Jennifer McCreath Transsexual Marathon Runner

Feb 1, 2012 - Trans Airline Ban news story goes VIRAL!

2012-02-02T00:37:00.000-03:30

wow, in just a few days, the exposure of Harper's anti-trans airplane ban has gone from small blogs like mine, to big blogs, to mainstream news entities, and all the way to federal QP! Christin Milloy's blog (which she wrote shortly after reading my tweet) was so well written that it caught the attention of City TV in Toronto, who did a feature profile on her and on this issue for their 6 o'clock news, which was likely watched live by more than 100000 people! an archive is here: http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/videos/184616

Liberal MP Justin Trudeau raised the issue in Ottawa today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRwfbYbXeNg

NDP MPs Dany Morin and Randall Garrison also got into the action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7-EboYiLL4

meanwhile, i remained busy today doing interviews with an Ottawa publication that comes out of Carleton University's journalism program, as well as an interview for Sirius satellite radio Canada, which to my understanding is broadcast nationally! ironically, the news story was ignored by mainstream media here in Newfoundland.

meanwhile, more ahead, as Susan Gapka and Christin Milloy have radio and tv gigs lined up for tomorrow, and Josie Harding will be addressing both CBC radio and tv in Moncton.

A human rights lawyer in Vancouver has stepped up to the plate and has stated that she agrees that this policy is discriminatory, and she will help any victim file a federal human rights complaint!

Milloy and a trans friend of mine in PEI are both due to fly next week, so it is going to be very interesting to see what happens. heck, i am very very tempted to jump on air canada's 50% seat sale and book a weekend trip somewhere, just to see what will happen!

other than the bigoted conservatives/republicans, it appears the rest of the world accepts trans people. CBC conducted a poll and got 90% feedback supporting trans rights. the stats never would have been that good even 2 years ago.

i wanna give a huge shout out to all the major trans advocate leaders all across the country, who worked so hard in this matter this week, and so hard on every other major trans issue... from east to west: Jennifer McCreath (can't forget little old me), Alice MacPhee, Trina Hanson, Aimee Menard, Josie Harding, Nat Murray, Susan Gapka, Michelle Boyce, Christin Milloy, Marie Van Sprybock, Mikayla Schultz, Mercedes Allen, Catherine Em, and Tami Cosmic.... and all the others i have missed!

and a huge huge thank you two (yes, and i genuinely mean it) Egale Canada and Xtra Newspaper for stepping up to the plate this week!

PRESS RELEASE: Harper's Policy essentially BANS transgendered from flying! 01/31/2012

2012-02-01T01:44:00.002-03:30

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Recently, the Government of Canada quietly amended the Identity Screening Regulations of the Aeronautics Act to include:

Sec 5.2(1)(c) An air carrier shall not transport a passenger if the passenger does not appear to be of the gender indicated on the identification he or she presents.

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2007-82/20110729/P1TT3xt3.html

This policy not only appears to unnecessarily single out transgendered individuals and keep them off airplanes, but it opens a whole lot of questions about the suitability of using gender (or sex for that matter) as a way to filter out security risks.

While there does exist a legal definition for Sex, none exists for Gender. While the two classifications may appear similar, sex generally represents what's between your legs, but gender is between your ears. For many trans people, they are faced with a body that doesn't match their brain. Furthermore, there can be many road blocks that could prevent them from having corrective genital surgery. Furthermore, getting Government to recognize sex and/or gender changes in legal documents varies greatly across North American jurisdictions. It is even impossible in some.

As Eastern Canada's most visible and recognized trans person, I publicly denounce this unnecessary policy, that not only fails to add value to the public interest, but it adds unnecessary impediments to many members of the trans community who wish to travel by air. Most importantly, to have Government validate, and legislate transphobia and discrimination, can only do further harm to the world's most oppressed and misunderstood minority demographic.

Jennifer McCreath
jennifermccreath.blogspot.com
youtube.com/jenniferpoco

Jan 31, 2012 - Reporting the Canada Transgender Air Ban - the Power of Blogs!

2012-02-01T00:32:00.002-03:30

I find it ironic how a policy could go unreported for 7 months, until one particular person raises the issue on a blog. This blog gets read and blogged about and tweeted, and eventually the story multiplies until mainstream media and mainstream stakeholders gets a hold of the issue.

While I was aware of this new discriminatory policy before, I had not taken any steps to raise awareness of it, until the other day, when my friend Josie Harding blogged about it the other day.

For those of you who aren't already familiar, the Government of Canada quietly amended the Identity Screening Regulations of the Aeronautics Act, in July 2011. Specifically, they added the following:

Section 5.2(1)(c) "An air carrier shall not transport a passenger if the passenger does not appear to be of the gender indicated on the identification he or she presents."

This raises two major issues. One is that it appears Government is now attempting to classify gender, based on legal sex. Two, this policy appears to unnecessarily discriminate against trans people, and more importantly, could make it illegal for airlines to allow trans people to travel on their airplanes.

Part of my story is to discuss the issue, and part of it is to discuss the way in which this story went viral!

After reading Josie's blog, I decided to tweet a brief sound-byte in which I brought attention to the policy and the issues. I vlogged and blogged shortly there-after. Well, given my reputation, and my network of followers among the Canadian trans community, this issue was quickly picked up by certain trans activists in Canada who have global reputations. Within hours, blogs were written by the amazing Mercedes Allen and Christin Milloy. Both of whom referenced my blog.

Well, that really got the ball rolling! All of a sudden, I was fielding phone calls from mainstream media outlets from Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa! Likewise, several other key players entered the game. Several trans advocacy organizations started releasing public statements, and even gay/lesbian organizations as well. Now, international mainstream media is starting to report on the story. Watch for articles to appear in printed publications tomorrow, including the Toronto Star, La Presse, Vancouver Sun and the Washington Post!

Interestingly enough, as this story gets recycled and passed along, it is the trans people in Toronto who seem to be getting most of the attention, and credit, for breaking the story! Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, but I think there is something to be learned out of this for the trans community, or any community for that matter. It is critically important that when mainstream media takes an interest in a story, that they are coming to people who can accurately and credibly discuss the story.

While Josie and I appear to be the first two generations if this issue, it appears that we are being generally overlooked and ignored by most media outlets. Could this be because we live in small provinces in towns that nobody has ever heard of? or could it be that we still haven't earned our stripes in terms of reputation as trans go-to people in international media.

Ultimately, when there is a trans story, we need media to come to trans people. Whether it is the ones in eastern Canada, or the ones in Toronto, is secondary. Just so long as they don't keep going to members of our sister community - the gays and lesbians. it really upset me to see the ignorant comments made by gay male drag performer Ru Paul, recently, when he was asked about trans issues.

Anyway, props to Josie for being the true catalyst for getting this story in the radar!

Furthermore, back to the issue at hand.

One of the main concerns that critics of trans rights seem to have, is a lack of a clear cut definition for gender. Well, now, Canada has just put this word into a policy document! As we all should know, sex and gender are not the same thing. Simply put, sex is between your legs, and gender is between your ears! while a doctor or a government official may be able to classify ones sex, based on a physical examination of the genital area, nobody other than oneself can classify ones gender. So first of all, the wording of this policy needs to be amended from gender to sex.

Secondly, is legal sex really an appropriate method to classify who may or may not be a security threat to an airplane? Also, is legal sex really an appropriate method of identity authentication?

As all of these trans advocates have pointed out, gender presentation often differs from legal sex of many members of the trans community. some of us have had surgery and some of us haven't. some of us need surgery while some of us don't. Some of us are passable and some of us are not. None of these issues have anything to do with airport security.

I am seeing a disturbing trend out of the Harper Government since he won a majority last year. First of all, he voted against bill C-389, a Bill that would have provided explicit Human Rights Protection under the grounds of Gender Identity or Gender Expression. Then a lawyer representing his Government questioned the validity of same sex marriages that were performed in Canada for people who lived outside of Canada. Now, we see a discriminatory policy sneaked into a Regulation. Hmmmm folks. I do not think this is a coincidence!

Anyway, the biggest question people are going to ask, is: have any trans people actually been rejected from flying under this policy. Well, none that i am aware of as of yet. However, trans people have often faced additional and unnecessary scrutiny at airports, including me! This policy now validates the mythological concept that trans people, by the very nature of them simply being trans, are a threat to security.

As I have well documented, I faced a near two hour delay at Pearson Airport in Toronto last year because an Airport Security Agent, who worked for USA Customs, appeared to be transphobic. I was taken aside, asked to give finger prints and have my picture taken, I had my bags searched, and I was subjected to dozens of very explicit personal questions about my health, my body, my hormones, my medication, and my genitals.
If that's not bad enough, in 2008, while driving across the Canada/USA border, I faced similar situations.

The very basic definition of phobia is 'irrational fear'. Transphobia is irrational and unnecessary. It's bad enough to have to face discrimination in my daily life, but to have a Government exhibiting and promoting transphobia, trans discrimination and fear-mongering? That is a clear violation of global human rights principles.

Anyway, after all of this, I felt it was important that I do blogging justice to this story, and the story about the story. As an advocate, I can only hope that this blog post will go as viral as those written by my colleagues in the big cities!

Jennifer

Jan 30, 2012 - Transsexual Women and Prometrium - A Testimonial

2012-01-29T23:54:00.000-03:30

Ok folks, many doctors are afraid to prescribe P for transwomen because they claim, and perhaps rightly so, that there are no formally-recognized proven studies that indicate that P actually works. Yes, perhaps, but there are also no formally-recognized proven studies that indicate that P does not work.

P is designed to help with the maturation of breast development in transwomen. in natal females, P levels play a major role in the menstruation cycle.

The most common rule of thumb i have seen suggests that transwomen not start P immediately, but go with just estrogen for a period of 2 years post-op (or post-orchi). if suitable breast development hasn't occurred, then introduce P. go with Prometrium - which is natural, if you can get your hands on it.. as synthetic provera / microgest has more risk of side affects.

in just 10 months on P (including 3 on synthetic and 7 on natural), i have seen significant maturation of breast development, as they have gone from cone shaped to breast shaped. i have also seen my areolas double in size. my nipples have only grown slightly. but the overall mass has grown so much that i literally have stretch marks all over my breasts!

rule of thumb suggests that i should stay on P for 2-3 years, and that should max out what it can do for me.

side affects of P - further challenges of what estrace does - loss of strength, speed, energy, worse metabolism - body weight gain (38 pounds in 10 months). and emotional issues such as masculine-like rage or temper tantrums.

but yes, it does work, at least it did for me!!!

Jan 29, 2012 - Air Canada confirms they must comply with transphobic law

2012-01-29T16:54:00.000-03:30

This just in from a friend of mine..........

From: support@help-aircanada.com;
We understand your concern, however, we hope you will appreciate that we cannot comment on what other airlines' policies are. Air Canada is bound by federal law and as such we must comply with the regulations that if a passenger's face or gender does not match the government-issued photo identification, we are prohibited from carrying that passenger. Again, if you have a concern regarding this, we respectfully ask that you pursue this with Transport Canada.

We are sorry we cannot provide a more positive answer for you but wish you the very best with your transition process.

Best regards,

Jan
Customer Relations Lead

------ Previous Message ------

To: support@help-aircanada.com;
Sent: 06/01/2011 09:41:23 PM
Subject: Issue#:ABDA-8PMGS0:12/22/2010 02:45:42:transgender documentation question.

As part of the transition process, there is a medical requirement to
live in the target gender for at least 1 year. During this year,
gender markers on government identification are not changed in all
provinces (as some provinces will only change gender markers after
surgery)
According to your email, during that 1 year, people will not be
allowed to fly Air Canada. Can you confirm this?

I've flown on other airlines within Canada and have not had an issue
and know dozens, if not hundreds of cases where people have flown
without an issue. I'm unclear as to why it seems to be an issue to Air
Canada and not other airlines.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Issue#:ABDA-8PMGS0:12/22/2010 02:45:42:transgender
documentation question.
From: support@help-aircanada.com
Date: Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:07:52 -0800 (pst)

> ===============================================================
> Please do not change the Subject Line - Veuillez ne pas modifier le
> Sujet de ce courriel
> ===============================================================
>
> Dear Ms. Jones,
>
> Thank you for your patience and understanding while awaiting my
> response. I have been advised the following:
>
> Air Canada is bound by federal law and as such we are complying
> with the regulations that if a passenger's face or gender does not
> match the government-issued photo identification, we are prohibited
> from carrying that passenger. If you have a concern regarding
> this, you can address your concerns with Transport Canada.
>
> Thank you once again for allowing us this opportunity to review and
> respond to your concerns. We trust you will continue to travel
> with us and your experience will be pleasant and trouble free.
>
>
> Sincerely, Leslie Anne
>
> ------ Previous Message ------
>
> From: support@help-aircanada.com To:
> Sent: 03/01/2011 02:36:40 PM Subject: Issue#:ABDA-8PMGS0:12/22/2010
> 02:45:42:transgender documentation question.
>
>
> ===============================================================
> Please do not change the Subject Line - Veuillez ne pas modifier le
> Sujet de ce courriel
> ===============================================================
>
> Dear Ms. Jones,
>
> Thank you for your email.
>
> We appreciate your patience and understanding while we look into
> your enquiry.
>
> Hopefully I will have the answer in the next couple of days.
>
> Thanks once again. Happy New Year.
>
>
> Sincerely, Leslie Anne
>
> ------ Original Message ------
>
> From: Sent: 22/12/2010 12:45 AM
> Subject: transgender documentation question.
>
>
> Subject : transgender documentation question. Message : Hello, I am
> writing about this one statement on your website. ?legally required
> to compare a customer?s full face against the photograph shown on
> any government-issued identification ? which must also include the
> name, date of birth and gender. Boarding will be denied if the
> customer does not resemble the photograph on the government-issued
> photo identification.? As a transsexual person, I am concerned
> about whether or not this will exclude me from flying with Air
> Canada. As I go through my transition, my appearance will continue
> to change and I'm worried that I might be denied boarding even if
> replace my ID card every few months.

Jan 28, 2012 Canadian Government BANS transgendered from Flying!

2012-01-29T16:47:00.000-03:30

Sec 5.2(1)(c) of the ID screening regs of Aeronautics Act! "An air carrier shall not transport a passenger if the passenger does not appear to be of the gender indicated on the identification he or she presents."

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2007-82/20110729/P1TT3xt3.html

For those of you who may not know, it is much easier for a Government to amend a Regulation than an actual Act, and this is what Stephen Harper's Government has done. Pure bigotry and hatred against the Trans community here.

For those of you affected, i urge you to file complaints with the Federal Human Rights Commission upon refusal to board.

