and I'm proud of it.  Being transgender does not affect my pride about that.  I'm far more proud of being who I am than I am of the label (and the stigma that comes along with it).

 

I guess I'm rambling on, now.  Let's just cut to the chase concerning what this blog is about.  It's about my transition and all things that I discover along the path - love, new feelings, body positivity - all of that stuff.

 

I hope it helps you on your journey.

 

- Kate

 

[spoiler=Blog Posts]

Entry #2:  Black Me Out - Transgender Dysphoria Blues Album Review Pt. #1[/spoiler]

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[Lunar Origins]

Entry #2

Black Me Out

Warning:  The songs in this post use language that may not be suitable for children.

 

I feel a bit late to the party, you know?  Earlier this year, in January, this amazing band called Against Me! released their 6th studio album, entitled "Transgender Dysphoria Blues."  The album itself deals with the ups and downs (mostly downs, with a specific focus on gender dysphoria) of being a transgender person, and it does an absolutely fantastic job of it.  My personal favorite song off of the album has to be Black Me Out - a song about a transgender sex worker being abused by her pimp and rebelling, a problem actually quite rampant in the community - and the title track, Transgender Dysphoria Blues.  To understand that song, however, we have to have a brief history of the woman who wrote it.

 

Meet Laura Jane Grace, the lead singer, songwriter, guitarist and founder of both the band and her own label.  Quite a mouthful, huh?  Laura came out as transgender in 2012 after meeting a transgender fan at one of her Against Me! concerts.  Inspired by that person, Laura came out to the public and changed her name to what it currently is now.  Subsequently, she began work on Transgender Dysphoria Blues, which was released in early 2014.

 

The title song itself, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, feels much like an ode to that person who originally inspired Laura to come out, with its constantly repeating lines "I wish I could've spent the whole day alone / With you".  The rest of the song describes her own feelings towards her body dysphoria - things I and many other trans girls worry about as well.  The whole song is very empowering, while still managing to bring up some negative emotions regarding body image.  However, the point of that song isn't to look on all the bad things in your life; it's to celebrate the changes, the realization that things can and will and maybe already have gotten better.  That's why she says she wants to spend the day alone with that person; they were the first stepping stone towards a better life.

 

Entry to be continued. . .

[.Rai]

Great post. I listened to parts of the album when it came out, and enjoyed it musically, although I didn't delve into the lyricism beyond knowing the themes and background behind it. Really cool to see your take on it.