Jenn

Rainbow Flags fly at Margaret Court Arena 1/16/2012

2012-01-15T22:19:00.000-03:30

39 years after she won her last grand slam tennis tournament, australian tennis legend Margaret Court continues to run her mouth with hateful bigotry against the LGBT community. Well, we've heard enough Margaret! Today at day one of the Australian open, many tennis fans brought rainbow flags into Margaret Court Arena to express concern and protest over her comments against gay marriage. Furthermore, many prominent athletes are calling for her name to be stripped from this Arena. the sporting world has often lagged behind in terms of LGBT acceptance, but many tennis players have been out since the 70s - including the greatest of all time, Martina Navratilova. I encourage all LGBT people who are involved in sports to please stand up, speak out, be seen, be heard, and be proud! here is my direct message to Margaret on my vlog.

Jan 14, 2012 - Shameful Tennessee

2012-01-14T19:09:00.000-03:30

yes folks, this is 2012. not 1950. but in recent months, the state of Tennessee has turned back the clock. first, they implimented a bill that made it against the law to use the word 'gay' in schools. Then they created a bill that essentially made bullying legal, if the target of the bully was LGBT people.

Furthermore, they refuse to allow transpeople to have their birth certificate modified, even if they have full sex reassignment surgery. Yet, when Andrea Jones, a transwoman who is legally recognized as a male, was charged with public indecency and incarcerated for three weeks for baring her chest.

Now, a Republican politician named Richard Floyd, has introduced a 'bathroom bill' that would obligate people to use public accomodates on the basis of birth certificate sex. what this guy doesn't realize is that while he may keep transwomen out of women's washrooms, he is putting transmen in them! What he obviously isn't aware, is that testosterone makes transmen very passible in a very short period of time. in 3 months, most transmen attain deep voices, muscular physiques, and facial hair. females who are now completely passable as men will be in these women's washrooms. and this will likely create a problem that never existed before.

if that's not bad enough, Floyd declared war on the trans community by hypothetically threatening physical violence by stating he would 'stomp a mudhole' in any transwoman he happens to meet in a women's bathroom. hmmmm, a bold statement for a 67 year old out-of-shape senior citizen.

it is sad to see a state that has so much history, has a beautiful smoky mountain national park, and has the amazing city of nashville - the home of country music; expose so much hate and bigotry.

c'mon americans. 2012 is election year, and it is time to get with the times and stop voting in people like this! your political reps act as embassadors to the world on your behalf. putting Floyd in office will only serve you harsh global embarassment and critisizm!

Work It is out of work Jan 14/2012

2012-01-14T18:53:00.000-03:30

Well, perhaps the worst television show in world history has been put out of its misery after just two episodes. ABC was harshly critisized for trailers for sit-com Work It which depicted two men dressing as women in a mockery, in a ficticious world where women ruled the work force. while trans communities expressed the most concern leading up to the launch, the pilot episode featured content which offended women in general, as well as a reference to Pueto Ricans being drug dealers.

Hopefully the outrage and poor ratings will send a message to the entire entertainment industry, that this is 2012 an it is no longer socially acceptable to mock women, racial minorities, or trans people.

thanks and congrats to all advocates who stepped up to the plate and put pressure on ABC to pull the plug.

January 9, 2012 Christin Milloy takes Feds to Human Rights Commission over Gender/Sex Dichotomy

2012-01-09T22:55:00.001-03:30

Kudos to Christin Milloy for taking the time, and dealing with the frustration of a nightmarish bureaucrats mess, in order to fight for trans rights.

Seems many government departments do not understand the difference between sex and gender. for those of you who might not be aware, they are not the same. to put it simply and frankly: sex is between your legs, and gender is between your ears. sex is penis/vagina. gender is masculine/feminine. sex is what you are, gender is what you perceive yourself to be. gender may or may not be expressed outwardly based on how we present ourselves in terms of physical and social presentation and communication.

anyway, the government of canada's social insurance program insists on using Gender as a form of personal information that they collect for the purpose of identity proofing. the problem? there is no legal definition of gender.

when we are born, our sex is recorded on our record of birth, which is then used to issue a birth certificate by the provincial government. by legal definition, those born with a penis are deemed male, those without a penis are females.

the issue? government is inappropriately assigning gender to individuals based on a model of cis sexuality. i.e. they assume all males are men and all females are women. this clearly constitutes discrimination on the basis of gender.

they called me a man, based on me being born with a penis, but how wrong they were! I am a woman. i have always been a woman, and no biology can change that. yes i have had sex reassignment surgery, but i am no more woman after surgery than i was the day before. sex and gender are not the same.

anyway, what makes this case very important is that many politicians refuse to allow amndments to the human rights act for gender-based discrimination, under the arguement that it is the same as sex. well, this clearly puts this to the test! technically, Christin is filing her complaint under the grounds of sex, when in reality, this is specifically a case of gender discrimination.

in lieu of a formal legal definition of gender, it will be very interesting to see where the human rights commission goes with this. ultimately, Christin should win this, and the government should be forced to change theirn policy from collecting gender, to collecting sex.

meanwhile, the legal definition of sex is also very contentious among the trans community, as many argue that sex is more than anatomy, but also includes things such as hormones.

anyway, most importantly, i want to give thanks and credit to Christin for being the first trans person to not only file such a complaint, but to go public with it.

in conclusion, i write this article under the assumption that folks reading this already know who Christin is. if not, she became famous for being the first ever publicly-out trans-identified person to run for political office in Canada at the provincial level.

January 9, 2012 - Australian Tampon Company's Transphobic Ad leads to strange alliance for me

2012-01-09T22:38:00.002-03:30

UPDATED:

well, another week, and another inadvertant thoughtless assault on the trans community by uninformed businesses. this time, Libra, a company that sells tampons, collaborated with an apparently well-known Australian gay male drag queen (who many mistakenly thought was depicting a transgender or transsexual), to put together a 30 second spot for new zealand tv. the ad depicts a ciswoman, and a non-ciswoman, standing side by side in a public washroom. they take turns trying to one up each other in a competitive process to see who can appear more womanly. make up, eye shadow, lip stick, bra adjustment.. and then, boom, the ciswoman whips out a tampon and the other walks away in defeated shame. while their intent was to poke fun at a female impersonator, they inadvertantly offended trans people by implying that they are not real women unless they have functioning ovaries.

when they realized they had offended, Libra realized their error, pulled the ad, and appologized.

Interestingly enough, the actor spoke out publicly too. Sandee Crack, who is a drag queen by profession, was not initially appologetic. in fact, she released a statement on her website stating that she is a gay man who dresses up as a woman for a career, that she does not identify as trans at all, and felt that the portayal of a drag queen in an ad such as this brought positive attention and awareness to isses faced by drag queens. Sandee even went so far as to suggest those offended were dragphoic.
while i disagree with being considered dragphobic, this is a very interesting example of how and why the 'transgender umbrella' does not work. drag and trans are as different as night and day. for anyone to imply that we belong under the same label is totally ridiculous.

but at the same time, i think both myself and Sandee need to realize that we are stuck under this umbrella label, whether we like it or not.. and the only way to get away from it, is to educate society. yes, we recognize that we are different from cis/heterosexual people, but we are not all the same.

i don't think anyone has a right to tell me when, why, or how i should or should not be offended. bottom line, i was offended, and many others were. as i mentioned in my vlog, we need to learn to understand each other, and stand up for each other. if a body of work offends some of us, then we all need to be patient, understanding, and together in our quest to overcome the insult.

i am pleased to announce that Sandee has responded to my invitation to communicate, and i hope that we can form a unique alliance that will help make this world a more respectful and accepting place for all.

January 2, 2012 - McCreath Resigns from CPATH

2012-01-02T20:36:00.001-03:30

While it may seem ironic that I am leaving an organization after spending a year trying to make it easier for more members to have a say in how the org operates, I have decided that due to some slight conflicting values and priorities, that it is time for me to move on.

Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health (CPATH) is a non-profit professioinal Association that is run by and for trans health professionals. Initially, voting membership was exclusive to credentialed doctors, steps were taken, with my help, to create a policy that would open the door for non-credentialed health professionals to attain voting rights, thru membership or association with organizational health providers.

For taking such a cutting edge risk, I applaud CPATH. But at the same time, I am not a health professional. I am a patient and I am an advocate for patients' rights. While both myself as an individual, and organizations I represent, have an interest and stake in CPATH's work, I feel it is best to work along side them, as opposed to being part of them. There exists a dichotomy of what's best for the doctors and what's best for the patients - and when that dichotomy leads to a dilemma, you know I will have to side with the patients. Afterall, I often refer to doctors as "gatekeepers" as opposed to experts, and I still firmly believe that the trans patient, not the doctor, knows what's best. Unfortunately, we do have a few dilemmas.

Overall, my involvement with CPATH would have to be classified as a success, as they got what they wanted out of me in terms of policy writing work, and I got the experience of not only writing a valuable policy that was accepted by an org of this magnitude, but the satisfaction of feeling that I have made that organization stronger. I leave on good terms, wish them the best, and offer to keep lines of communication open. But for the record, I am no longer an official member.

A quacky Christmas 12/27/2011

2011-12-27T20:29:00.001-03:30

Well, it turned out to be a very lonely christmas. I decided to stay home rather than risk traveling somewhere and getting stuck in an airport somewhere. I also wrongly figured that i could count on some time with my two closest friends here locally, but that didn't materialize either. So i had lots of time to spend with my friends at the duck pond, which was actually quite lovely. i've pretty much lost faith in humanity these days, as so many people have disappointed me. but the ducks never let me down. as long as i have bird seed, i can always count on their attention. it was actually quite special to have 5 consecutive days with duck pond visits. i used to spend so much more time over there, not not nearly as much this year.

another highlight was having a chance to be a tourist at home during the winter. i had a car for the weekend so i took in all the familiar sights that i usually see during the summer: topsail beach, middle cove beach, signal hill, and cape spear. as disappointing as it is to feel that so many close people have turned their back on me, i sense that it is all for the best, as i can move on with my life and focus my attention on other things. people come and go for a reason and this holiday season has made me realize that some changes need to be made in terms of who i focus time, energy, and emotions on.

for more details on my various christmas travels, and for an epic Jennifer rant, check out the latest 4 videos on my vlog at youtube.com/jenniferpoco

Dec 24, 2011 East Coast Trans Alliance won't incorporate

2011-12-27T19:32:00.000-03:30

It's with sadness that i announce that the East Coast Trans Alliance will not become ECTA Inc., at least not at this time. After consultations with would be fellow incorporators, we all determined that it would be in the best interests of all that we not incorporate an entity at this time.

On a personal note, i find it ironic to take note that one of the main challenges in building up the ECTA brand name here in Newfoundland, was due to an unintentional competitor, that being, the brand name of myself as an individual. I guess it should be a compliment that Jennifer McCreath has worked so hard to be an out and recognized trans advocate, that when people need help, they come to me directly, and not seek assistance from an organization such as what the ECTA was supposed to be.

Sadly, i can't be everything to everyone as an individual, and that's why i took steps to try to put together a recognized organization. Oh well, perhaps some other time. But for now, this is disappointing because there is only so much i can do as an individual. Even worse, due to a variety of other commitments and priorities, being a volunteer transition consultant to ad hoc e-mailers will have to take a step back on my list.

Anyway, i am sure there will be lessons learned out of this - and not all is lost, the ECTA name will carry on as an informal org, at least for now.

Jennifer

Dec 17, 2011 - Physio update

2011-12-17T16:28:00.000-03:30

had my third trip to the physio clinic in 5 days. things are starting to take form. the appointments start with 15 minutes of electricity stimulation in my ankle, followed by 5 minutes of ice. then it is a series of stretches that will help strengthen the muscles around the knee tendon, back and hip areas, and ankle ligament. then it is a few minutes of soundwaves into the ankle. it's going to take a while, but the science seems to make sense. looking forward to the day when there is no more ankle pain. rest ahead for the rest of the evening, and perhaps a light walk tomorrow. Jenn

Dec 17, 2011 - Bowl Season under way

2011-12-17T16:13:00.000-03:30

ok, so we have three meaningless games today. here's my picks:

temple over wyoming
utah state over ohio
san diego state over lafayette

none of these teams play for BCS conferences. none of them are ranked in the top 25. they all did manage winning records though, so i guess that counts for something. i suppose as one article on cbs stated, bowl games is at least more exciting than watching bowling or poker... i suspose they are right! oh well, this makes for a reward for all six of these teams - a chance to play on national tv at a neutral site against an out of conference opponent. a chance for NFL scouts to get an extra look at the seniors. i suppose it's all good. heck, i am watching, even if these are teams i don't really care about.

enjoy the bowl season folks, and don't put any major stock into my picks... lol

Jenn

Physiotherapy update Dec 13/2011

2011-12-13T22:37:00.000-03:30

To summarize, i have a ruptured tendon in the knee and a torn ligament in the ankle. not surprising. pretty much as i expected. long road ahead but a mixture of rest, rehab, electromagnetic and ultrasound therapy, and a good strength & conditioning program, should heal everything up in 2-3 months. for more details, check out my latest vlog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaxproZYxeA

December 9, 2011 - Dasher and friends!

2011-12-09T20:43:00.000-03:30

December 3, 2011 - Tebowmania?

2011-12-03T15:17:00.001-03:30

Appologizes for those who come to my blog to read about trans issues, but i can't help but enter two football posts today. i think i have actually been pretty good about limiting the football talk on here this season. interestingly enough, if this is a blog about my life, then there probably should be tons more football talk on here, as from sept til january, i am literally glued to all 5 of my tv sets keeping an eye on as many games as i can find. football is a great escape from the daily challenges in life that i face for being an out transsexual living in newfoundland canada.

anyway - let's talk a little Tebow. Here's a guy who although has a rather awkward style of football play, managed to take his college team to a championship. but everyone says he can't win in the NFL because his style of play and his weaknesses won't allow him to win. the guy has intangible factors that make him a winner, despite his apparent football limitations. he is a born leader. he doesn't just try to win or expect to win, he demands it from himself and his entire team. when his florida gators actually lost a football game for the first time in almost 2 years, this guy held a press conference and appologized as if he had just committed an unimaginable crime.

so fast forward to the NFL draft, where he goes mid way thru the first round to a rather crappy denver team. after spending most of his 2010 rookie year on the bench, he gets a chance to play and managed to win a few games. fast forward to 2011, he finishes in 3rd place in the training camp battle to be the team's QB, and sits on the bench again. so the broncos start 1-4 and the fans are calling for this guy. heck, they know he might not have the pure football talent, but they know that he's a winner.

so the guy comes in, and looks awful, but guess what? he wins. and wins. and wins again. 5-1 in 6 games, and the denver broncos go from the toilet to a playoff contender. so what do people say now? he can't throw, he can't play, he can't win. it won't last. then, denver is so content with Tebow playing that they release their so-called star quarterback - Kyle Orton.

fast forward to tomorrow. the woeful Kansas City Chiefs claim Orton off waivers, and Tebow leads the Broncos into Minnesota to play a woeful Vikings team. let's not focus so much on what's not supposed to work. let's recognize that this statement makes Tebow's winning ways even more impressive than they otherwise should be. although i am a Chiefs fan, and although i am not too keen on Tebow's religious alliances, from a football perspective and from a human being perspective, i want to see this guy prove his critics wrong. and it wouldn't surprise me to see Denver dump the Chiefs in the season finale on Jan 1 to elevate Denver into the playoffs for the first time in a long while.

December 3, 2011 - Pac 12 title game for lame ducks?

2011-12-03T14:53:00.000-03:30

so we have UCLA Bruins playing Oregon Ducks for the so-called conference title game. Oregon tied Stanford for the best record within conference play in the north division, and wins that tiebreaker to host the game. UCLA gets in with a miserable overall record of 6-6 because division winner Southern Cal faces disqualification from playoffs as penalty for something school administrators did 5 years ago. UCLA was so awful that they fired their coach before this game even happened.

So we basically have the 3rd and 4th best teams in the conference playing for the right to go to the Rose Bowl. So as expected, Oregon destroyed UCLA and will go to the Rose Bowl, while conference-best Stanford waits to see whether or not they will get to play in the National Championship game (they are hoping to sneak in the back door by having other top teams lose their last game of the year.

Meanwhile, down south, LSU plays Georgia in a game where LSU can still lose their conference and end up in the National championship game, while #2 alabama sits and waits to see whether or not they will get into the National title game, or miss the BCS outright (if Georgia wins, they get to play the Sugar Bowl, which may force Alabama right down to the Cotton Bowl).

so some conferences have championship games while others simply award their title to the best regular season record. some teams can be helped by having to play a conference title game, while other's risk harm. others are helped by not having to play one, while others miss the chance to pad their style points.

meanwhile, someone from the big east will play a BCS game while none of them really deserve to be there.

houston and boise have both had great seasons, yet a school like michigan who can't even qualify for their conference title game - sits back and may get a spot simply based on their historical popularity.

while i will wait til the games of today are over to tell you who i think will go to the bcs and who i think SHOULD go, i will say that i think the best 10 teams should be there, as that is the goal of the BCS, isn't it??

Nov 22, 2011 - McCreath quits PFLAG over pro-choice alliance

2011-11-26T08:39:00.000-03:30

It's been an interesting week. here's bits n pieces from two pieces of correspondence i have sent to the Transgender Education Committee, who report to the national executive for PFLAG Canada:----------------------------------
It is with deep regret that I announce my decision to leave this group. It was recently brought to my attention that PFLAG's Newfoundland Chapter was not only relaunched by folks who represent a controversial organzation known as Planned Parenthood Newfoundland, but that they have now formally partnered with them. This organization stands for several things that i do not support. Most importantly, their anti - St. John's Pride Inc. stance, and their position in the pro-life/pro-choice debate.
Integrity and values are extremely important to me, and I don't feel it appropriate to volunteer for a PFLAG committee that reports to the National Executive, if I do not even feel comfortable attending meetings of my Local Chapter, nor supporting or endorsing their work.

...it is definitely a sad decision, but one that was rather easy for me to make. i cannot express how disappointed i am to see PFLAG (even if only in Newfoundland) alligning directly with an organization who's primary mandate is pregnancies and abortions.

The day's gonna come when scientific technology will allow us to tell if a fetus is going to be born LGBT, and when that time comes, most LGBT people will die before they are even born. if my parents knew i was gonna be born trans, i would have likely been aborted.... hearing a parent say words to that effect, hit me very hard.

people like me deserve a chance to be born. sure being trans is challenging, but it's still very much a life worth living! planned parenthood apparently seems to think otherwise. they must be stopped.
-----------------------------------------

more on my vlog here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD2S7cWDrmY

November 20, 2011 Newfoundland observes Transgender Day of Remembrance

2011-11-22T13:00:00.002-03:30

Nov 20, 2011 marked the 13th annual international Transgender Day of Remembrance. An historic event occured in Newfoundland, as for the first time ever, members of the LGBT community formally booked an event on the property of the headquarters of the Provincial Government - the Confederation Building. Members of the local LGBT community and their allies, came together this morning for a candle light vigil that was produced and emceed by Jennifer McCreath, co-founder of St. John's Pride Inc (stjohnspride.org) and East Coast Trans Alliance (eastcoasttransalliance.org).

Fighting wind and cold, a crowd of about 15 gathered at 10 am for a one hour event that featured a variety of special speakers and events. All three major political parties took the time to write formal letters of recognition, which were read aloud. Also, statements were sent in and read by other prominent national trans advocates Christin Milloy (the first openly-trans person to ever run for provincial political office), and Josie Harding (co-founder of ECTA and chair of Moncton Trans Peer Support Group).

The names of all reported murdered transpeople were read aloud, candles were lite in their honour, and a moment of silence was observed. In addition to memorializing the victims, McCreath ensured that the opportunity was taken for other issues to be discussed at this event, especially since mainsteam media was in attendance to cover the event. Noah Davis-Power, the youngest Canadian to ever run in a provincial election (an NDP candidate who also happens to be an out LGBT Newfoundlander) spoke about the power of individuals being able to overcome adversity. Rob Sinnott, Chair of local PFLAG Chapter and a local LGBT youth group spoke about the resources that are available in this Province for both youth and others.

McCreath took the microphone again and challenged the education system to step up to the plate and do their job - that being, to educate our youth about the real world, a world that includes LGBT people. She also spoke about the challenges trans people still face today in Newfoundland, including lack of recognition in the Human Rights Act, poor out of date health care policies and services, and societal discrimination with regards to employment, housing, and harassment. McCreath also specifically thanked Noah, Rob, and Egale Canada for their hard work lobbying the education system to better deal with bullying. Local musician Terry Rielly was also on hand to sing two new songs that he had written, one that he initially wrote for Pride Week, and one specifically for this occasion.

Nov 19, 2011 - Scooter the Hamster!

2011-11-20T22:07:00.001-03:30

Well, it looks like we have a new fastest runner in ther house! Scooter the Hamster joined the unit today. He is only 34 days old. He is still very small - about the size of 2 adult fingers. This was his first day in his new cage and away from sibblings and mommy, but he's adusted well - already learned how to drink out of the new water bottle, find the food dush, and run in the wheel. He will be a low maintenence pet and will make for some fun times with my two very curious cats! What a great way to head into a weekend that will feature a sad and somber trasns day of remembrance ceremony. Jenn

November 12, 2011 frontrunner again!

2011-11-13T00:05:00.000-03:30

well, it had been several weeks since i last attended the weekly International Frontrunners Saturday morning run, but i decide that i was ready to get back out there. I decided to have a test run Friday afternoon, and i pushed through 8.6k and managed to survive. Frontrunners usually does a lap of quidi vidi lake, which means i had to also get myself to and from quidi vidi. well, it was a rough night as my cats kept waking me up.. but that didn't seen to matter. i fought thru back pain and made it down to the lake just in time to get things started. the run went well and i had a great time chatting with fellow NL Chapter founders Tony and Dave. I made it all the way home too, giving me 14.2k on the morning. the knees are a little sore, but not really any worse than they were yesterday morning. to run 22.8k in a span of 21 hours is quite the accomplishment, given my state of recovery. feeling optimistic that i will be able to run a little more regularily as we get deep into the fall. i might actually consider debuting at this January's "hypothermic half" marathon, in Mount Pearl. seems i always gain motivation when there is a good to shoot for.

Jenn

November 10, 2011 - Skin removal for weight loss patients

2011-11-10T13:46:00.000-03:30

wow, so three people lose a ton of weight and have so much excess skin, that doctors consider it a health risk if they don't have it surgically removed. problem though, our lovely Medical Care Plan (provincial insurance provider) won't pay for it (guess they either think it is cosmetic in all cases, or there just aren't enough people raising the issue).

well, here's my thoughts on the matter, as i posted on CBC's website.. thoughts that got me 31 thumbs up and only 2 thumbs down:
----------
the fundamental principles of the Canada Health Act and all provincial health insurance programs include: Public administration, Comprehensiveness, Universality, Portability and Accessibility. What this means is that any health service deemed medically necessary, should be covered. This really makes all other factors moot in this argument.

So, who should decide what is medically necessary? Should it be politicians and policy-makers who work in Confederation Building and have never met this person? Or should it be Pam's provincially-licenced doctors? I say let doctors decide what is medically necessary and what is not.

Morally, sure, you can argue either way. you could say that Pam has taken positive steps to improve her life and lower her use of other health care resources... or sure, you could say that overweight people never should have been overweight in the first place, and that they brought it on themself.

The real problem here in this province is that there is not enough emphasis on preventative health. we are so reactionary. what is sad though, is that many health care dollars are eaten up treating health conditions that could have been easily prevented, that we as a province claim we 'can't afford' to treat many other medical conditions that are brought on through no fault of the patients.

Heck, i am an example. i required surgery for a medical condition i was born with, yet i was denied MCP funding too.yet cancer treatments for life-long drinkers and smokers are regularly covered. How is this fair? It sadly comes down to strength in numbers, because numbers = votes. and that's the core problem with giving government a monopoly on health care.
----------

Very interesting that the media is jumping all over this issue, while turning a blind eye to many others who need medical treatment for conditions they were born with. but hmmm, this just goes to show you the power of the media..

Jenn

October 31, 2011 - stats

2011-10-31T21:26:00.000-02:30

let's not forget that this blog was initially set up to be a running blog, so with this in mind, let's take a look at the year that has been so far in terms of monthly running k stats.....

2011

Jan 137.60 - 137.60

Feb 044.10 - 181.70

Mar 161.30 - 343.00

Apr 188.80 - 524.20

May 208.80 - 733.00k

June 061.00 - 794.00

july 049.30 - 843.30

aug 031.60 - 874.90

sept 110.30 - 985.20

oct 072.90 - 1062.10k

to summarize, it was a very rough month. i literally needed a full week to recover from the exhaustion that was the newfoundland marathon. but the knees never really did get a chance to recover. then it was my 5th cape to cabot, which was totally awful. more than 3 hours to get thru 20k of hills - most of which was at a walking pace, with very sore knees, feet, and back.

15 days removed from cape to cabot, i am still both physically and emotionally deflated. i sense i have arthritis in my knees, hip, and maybe even in the back. doc visits ahead shortly. i'd have to rate those 3 hours on the cape to cabot among the worst in my life - a clear sign that i do not enjoy running now, if i ever actually did.

oh well, i may never run again, but i can at least feel good about the fact that running served its purpose. the goal was to lose weight, so when i gained weight during the hormone replacement process, i would end up breaking even, and that's ironically and amazingly, what i did. i enter this blog post weighing the exact same as i was when i first started transition - pre everything..

it's certainly been an amazing 5 years. from that first 8 minute run around the block at my home in Etobicoke Ontario - to crossing the finish line of the Boston Marathon, to claiming the gold medal to become the first formally sanctioned transsexual marathon runner in world history, in Copenhagen, Denmark, to struggling to keep up with the team that was dismantling the course (after the race, apparently), on the cape to cabot. 30 marathons, 2 boston invitations, and a ton of respect from around the world - not a bad bonus perk for taking all of this running on.

well, i am not going to officially retire from marathons (yet again), but i will state that i won't be back out there unless i can somehow find a way to eliminate all this knee pain and have the ability to train properly..

anyway, i can take the pressure off and focus on recovery, for now, and try to enjoy some time without having to go thru all that pain... meanwhile, i am going to focus on walking as my method of getting exercise.

Jenn

October 20, 2011 - Winnipeg Jets appear blacked out on Rogers Super SportsPak

2011-10-20T21:51:00.000-02:30

Super Sportspak is a specialize cable tv package that allegedly provides access to 'out of market' regional sports games on tv. Rogers taps into NFL Sunday Ticket, NHL Centre Ice, and other league products, to provide service to their customers. The idea is that you can watch every game, whether your local cable market carries the game or not. well, not sure if this is an issue with NHL centre ice, rogers, or other, but for the second time this week, the Winnipeg Jets game (broadcasted regionally in Manitoba on new digital channel TSN Jets), has not been aired via Super SportsPak, as broadcasted tuesday and tonight. instead, all i get is a menu screen (as depicted)... hmmmmmmm.....

October 14, 2011 - welcome back AHL!

2011-10-15T12:51:00.000-02:30

Last night marked the return of the American hockey league to newfoundland for the first time in 6 years (when the St. John's Maple Leafs left for Ontario). While it's no secret that i have not been a fan of the political work of Danny Williams and his Conservative Government, i want to give him full credit for taking the lead on bringing this team here. When it was announced that the NHL's Atlanta franchise was moving to Winnpieg, Danny knew that the existing AHL team in Winnipeg would have to find a new home, so he went out a lobbied for this team to move here. In the end, not only did this team end up relocating, it also became the official minor pro affiliate to the Winnipeg team, and Danny was hired on as President and CEO.

In addition to being a feeder system to Winnipeg, the goal was set out to make the St.John's Ice Caps a credible and competitive team that would cater to the Newfoundland market. Danny and Co went out and signed 2001 Stanley Cup winning goalie David Abischer (who had left the NHL to play in Europe for the past 4 years). Furthermore, Jason King, a Newfoundland native, was signed to to the team. While both will hav a goal of getting promoted to the NHL, it will be fun and exciting to watch them play here in St. John's.

Tonight, the Ice Caps hosted their first eer home game, and the event started out with an awesome pre-game party outside the venue with a local band playing Newfoundland-style bluegrass/rock. Inside, there was an amazing pre-game ceremony that included a video tribute of the history of hockey in the province; as well as a ceremonial faceoff that included many historic greats, including Howie Meeker.

The game was actually stolen by the awesome play of the visiting team's goalie, who stopped 39 shots in his way to leading the Hamilton Bulldogs to a 4-0 win. But that did little to dampen the spirits of a sold out crowd of 6217 people.

i was fortunate enough to score a ticket to this special game. after attending many 'lasts' in sports history (i was there for the closing of the exhibition statdium in toronto, and the forum in montreal), it was nice to attend a 'first'.

So, i'll say it loud and clear, just to prove my lack of bias: thanks and congrats to Ice Caps President and CEO Danny Williams for bringing pro hockey back to Newfoundland!

Jenn

Oct 10, 2011 - Winnipeg Jets back in NHL

2011-10-10T13:31:00.001-02:30

Wow, i never thought i would see the NHL return to Winnipeg Manitoba. 21 years ago, i made my one and only visit to this city - often referenced as the curling capital of the world. I attended the old Winnipeg Arena and watched the Jets play a game against Mark Messier and the Edmonton Oilers (this was the year Edmonton won their only post-gretzky era cup). 6 years later, the Jets closed up shop and moved to Arizona.

Well, after years of supporting minor hockey, the city gets a new building, a new team, and a new logo. Equally as exciting is the announcement that this new team's feeder system will include a minor pro team in St. John's - the St. John's Ice Caps!

There is a buzz here in St. John's for sure, and a recent exhibition game featuring the Jets here was so popular that tickets had to be held back and awarded via lottery system. after growing up in Toronto in the 80s and 90s, where the NHL and OHL were a frequent part of my life, i lost interest in the sport after the 2004 work stoppage. But with these two teams coming to form, i have a big of a renewed interest in Canada's national sport. As the Jets opened their season yesterday afternoon on national tv, for the first time in decades, i found myself flipping back and forth from NFL to NHL on a sunday afternoon.

Although i have declared myself a Pittsburgh Penguins fan since the mid 90s (due to my admiration of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, and later - Nova Scotian Sidney Crosby), i can't help but feel a sense of excitement and loyalty for the Winnipeg/St. John's franchise. I have found a renewed interest in this sport for the first time in 7 years, and i look forward to tuning in to follow the progress of this team.

Jenn

Oct 7, 2011 - amendment of my sept 28 post about concert tickets

2011-09-28T23:42:00.001-02:30

Ok folks, i don't usually edit or remove my past blog posts, but in an effort to eliminate misinformation on the internet, i have decided to amend this entry.... it is my goal to keep the story and the spirit of my mood in tact, while correcting facts and removing opinions that are no longer valid:

After years of prep, the Arts and Culture Centres (6 indoor concert venues across the province, that are run by the provincial government) finally launched their new and improved website - which included secure online ticket ordering. one month later, i sign up and make my very first purchase. less than 1 minute after tickets supposedly went on sale for Jim Cuddy (of Blue Rodeo fame) and his solo band's November 16th concert in St. John's. I was delighted to secure a pair of front row centre tickets.

Well, the next day, i get a phone message advising me that there was apparently a glitch in the new computer system. these seats were apparently not supposed to be made available for me to purchase, and that i was being asked to call in and either accept a refund, or accept alternate seats.

As far as i am concerned this is a major blunder and huge embarssment for Government, especially since they want to blame this new computer system that was likely created by a team of highly-paid private technology consultants - all on the taxpayer's dollar. Heck, this even has me questioning whether it is even appropriate for Government to be in the ticket-selling business, let alone, the entertainment business.

Anyway, i called into the box office to discuss and accepted a pair of alternate seats. i also accepted a free pair of tickets to another event at their venue. but what they couldn't do, was tell me what had happened specifically, and why it was me, and not someone else, who was being asked to give up these seats..

So, i filed a complaint with management reps from the Arts/Culture Centre and Jim Cuddy's agent. I had initially indicated on this blog that there was not an immediate response, but shortly thereafter, i did get a response from Cuddy's rep expressing empathy and requesting more info. after sending more info, although i did not hear back from the agent, i was contacted by Arts/Culture Centre management and invited to come in for a face to face meeting to chat further about the issue.

Although my ultimate hopes of somehow getting front row seats to this concert did not materialize, i am still very pleased with the steps the Arts/Culture centre took too listen to my concerns, provide me with additional information about what happened, and their efforts to take action to try to make things right.

As someone who used to work for the provincial government's information technology (IT) department, i have been trained to feel disappointed when people always seem to want to blame a poor defenceless computer system for their problems. computers only do what people program them to do. for every computer problem, there is a person who directly or indirectly caused that problem, eirher during system development, or by the end user.

Well, having heard a detailed explanation, i totally take the Arts/Culture centre off the hook and feel quite comfortable stating that this matter occured due to no fault of them.

One thing i did do during the process of this ticket issue, was place guilt and pressure upon Cuddy's team and the arts/culture centre's team - and i feel badly about how my complaint stressed and impacted these people, and may have stresses the relationship they have with each other.

anyway, I guess my beef is with the IT department - who according to publicly-available Department of Finance budget documents, spent $38 million on 'professional services' (aka private sector contractors) during the 2010-11 fiscal year. Hey taxpayers, do you think you are getting your money's worth???

Sept 26, 2011 - Ironwoman!

2011-09-27T00:07:00.000-02:30

well, i entered yesterday's newfoundland provincial marathon under-trained, over-weight, stressed out, and injured, but i was determined to start and finish the race and keep my streak alive as the active ironwoman in this event, and i did! 5 consecutive newfoundland marathons, and a nice place to celebrate my 30th career marathon.
more details posted here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HGT7HzPOvE

Jennifer

Sept 24, 2011 - history in the making?

2011-09-25T05:22:00.000-02:30

well, it is that time of the year again! yes it's the third oldest marathon in north america - and the 12th oldest one in the world: the newfoundland provincial marathon. the 60th running of this great event, and my 5th consecutive one (placing me fairly high up on the list of active participant streaks). it's no secret that i have been dealing with a bad knee, and because of this, have seen my health and fitness levels fall to about as low as they can get; however, i have had a really good week of prep - focusing mostly on rest, and getting in a few light training runs.

my fellow marathon maniac alexis is in town from NYC for this one - he will run his 21st marathon of the year - and is well over 100 in his career. he is actually a fast-walker, who will likely finish this marathon, while walking, at least an hour faster than i will run it.

i also had a chance to chat with newfoundland running legend joe ryan - who is in the process of documenting the history of this race in a book. joe won the 1969 Tely 10 mile road race - eastern canada's biggest annual running event. he's also run 51 career marathons to date, including 24 newfoundland marathons. if that is not enough inspiration to get out and run, then you better check your pulse!

here's a video vlog of me rambling on about tomorrow's big race:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaPtx6CFRsI

september 20, 2011 - Pride Panel Discussion to Air!

2011-09-20T18:17:00.000-02:30

The LGBTQ Health Care Issues panel discussion that took place as part of St. John's Pride Inc.'s Pride Week will air on St. John's Rogers TV friday night at 9.30 - 11.30 pm! this event was recorded July 2011 and features presentations from Canada Blood Services, Canadian Mental Heath Association, Aids Committee of NL, East Coast Trans Alliance Inc., and Holy Trinity High School Gay/Straight Alliance.

Sept 18 2011 - general update

2011-09-18T14:43:00.000-02:30

busy week that was. here's is a brief vlog that details what i have been up to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWfaUUjct64

Jenn

September 12, 2011 - excellent weekend

2011-09-12T11:02:00.000-02:30

well, i had a mixture of resting and running! saturday morning, i was responsible for hosting our weekly front runners event, so i dragged my butt out of bed and ran down to quidi vidi lake (a very painful 5k). then i waited and waited and nobody showed up! so i decided to cancel the lap around the lake and run up and down signal hill and back, which i did! then ran home for good measure. a very slow and painful 14k, but i hit my goal of running 14k for the first time since early july.

that was enough to wear me out for the day. after a good sleep, i was up sunday late morning and ready for more! so did a slightly stronger 13k, took a break, then ran another 8.1k - giving me a half marathon. then i jumped in the pond to cool off for good measure! for more details about my running weekend, check out my latest vlog post on youtube

Jenn

September 8, 2011 - NFL is here!

2011-09-08T23:27:00.000-02:30

i don't think i have ever been so happy to see the start of the NFL and NCAA football season. i totally missed my infamous relaxing 19 saturdays and sundays in a row in front of my 5 tv sets watching my favourite spectator sport. the popularity growth of the sport even has them broadcasting mid week games too, and we've got a good one to start the season tonight with New Orleans at Green Bay - the last 2 champions, playing against each other. the Pack are favoured, but i suspect the Saints will be playing with a chip on their shoulders and will quietly sneak out a road win upset. The addition of Darren Sproles to replace the over-rated Reggie Bush should help the Saints establish an offense that is already very good. the pressure of the microscope and the spotlight will be lots for the Pack to handle.

the new kick off at the 35 yard line rule is not going to benefit the audience though. even 5 yards more will mean more touchbacks, and fewer exciting run backs. definitely a concern.

ahhhh, it was 9 years ago today that i attended the season-opening game in Cleveland, as the Browns hosted my Chiefs, who had much promise under the second season of the Vermeil regime. In a high scoring battle, KC stole the game with a Morten Andersen field goal, after Dwayne Rudd was penalized for throwing his helmet during play (when he actually thought he had made the game winning sack). I was amazed i escaped Cleveland alive that afternoon in my KC attire! In the end, the browns got revenge, as they went on to win 9 games and sneak into the playoffs, while kc missed out at 8-8. 5 years later, i would return to cleveland to run my second career marathon, which went very well.

haven't been to a game in KC since 2006 - where i saw them clobber the 49ers - then drove down the road to Wichita to see the Rolling Stones play a concert.. what a day that was!

enjoy the season folks!

September 7, 2011 - reacting to tragic plane crash

2011-09-07T22:22:00.000-02:30

Shocking news this morning as it was announced that a plane carrying an entire KHL hockey team had crashed, killing all but 1 member of the team. Yaroslavl Lokomotiv was one of the top teams in what is generally regarded as the best hockey league in the world, except for the NHL. 9 former NHL players died, including one Canadian - long time NHL defenceman and assistant coach Brad McCrimmon, who won a Stanley Cup in 1989 as part of the Calgary Flames. I met Brad back in 1989, amazingly enough, at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, after a Flames morning practice. Brad had just moved to Russia to take on his first job as head coach of a pro hockey team. How sadly ironic that he dies one day before coaching in his first official game.

Also dead include several NHLers who I watched play live at one point or another: former Toronto Maple Leafs Igor Korolev and Alexander Karpotsev, 2010 Olympic scoring leader and 3 time NHL all star game participant Pavol Demitra, Ruslan Salei, Karel Rachunek, and 2006 Stanley Cup winner Josef Vacicek.

I recorded the following video to reflect upon this tragedy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxcoSsmAPwA

Sept 6, 2011 - weekend of rest

2011-09-06T23:39:00.000-02:30

well, it was just what the doctor ordered: 4 relaxing days on the beach in the sun! no phone calls, no computers, no stress. just me, sun, water, and a relaxed attitude.

still dealing with emotional and physical burnout though, and i will continue to take steps to postpone and/or outright eliminate as much stress and anxiety as possible... bso folks, please don't be offendid if an e-mail or phone call doesn't get returned right away this week, or if a meeting gets postponed or doesn't get booked. but i need to keep myself safe and put myself in the best position for recovery, so i can have a busy fall season.

Jenn

August 28, 2011 - Did Not Start

2011-08-29T12:37:00.000-02:30

well, it was a tough day as i offiically no-showed at the Quebec Marathon this morning. About 4 weeks ago, i made the official decision to cancel my plans to attend this race, due to a sore knee and due to extremelylow levels of health and fitness. at the very least, i can feel proud that i know i made the right decision, and i can literally continue my recovery process from what has been an extremely physically and emotionally-draining summer. Jenn

August 27, 2011 - visit to Lester's Farm

2011-08-28T09:26:00.000-02:30

Moncton Pride (aka Trans Pride!) August 21, 2011

2011-08-25T23:29:00.000-02:30

August 19, 2011 the week from hell

2011-08-19T20:36:00.000-02:30

gee, i am glad that's over. so many things went wrong.. i don't even want to blog about most of the issues because they are too upsetting (not to mention, too personal).

a positive highlight was a lovely summery day on thursday - and after work, i took a stroll to kent's pond and had my first august pond swim. hard to believe the weather was so crappy for most of the month. it was fun swimming with the ducks! hoping there will be a few more nice swimable days before it starts snowing again..

oh well, hoping for a good weekend and a better week ahead.

Jenn

August 12, 2011 - the Teddy Bear Man!

2011-08-13T07:55:00.000-02:30

Nothing like a visit to the 34th annual Terry Rielly teddy bears' picnic in St. John's to put you in a good mood. Terry is a local institution for this event that attracts several hundred people. Terry is a huge advocate for LGBT rights and has taken many steps to help with trans-visibility in society, including n official part of his teddy bear picnic staff - where last year, i tended to 'sick teddys' at the 'teddy bear hospital'. Terry is a singer/songwriter/piano and guitar player, who has traveled around the world to play music. He debuted a new song, that themed on acceptance, earlier this summer at our Pride parade.

August 11, 2011 - brief update

2011-08-11T22:14:00.000-02:30

well, i am pleased to report that i had a rather good day. it has been a very rough week for me as i battle with depression, as well as an indefinite separation from my two closest friends. it has actually been a good break for me as i have had a chance to reflect on lots of things. i also checked in with my all-star psychologist for a long session, which helped me help myself make some decisions and set some priorities, and fire myself up. At the same time, i helped myself come to peace with where i am at, and specifically, to accept that i needed certain things to happen the way they did, and that it is ok to be imperfect, and ok to take a break to recover from what has been a very stressful, busy, productive, and successful couple of months. i've got lots of good things happening in my life these days, and i am not going to dwell too much more on the negatives. i am ready to move forward with some new projects, develop relationships with new people, and get back to basics with my health and fitness.

Jenn

August 9, 2011 - just when you thought you'd seen it all...

2011-08-09T23:31:00.000-02:30

ok, it has been well documented that i have had a rough week. well, here's your chance to pile on folks. now my best friend since feb 2009 wants to cut ties with me, without really having a clear cut explanation. this comes as quite a shock and disappointment.. to lose this friendship would hurt more than any other loss i have suffered in my entire life...... i know she is going to read this, so i hope you will think seriously and carefully about this.. we have shared so much together since we first met, way back on oct 31, 2008. i love you more than anyone or anything else in the entire world. can we please try to talk this out and resolve whatever it is that is upsetting you??

moving on, the highlight of the day was a visit to the dentist (a sign that it probably wasn't a very good day).. which started and ended with a very sad run.. i happen to live 6k from the dentist office, so there was a perfect opportunity to get in a rare run and test out the knee.. well, not surprisingly, the run was brutal. i am so out of game shape as far as running is concerned. it is really pathetic. i actually started crying at the 4k mark because i was so upset and disgusted.... (then amazingly enough, the run got better). the run home started out good but whimpered into a walk after a net of 10.5k. oh well, it's 10.5 more k than i ran yesterday, so it's at least something worth writing about...

can't remember if i have officially announced this on the blog or not, but i have decided to no-show at the quebec marathon on aug 27. there's just no way i am going to be ready to run a marathon 3 weeks from now, let alone, attempt a BQ. so rather than waste more money and knee strength, i am going to pull the plug and focus on a late september marathon - my 5th consecutive newfoundland marathon - which will simply be a slow gentle fun run.. the return to Boston will have to wait at least another year... oh well...

anyway, tomorrow is shaping up to have some stressors, but hopefully some positives will come out of it.

Jenn

August 7, 2011 - ups and downs (and more downs)

2011-08-08T00:57:00.000-02:30

yikes, it seems like i am only logging in here once a week now. guess i need to remind myself how much i like to toot my own horn and publish my thoughts for the world to see!
it has truly been an amazing year for me thus far. so many amazing accomplishments. it has been a long 4 year transition journey, and it is amazing to finally start seeing myself as the person i have always wanted and needed to be. i can finally look in the mirror and/or look at my resume of advocacy work, and feel proud of what i see.

i wrote a while back about the pain of heartbreak and rejection - something i suspect almost everyone can related to. well, i had to go thru this, yet again, this weekend. yet another name added to the list of people who don't find me romantically or sexually attractive. while in the past, i could understand why people might not want to be romantically involved with me, it really seems to sting even more, now that i finally have some self-confidence.

i guess the real problem here is not that others don't find me attractive (although that certainly can be perceived as a major problem), but that i seem to be frequently giving my heart away to people who don't want it. and furthermore, perhaps i think i am more attractive of a person than i really am.

while it is common knowledge that i have been known to make narcissistic comments as a form of sarcastic humour, i'd like to think of myself as a very down-to-earth and humble person.... and gaining a strong sense of self-worth and self-esteem shouldn't affect this.

while it wouldn't be true to say that nobody finds me attractive or that no romantic or sexual opportunities have come across my plate since transitioning, it frightens me to think that not only do i take every rejection personally, but i take it as a great shock. it's as if i expect everyone to love me and every one to jump at the opportunity to be with me - either as a friend or romantically.

oh well, there's nothing more humbling than to face romantic or sexual rejection. to be told that you are not wanted or appreciated in that manner? it's totally crushing to the emotions and the ego. to have to go through this three times in a row? after going thru a major person-improvement transition project? well, it's devistating. i hurt so much last night that i actually intentionally inflicted self-harm - something i hadn't done for years (don't worry - nothing serious - i'm fine, really!). am i proud of that? hell no. do i understand why i did this? somewhat yes. did it make me feel better? interestingly enough, yes. do i feel narcissistic today? not at all. in fact, my sense of self-worth and self-esteem is about as low as it can get. i barely managed to get out of bed all weekend. this latest rejection totally shattered me. i literally had no interest in participating in life all weekend.

well, i don't know where to go from here. rejection sucks and i don't want my heart to hurt ever again. yet i won't find true love and happiness unless i risk it yet again. and ultimately, although i know that romance can't be all there is to life, and that it should only be considered icing on the cake, my life seems pretty darn empty without love.... and after 37 years of pre-op life, to finally be the person i know i was meant to be, and to finally have the self-confidence and self-esteem needed to carry on a relationship, it seems like my life is a total waste.

i guess the monumental task ahead: i need to find a way to be happy without love in my life. i can't worry about things i can't control. i know that. but nothing else seems to work. i keep running out of things to try. you'd think that all my accomplishments in the past few years would be enough to make and keep me happy, but all those things don't seem to matter.

oh well, tomorrow is another day!

Jenn

July 19, 2011 - Pride Flag Raised in Small Town Rural Newfoundland!

2011-07-31T12:35:00.001-02:30

History was made this month as a special flag raising ceremony occured at the Town Hall building for Logy Bay, Outer Cove, and Middle Cove, Newfoundland, a town of 2000 people. The event was organized by St. John's Pride Inc., a non-profit organization whose mandate, among other things, is to oversee the planning and delivery of a Pride Week in the City of St. John's. A bonfire at Middle Cove Beach has been an annual tradition during Pride Week, so it was decided that a symbolic flag raising event would add value to the perception of acceptance of LGBT community members, in what is generally known as a conservative part of the province. Pride Inc. received nothing but support from Town staff and the Mayor. Several other prominent members of society expressed interest in being a part of it, including Gemma Hickey and Geoff Gallant, who spoke in person, and Premier Kathy Dunderdale, who sent along a special message to be read.

While raising a flag in front of 50 people may seem small, it certainly sends a strong message of visibility. Members of the media were on hand and an awesome article and photo were depicted in the local newspaper, the Telegram, the next day. A video of the entire event is posted here: Video of Flag Raising

Jennifer McCreath, Head of Corporate Management for St. John's Pride Inc., poses for a picture with several youth Pride supporters at the Township of Logy Bay / Middle Cove / Outer Cove.

Board of Directors for St. John's Pride Inc., Jennifer McCreath, Sylvia Newhook, and Brandon Jenkins, pose with the Mayor of LB / MC / OC, John Kennedy, and the rainbow flag!

Jennifer poses with Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and two beautiful Newfoundland Dogs!

Mayor John Kennedy prepares to raise the flag with several youth.

July 31, 2011 - St. John's Pride Inc. - Pride Week Report

2011-07-31T12:09:00.001-02:30

Well, it was simply an exhausting but amazing week here in St. John's. There was quite a bit of controversy and conflict among the local LGBT community, when steps were taken by myself and others to incorporate an entity known as St. John's Pride Inc., that would take over the role of overseeing the planning, management, and delivery of a Pride Week in this city, but things ended up coming together rather nicely.

The phone was literally ringing off the hook in the weeks leading up to July 18-24, as many different entities wanted to get involved and become a part of the celebration. Public stakeholder consultation sessions were called and attracted more people than any other Pride meeting that i can ever remember in this city. Members of the media who were LGBT were not only anxious to cover the stories, but become a part of the organization, which made media engagement , both before and during Pride Week, much easier. Organizations such as Yuk Yuks Comedy, Provincial Department of Tourism Culture and Recreation, and Americal Apparel, were willing to bend over backward to be involved.

Our week started with a busy slate of events, including a noon hour flag raising, and an evening reception, at city hall. These events were very well attended, and featured more LGBT speakers than ever before. The decision to make the evening reception a 'dry' event, caused a little bit of controversy, but proved to be the right move, as there was no underaged drinking, nor public intoxication, of attendees. The event was also as well-attended as in previous years. This step also proved helpful in getting people out of City Hall on time and over to Chatters Cafe and The Grapevine, where further social events occured.

Tuesday featured another busy schedule. The day started with an afternoon Open House at the Aids Committee of Newfoundland and Labrador, an organization that provides a variety of services, including aids education and awareness, needle exchange program, and mens shelter. Then it was off to the township of Logy Bay Middle Cove and Outer Cove for an historic flag raising event. This was perhaps the first time a small township has ever raised a rainbow flag in honour of Pride week. Then it was off to Middle Cove beach for a bonfire, which was very well attended, despite threats of rain.

Thursday started with the debut of a Pride self-defense class, which was delivered by one of the most recognized and credible martial arts teacher in the province. Then it was a quick turn over to get ready for a panel discussion on health care issues facing the LGBT community. This was recorded by Rogers television in its entirty for future airing. Excellent speeches were given by reps from Canadian Blood Services, Aids Committee of NL, Canadian Mental Health Association, Moncton Transgender Support Group, East Coast Trans Alliance, and Holy Trinity High School Gay/Straight Alliance.

The evening carried on over at Yuk Yuks for a night of comedy from nationally-respected gay comic Richard Ryder, and local comic and singers Mark Day (from Canadian Idol fame), and Doris Anita Douche (Drag Idol).

A movie night on Friday followed - where the Baby Formula was screened.

Saturday kicked off with a photo Scavanger Hunt, which included several enthusiastic teams. A picnic in the park followed, which was highlighted by Zumba dancers, presented by Pflag Canada.

Then it was time to get down to business to set up the featured event of the week, the Variety Show at the 1200 seat theatre, Arts and Culture Centre. The dress rehearsal went very well for all attendees. The show got underway at 7 pm and featured emceeing by yours truly, singing from Denielle Hann, plate spinning from Vannie Woodford, drag lip sync from Roxie Cotton, dancing from the Burly Q Babies, improv from the PwG, and a comedy set from headliner Elvira Kurt.

Sunday's rally, drag race, parade, and BBQ went off very well, as all event saw more attendees than ever before. Gemma Hickey, and Federal MP Ryan Cleary spoke, Terry Rielly sang a newly-penned pride song, and Roxie did a great job hosting the drag race, subbing in for Doris.

The parade had a record 343 people and 23 dogs, not including me, who rode in the police escort car. I had to scramble to get more food at the BBQ, as it was attended by 3 times as many people as expected.

In terms of sponsorship, there was a very high level of interest from local businesses, major unions, and national companies. While donations were small, this was at least a stepping stone to develop strong working relationships.

In the near future, steps will be taken to build upon the week with public consultation feedback sessions, as well as corporate development projects to attempt to bring more people into the fold.

Anyway, it was an exhausting week but a good week. I would like to publicly thank all volunteers who helped make this week a success: Brandon Jenkins, Sylvia Newhook, Sarah Thompson, Cara Brown, Nathan Barnes, Dan Coombs, Vannie Woodford, Natalie Bambury, Brock Ballard, Lou Power, Pam Sheaves, Josie Harding, and Sarah Downey.

2 - Jennifer speaks at Rally with Terry Rielly and Roxie Cotton looking on

3 - Elvira Kurt, Jennifer McCreath, and Vanessa Woodford pose for a pic at the meet n greet souvineer and autograph table at the Variety Show.

4 - pride parade in progress

5 - Jennifer poses with pro comics Richard Ryder, Mark Day, and Evany Rosen at Yuk Yuks.

6 - Pride Inc Board of Director Sylvia Newhook addresses a crowd at City hall as part of Pride Week's Opening Reception.

1 - photo omitted, in case you are wondering.... lol

July 26, 2011 - tons of pride

2011-07-26T23:29:00.000-02:30

oh my, it's been a while since i last wrote. it was an incredibly busy pride week but all the effort was worth it. this city and province saw so many amazing firsts for the lgbt community - including a flag raising in a small town, a letter of support from the Premier, performances from professional entertainers who had been flown in from the mainland, partnerships with major businesses, donations from mainstream unions, a televised panel discussion on lgbt health issues, and a variety show at our city's 2nd largest concert venue - the Arts and Culture Centre.

In the days ahead, i will attempt to document as much of my Pride memories as possible. Meanwhile, you can see tons of pics if you find me on facebook.

Jenn

July 18, 2011 - East Coast Trans Alliance Inc. (Incorporated).

2011-07-18T02:02:00.001-02:30

Well, the name has been booked, and the work begins! Transpeople from Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island have agreed in principle to found this brand new organization. ECTA will undertake a complex mandate of offering peer support to fellow transfolk, and engaging government policy makers and other stakeholders to educate and advocate and activate change for the better for issues facing transpeople - such as human rights, health care, housing, employment, violence, and lack of societal acceptance. ECTA will be a registered non-profit corporation. More information and an official website eastcoasttransalliance.org will follow soon. But for now, you may direct comments and questions to me, Jennifer McCreath: jennifer.mccreath@yahoo.com

I am also excited to announce that founder and chair of the Moncton Transgender Support Group, my dear friend Josie Harding, will not only be a part of this, but we will be lecturing together as a team as part of St. John's Pride Inc.'s panel Discussion on LGBTQ Health Care Issues. The event is Thursday July 21 at 5-7 pm in the basement theatre of the Arts and Culture Centre. FREE ADMISSION! for more info: stjohnspride.org

June 29, 2011 - NDP District Association - Executive Team Member!

2011-06-30T07:44:00.001-02:30

Just a quick update today: I got elected to the Executive Board tonight for the NDP Provincial District Association of St. John's North. The Annual General Meeting attracted a great group of people. We elected a team of 7 people - including the three primary positions, and 4 at large members. I accepted the primary position of Secretary, and will work closely with the President and Treasurer. Quite exciting to be a part of this and to be nominated by a group of peers who in reality, knew very little about me. Thank you all for your faith and confidence in my ability to contribute. Looking forward to being a part of this awesome team! Let's paint this town Orange on election day in October!

June 24, 2011 - Off the Shelf: the long-lost Trans Health Article!

2011-06-24T23:46:00.000-02:30

Transsexual Health Care in Newfoundland: Negotiating Red Tape and Old Stereotypes

In June 2007, Jefferson McCreath, a male who knew she was actually a woman born transsexual, moved to Newfoundland to take a job with the provincial government. Shortly after establishing herself into her new house, new job and new town, she took immediate steps to start her transition.

Although transsexualism was traditionally considered a mental illness the global medical community has almost unanimously recognized it as a physiological condition that can only be rectified through physical intervention: hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and sex reassignment surgery (SRS).

The Harry Benjamin Standards of Care, 6th Edition, (SOC) are globally recognized as the best-practice for transsexual health care. McCreath was saddened to learn that this protocol was not recognized in Newfoundland. Even worse, she found an old out-of-date government policy that required patients to travel to Toronto to complete a program at the infamous Gender Identity Clinic at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH), before the province would fund SRS. She also found that most other procedures were not covered, no matter what.

McCreath had already become familiar with the many horror stories that had been told by CAMH patients about the negative treatment and strange research experiments they were apparently forced to undergo before being considered for funding; and how a reported 90% of patients were rejected. The SOC make it clear that any team of doctors can oversee the application of the protocol. The idea that a special mental illness gender clinic would be required seemed absurd, so she decided not to attend there.

Even through private care, McCreath knew that she would not be able to get HRT or SRS unless she was able to procure the services of doctors who would act as gatekeepers to allow access to the product. So the search was on.

Meanwhile, McCreath couldn’t wait to get her transition under way. So she took the primitive step of “going full time” before ever taking a hormone pill. Finally, in early 2008, Jennifer had put together a suitable medical team that would provide hormones, and eventually, a recommendation for surgery.

Before starting HRT, Jennifer knew that she would have to store sperm if she had ever hoped to become a biological parent. While the Newfoundland Health care system often provides this service to testicular cancer patients, she was advised that this would not likely be covered for her. So Jennifer opened the wallet and traveled to a private clinic to have sperm stored.

The HRT first started with estrogen and a testosterone blocker. Quickly, it became evident that the blocker had adverse side effects. So rather than wait for her to complete her one year Real Life Experience test (RLE) to prove her readiness for SRS, her doctors supported the idea that she should immediately seek to have her testes removed. Well, once again, Jennifer dug deep into the wallet and found herself traveling to a private clinic, in the USA.

2009 started with shock and disappointment. After initially feeling accepted at work, she noticed job duties being taken away and given to other new people in the organization. Then shortly thereafter, what was supposedly a safe and secure job became a layoff. While she had speculations that her transition may have been a factor, she did not have the resources or the energy to fight it. So Jennifer set out to do the impossible, find another job.

By this time, Jennifer had filed a Human Rights Complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Newfoundland and Labrador (HRC). The complaint was against the Newfoundland Medical Care Plan (MCP) for what she stated was discriminatory treatment, as she was denied care, and funding for care, as a transsexual, that would ordinarily be provided to others. She also complained that it was discriminatory for her to require a recommendation from CAMH, for procedures otherwise obtainable and fundable upon the recommendation of a Newfoundland doctor for others. Furthermore, she complained that MCP’s policy to refuse to fund SRS at private clinics in Canada was inappropriate given the lack of such a service being available in Canada by any public institution.

Unfortunately, Gender Identity and Gender Expression are not included explicitly in the Human Rights Code of Newfoundland. So Jennifer’s complaint was based on “sex.” Two years later there has been no decision rendered by the HRC.

Jennifer specifically wanted to have her SRS performed by Dr. Pierre Brassard in Montreal, given that he was the only SRS surgeon in Canada, and given that he is considered one of the best in the world. A year later, and 40 job interviews later, Jennifer finally landed work (as a file clerk, of all things). While this job would only pay half of what she was previously earning, this would at least allow Jennifer to have a financial foundation and allow her to further build upon her credit rating. On January 24/11, Jennifer had SRS with Dr. Brassard.

One other issue that remained were that with almost three years of estrogen, Jennifer was not seeing mature breast development. After conducting extensive research, it became evident that adding the natural female hormone, progesterone, would be the only way for this to happen. Unfortunately for Jennifer, her doctor was reluctant to provide this hormone as the Canadian trans health network did not recommend it. Determined, Jennifer made yet another trip to the USA to a private medical clinic, where she was able to secure progesterone.

It may seem that Jennifer’s transition is over, but that is far from reality. Although she has had nine laser sessions on her face, there is still an extensive amount of facial hair that will need to be eliminated through electrolysis. Additionally, Jennifer has been combating male pattern baldness, which is irreversible, by wearing wigs. This is far from an ideal solution; however, hair transplants are also expensive. Jennifer also needs to work on finding her female voice. Meanwhile, Jennifer continues to battle underemployment, and more recently, depression.

So, what’s up next for Jennifer? She’ll keep fighting for her rights and others, through educational and advocacy work. Jennifer’s vision is for transsexuals, and any other non-cisgender-conforming individual, to have timely and funded care, upon recommendations from their local doctors.

Jennifer recently joined Canadian Professional Association of Transgender Health (CPATH) as a non-voting member, to become part of a policy development committee, where she took a leadership role in penning a membership expansion policy that would allow CPATH to grow. Jennifer hopes CPATH will become an internationally-recognized body of knowledge for trans health, so that they can combat the old myths of the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-V Gender Identity Committee, that transsexualism is a mental illness under the classification of “paraphilic fetish” (a label deemed suitable for sexual predators).

In addition to trans health policy work, Jennifer has also been recuited by PFLAG Canada to create and deliver a series of trans educational lectures, which will help Chapter leaders from across the country, better learn how to offer peer support to individuals who attend peer support meetings. There will also be an information package preparted and distributed.

Furthermore, Jennifer has also entered preliminary discussions with transwomen from across Eastern Canada to form the first officially-registered non-profit organization who will have an exclusive mandate of undertaking societal education, peer support, and advocacy & government lobbying, with regards to trans issues.

Jennifer also continues to play a key role in community peer support and education locally, and nationally. She frequently speaks publicly about trans issues, provides informal trans consulting advice on her blog, YouTube, and in person. Ultimately, Jennifer is concerned that she has essentially taken on the role of “unofficial spokesperson” for trans issues in Newfoundland, and even more concerned that it is she, not the Department of Health, who many people are turning to on a regular basis for help and advice.

Finally, Jennifer has taken a leadership role in managing the planning and delivery of a project team that will plan and deliver an awesome series of events for Pride Week 2011 in the City of St. John's, as part of one of the non-profit companies that she co-runs, St. John's Pride Inc. (for more info, see www.stjohnspride.org )

Meanwhile, she's always willing and able to make time to talk to anyone about trans issues. contact her at jennifer.mccreath@yahoo.com .

June 24, 2011 - snubbed, twice!

2011-06-24T23:26:00.000-02:30

Gee, not exactly a great day. first I learn that an article on trans health in Newfoundland, that I worked so keenly on, was cut from Wayves magazine for the second month in a row. even worse, my so-called monthly column and my 'team membership' were not recognized. trying to find out what happened. I still strongly support the organizations work and encourage people to read the July issue.. but you will definitely take note that the content is very focused on Halifax, with a small helping of Moncton.. but nothing in there for Newfoundland, or transsexuals for that matter. not exactly the best way to encourage Newfoundlanders to buy into supporting the product. oh well, I sent off a little e-mail to the editors so it will be interesting to see what they have to say. meanwhile, I won't let folks wait any longer. I will be quickly editing the article tonight and will publish it right here on jennifermccreath.blogspot.com for the world to see!

speaking of snubbing, I found out that I finished runner up for yet another government of Newfoundland analyst job. heck, they might as well not even bother to run competitions. just make a rubber stamp that says "Jennifer McCreath second place" for every job ad that comes out of that institution.

I have one more interview on July 5, and I am awaiting results of my most recent interview from last week, but I have decided that if I don't get one of these jobs, then i wIll no longer seek further job interviews with this org. 50 strikes and you are out. I will then focus my job search in other directions. it's just not worth the time and emotions to be a sacrificial lamb every time. It's totally sad that the Newfoundland Government won't hire me to do high quality work that I have clearly demonstrated that I can do.

June 19, 2011 - heartbreak sucks for transsexuals too!

2011-06-19T23:31:00.000-02:30

Oh my, it is amazing how debilitating emotional stress and depression can be. What makes it brutal is that you never know when it will hit, and when it does, you have no control over it. Just when things seem to be going great, boom, it hits, and hits hard. The more things change, the more they stay the same, and the tougher they seem to get to deal with. Other than my dismal employment situation, life is going great. i'm post op, i'm legally female. i'm finally at the stage where my body has adjusted to the hormonal changes, and i am able to resume running and i am losing weight... i have a great circle of friends here at home in Newfoundland, and i am developing a very strong bond with transwomen in other parts of eastern canada. i am making strong meaningful leadership contributions to a variety of non-profit ventures, including st. john's pride, CPATH, and PFLAG. I am about to take on a major role in helping the provincial NDP party here. summer is approaching and i live in one of the most beautiful parts of the world....

but the one thing that hasn't changed, is my ability to develop strong intense romantic feelings for people that i can't seem to have. the year started out with my amazing trip to Montreal for surgery. and while i was there, ireally fell hard for my roommate. 5 days later, she's flying home to a southern part of the USA. I go visit her a few months later, but that only seems to make the pain worse. she doesn't have any interest in dating me, or any transwomen for that matter.. plus, the long distance thing wouldn't appeal to either of us.

so on comes the next one... a transwoman i had been casually aquiainted with for almost a year and never thought too much of it. well, we finally started chatting on phone and we really seemed to click. a second phone call and a third phone call... each one lasting over 4 hours. then we had as many as 4 trips planned to meet each other and spend time together, even before we met. well, the first visit was awesome. i knew that these feelings i had were real. but unfortunately, the feelings were not returned, not necessarily because i wasn't considered a good catch, but because she's at a stage in her transition where she's just not comfortable with the idea of romance with anyone. 2 visits later, we have really hit it off a friends and as business partners of sorts.. and this is all great, don't get me wrong! but it is very painful and very bittersweet. i know many people who can't stand to be around, let alone be best friends, with someone they can't have more from; but i'd like to think that i have the respect and dignity to not be like that. i genuinely love the friendship and the work, and will never give that up, but it doesn't change the fact that it really f*ckin' hurts.

oh well, if there's one lesson in here, i've come to realize that i'd love to be with another transwomen.. that goes for sexually, romantically, and anything else you can add into the relationship equation. spending time with the above-mentioned friends, and several other transwomen friends, have made me realize that. this has also made me realize my true pansexuality. i often thought i was only attracted to GGs (aka women born female), but that's clearly not the case. i love transpeople - i find transwomen (pre-op, post-op, part-op, or even non-op) to be very attractive packages. i've even caught myself noticing a few effeminsate men in ways i've never looked at them before. so if there is a silver lining in this dark cloud, there should be more potentialy suitable candidates than even i realized, that are out there in this world. if i can try to remain a happy, positive, motivated person, then i can only hope that it is a matter of time before my long-lost life partner lands in front of me takes me off my feet! sometimes i wonder if this will ever happen, and i get really worried..

well, i'm gonna sendf this off now. i just wanted to send out a gentle reminder that we have feelings too!

Jenn

June 16, 2011 - the rest of the week

2011-06-16T23:23:00.000-02:30

well, lots on the go this week, that's for sure! it was brought to my attention that the executive of CPATH are in full support of the policy proposal that i took the lead on penning, upon consultation with a working group of trans health professionals and advocates. It is expected that the policy will be voted into corporate law at the upcoming AGM. It is exciting to know that little old me played a key role in making CPATH more accessible to the people who will help impliment its mandate - that being, taking steps to improve health care for transsexuals in Canada.

in other news, i am going to be getting deeply involved with the NDP provincial district association, for the riding of St. John's North. I am going to help put together an AGM, draft upcorporate by-laws, and help oversee the process of getting an executive put in place (of whom i will likely be a member), who will oversee the responsibility of helping the party select and elect the best possible candidate for the riding.

if that's not enough, i continue to work with national executive for PFLAG Canada, as part of a trans education project, that will be geared towards their various Chapter leaders.

finally, significant progress is being made for Pride Week here in St. John's. Many community members and key organizations have engaged the company in working relationships. I have an amazing team of people who are all working very hard to get things done. events are being booked,sponsorships are being secured, venues are being booked, permits and applications are being filled out and submitted, fund raisers are being organized, and media is finally starting to be engaged. to keep up to date, check out www.stjohnspride.org

oh, if that's not enough, i have my sites set on launching two more non-profit companies in the very near future. One that will provide peer support and advocacy by and for trans people, and one that will serve as an association of health care patients who will offer peer support and undertake lobbying work to help improve our health care system here in Newfoundland.

meanwhile, the day job continues to help pay the bills. there have been some new faces added to the office lately, which brings a fresh sense of enthusiasm and excitement. we are actually having a rare office social tomorrow - a party at someone's house, so that will be a fun chance to get to know everyone better.

meanwhile, job interviews continue, as i had what i felt was an excellent interview for an information management analyst position with the department of labrador and aboriginal affairs. let's hope this one turns out differently than the previous 40 or so analyst job interviews. there's got to be at least one person out there that is willing to overlook my status as a transsexual and recognize the talent, experience, and potential that i can bring to an organization as an analyst in the field of information management and information protection.

meanwhile, i am really starting to think outside the box here. if i can't get anyone to hire me, then i am really going to look hard for ways to manufacture my own career. whether it be trying to grow the non-profit organizations that i currently play a leadership role with, or whether it be attempting to turn volunteer work into a contract or grant. although working 80-100 hour weeks is taxing on the body, it sure feels great to see things getting accomplished that both help make this world a better place, and help add to my sporgasborg of valuable experiences on my resume.

one final note, i am disappointed to announce that i will be missing out on CPATH's AGM, but it is for a very good cause. the daughter of my best friend, is graduating from elementary school. She has some learning disabilities that have made it extra challenging for her to both excell in academics, and fit in socially. this is a huge milestone success story, and i am honoured that i have been asked to be in attendance for this wonderful occasion.

finally, i have been battling a nasty flu-like bug for 2 weeks. not surprising given how low and vulnurable my immune system must be from all that running i did last month. so i have been resting up, at least in terms of not running much. my knees are definitely thankful for the break!

well, off we go to bed!

Jenn

June 16, 2011 - Transgender Day of Celebration - Camping in New Brunswick

2011-06-16T22:18:00.000-02:30

Yikes, has it really been 9 days since I last posted? It has really been a crazy couple of weeks. I have never been so busy in my entire life. but I am managing to hang in there health-wise, and I am thoroughly enjoying the work.

first of all, it was an amazing weekend in New Brunswick. The first ever Transgender Day of Celebration Camping weekend was a huge success. I flew into Halifax from Newfoundland on Saturday morning, rented a van, picked up 5 people, and drove to New Brunswick. there, we met the host, my amazing friend Josie, and several other attendees. We drove into the woods, unloaded our gear, set up tents, and had an amazing time. while a total of 12 people camped over night, we had an additional 6 people attend the day's event, so a total crowd of 18.

We had a lovely time exchanging stories of struggles and success, both inside and outside of our transition. we had a great time laughing and joking around and poking fun at each other too! It was also time to symbolically let go of health trends to celebrate. After Josie broke her 2 year vegetarianism by having a symbolic hamburger, I decided to break my 12.5 year dry spell, and I cracked open a beer! (I will now attempt to become the first transsexual in world history to have quit drinking for 12.5 years, twice! ....lol).

As the evening set in, we got the campfire lit, and hours and hours of more stories were told, and friendships developed. I ended up rooming in a tent with my lovely new friend Trina, a transwoman from Halifax. we hit it off and had a great time telling jokes and filming episodes for my youtube channel.

One of the highlights was a video we filmed in Josie's yet-to-be finished out house. The toilet and foundation were there, but no walls or door in place, so we took the opportunity to use humour to send a strong message about the serious issue of transpeople being falsely perceived as bathroom predators.

The key highlight for me was seeing my dear friend Josie enjoying the event in her environment. Josie is as girly as they get, yet at the same time, she loves her outdoors - her tractor, her chainsaw, her pick up truck!. Josie worked so hard to make this event happen and I know everyone in attendance were highly appreciative of her efforts to put this thing together.

The night was very cold, and after 3 hours in the tent, I decided to go warm up in the van! I ended up falling asleep in the van for another hour, giving me a total of 4 hours sleep - 4 more than I anticipated I would get! the sun rose around 5.30 am, and myself, Josie, and Aimee were awake and ready to go. Josie got the camp fire burning again - and made campfire coffee, while Aimee took the lead on creating BBQ pancakes! Eventually, after many team pictures, we packed up and all headed home.

The long drive back into Halifax to return my 5 friends was tiring, but it was extra special for me to be able to play a small part in making the event what it was, by providing transportation to others who may not have otherwise been able to attend. I made some great new friendships, and further developed fairly new existing friendships. the trans community in Canada is so small and so spread out. to get transpeople from 3 of the 4 Atlantic provinces together, made for an amazing atmosphere. I totally did not want to come home.

Anyway, a big thanks to Josie, Trina and Aimee for making this such an amazing weekend. I love you all and can't wait to see you all again.

Well, this was initially going to be a blog about the past 9 days, but it is already long enough, so I think I will cut it off and write another one to talk about the many other things that I have on the go.

June 7, 2011 - A blast from the past!

2011-06-07T18:29:00.000-02:30

...thought i'd share this critical milestone coming out communication. this note could be considered a guideline for how to come out to a second tier level of your social circle.. this note proved to be fairly successful in terms of breaking the ice with people on the subject. funny to see how optimistic i was about the prospects of my career. sadly, i was so wrong about that. but looking back, pretty much every other prediction i made back then, turned out to be true, in terms of my transition time table. Enjoy!

--------------------------------------------------------
Received: Saturday, November 10, 2007, 11:58 AM

Update from the East Coast

Dear family and friends,

it's certainly been a while since i have communicated
with some of you..

my life continues to get interesting for me. i'm finally settled into my new job and new life here in St. John's, Newfoundland. it's great being a big fish in a small pond here working for the Provincial Government. lots of opportunities to take on new responsibilities and assignments that most people at the Senior Analyst level wouldn't get.

i think they are already realizing my potential and they are quite anxious to secure me a permanent position, and hopefully grow into an official Management-level job a few years from now.

Additionally, as some of you may know, i have made a major effort to improve my health and fitness this year, mostly by way of taking up swimming and long-distance running. in 8 months, i dropped down from 240 to 180 pounds, and in the process, completed
several full-length marathon runs, including clocking official finishing results in the Mississauga, Cleveland, Buffalo, Toronto, and St John's marathons.

Although my knees have been quite overworked, i look forward to continued progress with weight-loss, overall health and fitness, and hopefully one day, a Qualification to run the granddaddy of them all, the legendary Boston Marathon.

i guess the other big news, as some of you already know, (and for those who don't, this will probably come as quite a shock), is that i am officially self-diagnosed as a transsexual. this diagnosis was actually made back in January of this year. i am just now starting to make this public and take appropriate action to deal with this difficult situation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transsexual

This wikipedia reference does a good job at describing the condition, and the solutions. the next 5 years of my life are certainly not going to be easy, heck, the
rest of my life is not going to be easy; but the good news is, that after 33 years of depression and confusion, i finally have hope that i can actually live a meaningful second half of my life.

the frustrating thing is not that i have to deal with this, but that it took me 33 years to figure it out. i've generally lived a very confusing and unhappy life. a life without comfort in social, romantic, and sexual situations; a life without confidence; a life
without meaning. ...and although there were clear indications of my transsexualism going back as far as 1982, it has taken me this long to officially recognize it.

The good news is that i am still fairly young, very physically fit, and in a very strong mental and emotional frame of mind to handle this. I know I still have a lot of meaningful life left in me and I intend to maximize these remaining decades.

My first major step in dealing with this has been my weight loss. Transition is a very physically demanding thing, and I know that I will need to be in the best shape possible to deal with this. As much as I enjoy the accolades of competing in marathons, that is
purely a secondary thing. This is all about weight loss and healthy living in preparation for the transition journey ahead.

My next step will be to start seeing a psychiatrist who specialized in Sex/Gender Therapy, who will help facilitate a referral for Hormone Replacement Therapy, which I hope to start sometime mid way into 2008. This will start with Testosterone blockers for 3 months, and then continue into Estrogen injections, which I will take for the rest of my life.

It will take anywhere from 3-5 years for the estrogen to do its job and literally transform my body in the form of: feminine weight distribution, change in skin
complexion, and yes, the growth of breasts. Additionally, estrogen will change my emotions and personality (as if i wasn't already soft, sweet and sensitive enough! yikes!)

There are also things that the estrogen won't do, which means i will have to have a series of medical procedures done: laser or electrolysis hair removal on various body parts, potential facial feminization surgery, voice retraining, i will also have to do something about my male pattern baldness, as hormones won't fix the damage already done there, .....and then the big one, the genital reassignment surgery, which will be the last of all of these things, which i hope to have done 3-5 years from now.

all of this is in scope for me and all of this MUST happen in order for me to become the true real person that i know i really am, a woman.

I'm also proud to announce that at some point within the next 2 years, I will be having my name legally changed to Jennifer.

other than all of this, i will essentially be the same person you know well and hopefully like and love. i will continue to love my 70s rock music and my
football, i will continue to have my crazy sense of humor, and i will continue to do wild and crazy things, like run marathons, go swimming in frozen ponds, and take driving trips all over the world to see NFL games and rock concerts..

so far, although everyone is shocked to learn this about me, the majority of my family and friends have been very positive and supportive. i'm certainly going
to need all the love, support, and friendship i can get, as i deal with this very difficult and socially-taboo issue.

The other major obstacle will be to roll this out at work. i have already told a few people at work, and i am going to chat with my boss and the CEO very soon. i have tons of faith and confidence that this can and will work for me in this office. this office, and this city in general, seem to be a very open and accepting place. Amazingly enough, St. John's, Newfoundland seems to be a great place to have to deal with this.

Being transsexual is definitely not a "choice". This is clearly something i was born with. The only "choice" i am choosing to make is to take corrective action. There really is no alternative. Untreated transsexualism often leads to severe depression and suicide, and i certainly don't want to go down that path.

I often tell people that Sex is what's in between your legs, and Gender is what's between your ears. As we all know, our brain represents life and our brain dictates who we are and how we feel. although we do get to make many choices in life, there are others that are chosen for us. we don't get to decide our height, we don't get to decide our eye colour, we don't get to decide whether we are left or right handed... we don't get to choose our sexual orientation, and we definitely don't get to choose our sexual and gender identity.

Also, as the wikipedia article states, Sexual Identity and Sexual Orientation are two mutually exclusive things. The topic of my sexual orientation is a whole other e-mail that i won't likely even be able to write until this transition process is complete, (i may think i know my sexual orientation now, but hormone replacement therapy has often been know to change this for people). In short, i am not actively interested in
sexual activity with anyone until i complete this transition.

So, anyway, if there's anything about any of this that you'd like to talk about, please feel free to let me know. i can't guarantee i will have answers to everything, as i am still in a learning phase of how to deal with this and what it all means, but i will certainly do my best to explain and reply to anything you'd like to know.

As your teacher once said, there's no such thing as a stupid question... and there's no question that's too personal or embarrassing for me to answer. i am willing to do whatever it takes to gain everyone's trust, respect, and acceptance of this.

Unlike being gay/lesbian or bisexual, this is something that can't be closeted. this is about identity. My body and wardrobe are going to change drastically over the next 3-5 years; and i think it's best that people know what's coming, well in advance, so they will be less shocked when they actually see it.

I don't know when i will see all of you next, and i have no idea what i will look like or what i will be wearing when this time comes, but i hope you can learn to feel comfortable having Jennifer in your presence.

Please feel free to pass this information along to any other family members or any of your close friends that know me. and do encourage them to get in touch with me if they'd like to have a chat to discuss this further.

Additionally, if you'd like to learn more and follow my progress, i encourage you to sign up to facebook and add me.

all the best,

Jennifer Jefferson Gordon McCreath

June 5, 2011 - St. John's Pride on Facebook

2011-06-05T20:22:00.000-02:30

Seems the new group format on facebook makes it tough to actually find groups. Even worse, they do not show up on google searches! so let me take this opportunity to help add to its searchibility (if that's a word). Here is a link to the group: St. John's Pride Inc. Facebook Group and for the record the URL is: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_144907092249084& . For those of you who are interested in getting involved with Pride Week 2011 planning and delivery; or if you simply want to attend the events, please join this group to stay in the loop.

Jennifer

June 4, 2011 - warn down

2011-06-04T19:29:00.000-02:30

Well, perhaps all this activity has finally taken its toll on me. A nasty cold hit me early Thursday morning and kept me pretty much in bed for 48 hours. But I am finally feeling better today, and felt up to a trip to the pond to visit the new batch of baby duckies who recently hatched. Looking forward to another restful day, and hopefully back in business for Monday.

Jenn

June 3, 2011 - Stop Harper?

2011-06-04T00:13:00.000-02:30

ok folks, so a university student gets a federal government job as a Page in the Senate, and interrupts a formal throne speech by holding up a STOP sign that reads "Stop Harper". Well, that's definitely an interesting way for an activist to make a political statement, but also a great way to get fired and ruin your reputation. While many of my 'facebook friends' seem supportive, while i may agree with the message, i disagree with the delivery methodology. Disrespecting the institution of parliament may be something Harper has been allowed to get away with, but two wrongs don't necessarily make a right. Then again, Harper broke rules and he was still voted in a majority government, so who knows what's really right or wrong these days?? But what bothers me, is that goofs like this seem to have no problems getting jobs, yet i tend to lways get overlooked, because i am a member of an unrecognized visual minority, transsexual. Sad thing is, i bet she'll get hired again before i can find a better job, and i bet she'll be earning more money that i will within a few years! A strange and sad world we live in.

Jenn

May 29, 2011 - not so hilly half!

2011-05-29T21:01:00.000-02:30

a rare half marathon for me today. it's been a long time since i ran a race that was not 42.2k, so this brought some unique challenges and anxieties. but generally, the pressure was off and i just went out there and ran as hard and as fast as i could, at a pace i felt i could keep throughout. it was a perfect race with almost 21 identical 6 minute kms. couldn't be more pleased, especially entering with very bad knees from having done 3 fulls over the past 3 weeks! 2.05.38 was the time. splitting at exactly 1.03.00 and 1.02.38. i may write more about this run tomorrow, but wanted to post today to let everyone know i am still alive!

Finding my Female voice 5/21/11

2011-05-23T18:17:00.001-02:30

Well, I have finally started to put some effort into training my voice. The goal is to take the voice up to falsetto, then lower it as far as it can go while not using the chest to talk. Some transwomen can find it easily (such as my dear friend Josie), while many others struggle. Voice is a very important part of the communication program for anyone. Having a voice that sounds socially acceptable is critical for anyone, trans or not. there are many transwomen out there who do not modify their voice, while there are many who try but can't come up with anything passable. There are many who end up sounding like Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse.

After tons of practicing, and tons of video shoots, I have finally completed a video that I feel is at least good enough to share: Jennifer tries to find Female Voice.

This is definitely going to be a work in progress, but I hope that by the end of the year, I will have a full-time new voice that I am comfortable with.

Out of shape Newfoundlander runs 3 marathons in 14 days!

2011-05-23T17:55:00.000-02:30

cross-posted from my report on runningroom.com:

Well, with a grand total of maybe 3 or 4 long runs in 6 months, running any marathon was probably going to be a challenge. having just recently recovered from surgery in late January (genital surgery no less), I was forced to take it easy for a while. as I rested, gained even more weight. Tipping the scales at 220 pounds, I ventured out to Fredericton, Mississauga, and Halifax on three consecutive weekends.

I ran Fredericton last year and found it to be a really nice town with a lovely marathon course that was fairly flat. I wasn't going to run it this year, but when I saw a seat sale, and when I started to become really close friends with a fellow transwoman from south eastern new brunswick, I had the excuse to book the extra trip!

The day started out cool but ended up hot (20 degrees and sunny). Having recently struggled through the Georgia marathon on March 20, I knew I could do it, even in this brutal shape, but I also knew it would be tough. As an added handicap, I knew that I would have to save enough for the next two weekends, the knees really started to get sore early on in this marathon, and that limited my ability to run fast. in the end, that was probably a good thing, as I was forced to run slow enough that i didn't really burn out or hit the wall. 5.29.22 put me a little faster than georgia, so i was at least able to take something positive from that. Added to this was the fact that I entered this race totally emotionally exhausted and stressed out from a very busy week.

Anyway, onto Mississauga the next weekend, where i felt great. I ran into a friend from california at the start, and we decided to run together for a while. I ended up running 10k with him, and did so at a faster pace than i should have. I ended up slowing down later into the race, but still managed to score a 5.05.27 - putting my fairly closer to what was my insane A-goal (4.57).

After 7 days of no running, the knees and immune system had healed up a little, but nowhere near where they need to be for a top quality athletic performance. I started Halifax strong but at 26k, my knees seize up to the point where I could barely move. After a strong 2.22 on the front half, I found myself slowed to a very light limp. the pain I had to suffer to finish Halifax was among the most intence pain in my entire life. While running a 5.15.35 was a disappointment, I can feel pleased that at this weight, I was still able to do 3 runs in 3 weekends in 3 different provinces!

Anyway, this was actually a great confidence booster. If I can run 5 hr marathons overweight, under-trained, and on bad knees, just imagine what I could do in 3 month with 30 pounds off and a ton of training in the books!

Jennifer

May 21, 2011 - Black Point - a homecoming!

2011-05-23T15:28:00.000-02:30

Well, as is customary whenever I visit Nova Scotia, I always make a point to drop by the little beach in Black Point, that is situated less than 100 feet from the site of my first home. But this time, I didn't come alone. I had Josie with me, and oh what fun we had when the video camera found its way to the beach! Jennifer and Josie visit Black Point Beach, Nova Scotia. Hope you enjoy the fun! But be warned, some of the content heads in a rather sexual direction! ....lol

May 21, 2011 - Meeting the Wayves team!

2011-05-23T14:51:00.000-02:30

On May 21, 2011 in Halifax, The Wayves.ca magazine executive had the opportunity to meet two of their new team members: myself and Josie, as part of what was billed - Networking Brunch with Transsexual Advocates Jennifer & Josie. Wayves is an Aatlantic canada monthly magazine that features news stories and advertising that caters to the LGBT community. Based out of Halifax, Wayves has done some outreach to gain prominence in the other three atlantic provinces. Furthermore, they have reached out to members of the trans community to ensure that stories are not just about LGB issues. Also in attendance, were two halifax transsexuals, which was great for me and for Josie, as we got to form a bond with more sisters in our community.

Newfoundland Runners invade Halifax! 5/22/11

2011-05-23T12:36:00.000-02:30

Wow! I think we set a record for most Newfoundlanders running in the Halifax Bluenose race weekend events this year! Congrats to all!

Unofficially, here's who all I found on the results list:

Full marathon

margot doucet - st. john's - 3.21.35
adrien doucet - st. john's - 3.29.02
jamie snook - goose bay - 3.39.53
jesse mcfee - paradise - 3.53.46
diane wiseman - cbs - 4.16.26
jackie cabot - cbs - 4.18.03
vicki lush - cbs - 4.26.25
rosalie russell - st. john's - 4.32.39
regina coady - st. john's - 4.34.50
alfred power - st. john's - 4.34.50
jeffrey saunders - st. john's - 4.35.16
sandra cable - cbs - 4.43.16
jule white cluney - cbs - 4.43.16
pierrette kavanagh - cbs - 4.43.17
tracy lundrigan - cbs - 4.43.17
jennifer mccreath - st. john's - 5.15.35 (29th career marathon and 3rd in 14 days)
ashley dawe - cbs - 5.16.17
darlene dawe - cbs - 5.16.18
melissa eason - cbs - 5.16.18
gail soper - cbs - 5.16.19
sherri o'halloran - mount pearl - 6.11.31 (walk)

half marathon

patrick collins - st. john's - 1.27.03
beans wentzell - st. john's - 1.30.45
alexandra maher - st. john's 1.36.27
andrew snelgrove - mount pearl - 1.40.59
mandy mclean - pasadena - 1.41.54
jamie houlahan - goose bay - 1.46.52
w george smith - st. john's - 1.51.10
lisa oldford - baie verte - 1.51.37
megan smith - st. john's 1.52.29
susan collins - st. john's - 1.55.37
christine hann - corner brook - 1.57.05
nancy robbins - clarenville - 1.58.37
cathy cook - st. john's - 1.59.32
rosemary roberts - goose bay - 2.02.35
diane houlahan - goose bay - 2.02.45
shelley moores - cbs - 2.03.36
susette farrell - corner brook - 2.04.21
natasha hunt st. john's - 2.06.19
loretta johnson - cbs - 2.07.09
cara lutke - cbs - 2.10.37
garry furlong - lab city - 2.10.57
megan eason - cbs - 2.11.48
danika gulliford - cbs - 2.12.38
sharon vardy - cbs - 2.13.39
fiona curtis - logy bay - 2.16.31
kevin pardy - st. john's - 2.18.37 (1st in age/sex category!!)
mary-beth eason - cbs - 2.19.54
betty ann hunt - cbs - 2.24.04
joanne cooze - cbs - 2.24.08
janna cleary - cbs - 2.24.09
dana o'brien - cbs - 2.30.02
gregory strong - cbs - 2.42.15
joan butler - cbs - 2.42.26
carol ann o'brien - cbs - 2.42.30
pamela bussey - goosebay - 2.46.07
amanda rickert - cbs - 2.46.46
ruth porter hart - holyroo - 2.46.48
dallas whittle - cbs - 3.01.09
kelli winsor-bursey - mount pearl - 3.01.11
ethel janes - cbs - 3.04.19
denise eddy - cbs - 3.05.01
paula allen - corner brook - 3.25.43 (walk)

10K

aubrey sanders - cornerbrook - 36.56 (2nd overall)
thea baird - cbs - 46.03
paul snow - pleasantville - 49.10
greg stoner - st. john's - 50.08
david sellars - cbs - 54.24
melinda watts - st. john's - 56.14
lorna acreman - goose bay - 56.31
marcia snow - st. john's 56.59
megan saunders - paradise - 1.01.21
tommy farrell - corner brook - 1.03.36
michelle porter - cbs - 1.05.57
linda goodyear - cbs - 1.08.07
elizabeth lawrence - st. john's - 1.08.29
courtney gabriel - cbs - 1.11.32

5k

precilla rideout - cbs - 22.54
wayne hann - corner brook - 29.14
betty hann - corner brook - 30.35
sonya meisner - lab city - 37.18
elaine dyke - st. john's - 37.26
jeannine chaulk - goose bay - 1.00.53

May 18, 2011 - another quick update

2011-05-18T17:54:00.001-02:30

mississauga marathon was awesome. i ran a 5.05.27 on tired legs, which was a drastic improvement from my 5.29.22 on so-called fresh legs a week earlier. i started the marathon by running into a good friend from California, who is a fellow 'marathon maniac.' we ran together for the first 10.5k. he going a little slower and i going a little faster than usual. 67 minutes for the first quarter gave me a good work out. i knew i would pay for that in knee pain, and i did. but i also knew i would still finish the race in 2011 record time, which i did. it's awesome to have a strong handle on where my body and fitness levels are at.

yesterday, i co-hosted a special edition of international frontrunners - a walk/run around the lake to commemorate international day against homophobia. we had a good turn out, including the newly-appointed chair of the newly-resurrected pflag canada st. john's chapter.

meanwhile, the busy work continues. halifax weekend ahead will be jam packed with events, including a networking brunch hosted by myself and my infamous trans friend Josie. then we will both be off to an event hosted by the Imperial Court - Nova Scotia chapter - a group of drag queens who raise money for charity.

i will also visit with Nova Scotia running superstat Erin Poirier, the team captain of the Love For Gambia halifax marathon fund-raising team.

i'll also have a visit with my father. looking forward to seeing him again.

more soon!
Jennifer

May 14, 2011 - 4 year anniversary

2011-05-14T06:08:00.000-02:30

wow, it was 4 years ago yesterday that i ran my very first official marathon, the 2007 mississauga marathon. it's awesome to be sitting at the airport this morning getting ready to fly to ontario to run what will be my 5th consecutive mississauga marathon tomorrow. this weekend tends to be my unofficial start to the new year as far as running is concerned. i've had my ups and downs but enter this run optimistic that improvement is ahead. i struggled thru the fredericton marathon last week and i am still a little sore, but feel confident that i can produce a much better run this weekend!

if you are reading this from toronto area, i will be having a late lunch at 2.30 pm today at fazoolis restaurant at 209 rathburn road west in mississauga. please come and join me and my friends for social chatter!

facebook event here

Jenn

May 10, 2011 - the Transsexual Sessions

2011-05-10T20:17:00.000-02:30

I am proud to present what I hope will be considered an excellent transsexual resource: the Transsexual Sessions - a 6 part dialogue between myself and my dear friend Josie from New Brunswick, on May 7, 2011. Here, we discuss many of the issues currently faced by members of the trans community.

Part 1 - Laser Hair Removal - Josie
Part 2 - Laser Hair Removal - Jennifer
Part 3 - Why Trans Activism? - Jennifer
Part 4 - LGB vs T Dichotomy - Jennifer
Part 5 - Untreated Transsexualism - Josie
Part 6 - Untreated Transsexaulism - Jennifer & Josie
Bonus Video: the pregame comedy routine!

May 9, 2011 - Another Marathon in the books!

2011-05-09T06:04:00.000-02:30

well, Fredericton is in the books. 5.29.22 gives me a slightly faster finishing time than my last one. i will do up a nice report when get home later today.

Jenn

May 7, 2011 - awesome day

2011-05-07T22:09:00.000-02:30

wow, an airport experience that actually went well! flight from st. john's to halifax totally routine. an uneventful drive to fredericton, where i will be running my 27th marathon tomorrow.

but the highlight of the day was meeting the amazing Josie, New Brunswick's most visible transperson and trans advocate. we had an awesome time hanging out and chatting about our transition journeys. we also shot a series of educational videos together, that will likely find their way to youtube very soon. i am really excited to have yet another trans friend. i have realized that this had been a major gap in my life. when i went to montreal for surgery, my life changed on more ways than one. making transwomen friends has added so much to my life. awesome to have a close circle of friends that can totally relate to each other.

anyway, the internet connectivity here at the knights inn really sucks. i had to walk all the way over to the head office to actually connect. no internet access in the hotel room. oh well, not a huge deal, but there won't be any skyping tonight..

anyway, marathon tomorrow morning, another visit with Josie afterwards, and back home on Monday.

Happy weekend!
Jenn

May 6, 2011 - Crazy Week

2011-05-06T11:15:00.000-02:30

Wow, lots going on. I hardly have time to breathe, let alone sleep. But it has been a very productive week. Will definitely post more news after the weekend.

Jenn

May 1, 2011 - Current Memberships & Projects

2011-05-01T21:46:00.000-02:30

This entry is intended to be a supplementary link to my 'advocacy resume.' it provides a brief overview of the various things I am involved with:

- Founder, Board of Director, and Head of Corporate Management for St. John's Pride Inc., a registered non-profit organization with a mandate to help grow the local LGBT community as well as oversee the delivery of Pride Week celebrations.

- Member of Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health (CPATH) ; and a key member of their Policy Committee. I am currently taking the lead on revising their membership structure policy.

- Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Newfoundland & Labrador Chapter of International Frontrunners, an LGBT running/walking/social club.

- Journalist, Correspondent and Consultant for Wayves Magazine.

- Member of Moncton, New Brunswick Chapter of PFLAG Canada; member of their Trans Education Project Team.

- Member of the New Democratic Party of Canada and member of their LGBT Committee.

- Member of the New Democratic Party of Newfoundland and Labrador.

- Member of Canada Blood Services' LGBTTQ working group, an entity that has actually been dormant for a while.

- Member of an informal national Trans alliance task force that is undertaking education and awareness work about the importance of Trans Human Rights.

- Working with other Trans people to form the first national non-profit entity with a mandate of Trans advocacy work. Will likely become a founder and Board Member.

April 30, 2011 - running stats

2011-04-30T23:36:00.000-02:30

Well, i am finally starting to pick up the pace. 188.8k for April, giving me my best month of the year. i had an amazing 16.4k tempo run today, with some great speed drills. i am really starting to come into form. planning a nice long slow distance run tomorrow morning as my official tune up for the big 3 marathons later in the month. looking forward to another amazing May!

Jan - 137.60 - 137.60

Feb - 044.10 - 181.70

Mar - 161.30 - 343.00

Apr - 188.80 - 524.20

April 29, 2011 - Time to Ride the Orange NDP Wave!

2011-04-30T12:25:00.000-02:30

Well, after careful consideration, I have decided to break my political silence and I have officially joined the NDP Party of Canada AND the NDP Party of Newfoundland and Labrador. The NDP has shown their commitment towards advancing LGBT human rights and health care, while the other parties have remained silent and uninterested in the issue. As someone who cares deeply for this country, and for the rights of all Canadians to live a life free from discrimination or humiliation, i feel joining the NDP team at this time is the best way to help advance these issues.

Even more importantly, after years of the Chretien Liberal sponsorship scandal, to the Harper Proroguing and Contempt of Parliament; and after historic low voter turnouts, it is time to restore respect, dignity, integrity and credibility to the Canadian Parliamentary process. The NDP appears to be very serious about all of these things. I publicly urge all Canadians to take a serious look at the Federal NDP platform and take a serious look at your local candidate running for the NDP.

Jennifer

April 25, 2011 - how bout a running update?

2011-04-25T19:50:00.000-02:30

Funny how this blog was originally created to chronicle my running. It's been a while since I had an actual running blog post, so here it is! It's been a good long weekend. I decided to set some major marathon running goals for the rest of 2011. I figure the only way to keep myself motivated is to set some high goals and chase after them. as always, I intend to push myself to the limit and reach heights few think I can. So here it is:

- 3 marathons in 14 days in May (Fredericton, Mississauga, and Halifax)
- 1 serious BQ marathon attempt in late august (Quebec City)
- at least 2 fall marathons, tying my annual max of 7 marathons

Obviously, the BQ will be the toughest. I have 4 months to try to regain the shapeIi was in back in summer 2008 when I was on the cusp of BQ numbers. Given the new rolling registration standard for next year, a 3.45.59 will not be good enough. I will need a 3.25.59 in order to guarantee a spot in Boston, so that will be the goal.

I officially started my training program with a solid long weekend. Friday featured a slow long distance run that lasted 2 hours and 50 minutes, covering a mere 23k, but it was the first long run I have had in 5 weeks. saturday and sunday featured tempo runs of 9k and 6k, and today was a series of speed drills - 3 times 2k, including one set at BQ pace (which I was actually amazed I could do!).

I'm definitely looking forward to the challenge of hitting these goals, and enjoying the side effects of training - losing weight and getting back into great shape!

Happy Easter!
Jenn

April 23, 2011 - hate crime in Baltimore demonstrates the need for protection

2011-04-24T13:04:00.000-02:30

Just as the State of Maryland is leaning towards NOT including human rights protection for trans people, a vicious hate crime attack by two cis women on a transwoman in McDonalds last week, highly illustrates the need for protection. A transwoman was minding her own business when she was brutally attacked by two young cis women. What makes this even worse is that McDonalds employees did nothing to stop the attack. In fact, one of the staff members turned on a video camera and could be overheard encouraging the attackers to escape before police arrived.

i have created a v-blog that discusses this issue. The good news is that trans advocates and allies all over the world are stepping up to the plate to raise concern about this. Eventually, the old boys club that runs most governments will start to get the message that society is no longer willing to tolerate discrimination against marginalized minorities.

Jenn

April 20, 2011 - Love4Gambia - The Halifax Marathon

2011-04-20T19:11:00.000-02:30

On May 22, 2011, I will run my 29th career marathon, (which will be my third consecutive Halifax Bluenose Marathon, and my third marathon in as many weekends). Not only will this be a homecoming run for me, it will be the first time I have run a marathon as part of a Registered Charity.

Erin Poirier is a near-elite level distance runner. She is a three-time Boston Marathon finisher. She is also a registered nurse who works at Prince Andrew High School in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Erin is also the adult advisor for the school's Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) group. Last year, Erin reached out to me and invited me to speak to the entire high school for an LGBT-awareness event. She also invited me to meet with the GSA group for a special brunch.

Erin is also on the Board of Directors for a Federally-registered charitable organization, the Nova Scotia Gambia Association. The mandate of this organization is to undertake initiatives that will help better the health care and human rights environments for the people of the Gambia, with a particular focus on youth. This summer, Erin is going to The Gambia to literally run across the country to raise money for this charity. She will cover 430km over 17 days in what will be very tough conditions, featuring extreme heat and extreme rain. Erin has been to The Gambia before and has donated her time and nursing skills to help the cause.

It will be an honour to not only run the marathon of my original home town, but to be a part of Erin's great team and help play a small role in making life better for those who live in the Gambia. As tough as life has been for me over the past few years in terms of financial situation, health care, and human rights, i can only image how much tougher it is for the people over there in the Gambia.

I have committed to raising at least $100 for this Charity. Whatever I don't raise, I will pay out of my own pocket. The main goal, however, is to raise as much money as possible. With this in mind, if you would like to make a donation, please visit the Jennifer McCreath Love4Gambia donation web site. Donations of $20 or more will get you an official tax credit receipt. You can donate via credit card at this secure website. If you would like to make a donation via cash or cheque, please e-mail me at jennifer.mccreath@yahoo.com for details.

Jenn

April 18, 2011 - Kent's Pond

2011-04-18T23:31:00.000-02:30

Ahhh, you know spring is right around the corner when the tulip bulbs on pippy park hill start popping out. It was a tough day for me - the first Patriots Day since 2008 that i was not running the Boston Marathon. Probably the worst day of depression for me all year. But i managed to salvage some positives this evening with a lovely run after supper over to Kent's Pond - my first run over there this year. I had a sit on the dock and watched the ducks swim around as the sun set. It reminded me of why i love loving here and why i want to stay here as long as i can. If i can't run in Boston, then running around Kent's Pond is the perfect replacement. In fact, i can't think of anywhere else in the world i'd rather run. Can't wait for the water to warm up so i can swim in there again! I ran a slow and gently but steady 12.8k tonight, the best workday run i have had since surgery. the knee and foot only gave me minimal problems, so that is encouraging.

the other great news is that St John's Pride Inc. is finally starting to ramp up. A board meeting will occur next week, in which there is going to be a new addition to the team, as well as the appointment of officers (people who will take on specific work responsibilities). stjohnspride.org is up and running, but will be revamped next week with plenty of details for how people can get involved as planners, or sponsors. talks are ongoing with both provincial and municipal departments of tourism for involvement, so an exciting week ahead!

Jennifer

April 17, 2011 - busy week!

2011-04-17T11:21:00.000-02:30

wow, what a week. a good friend of mine won tickets at the last minute to a Jackson Browne concert, in a VIP box no less! that was quite fun - sitting in a corporate box eating free pizza and watching one of America's best 70s folk rockers do an intimate solo set, with just him, his piano, and his 19 guitars!

the other major highlight of the week was finally getting my new birth certificate, so i took a day off and travelled around the various government offices to register my sex change.. i now have a new drivers licence, new health card, and soon, a new passport classifying me as female, and that is really exciting!

the other really good news is that after sitting dormant for quite some time, St John's Pride Inc (www.stjohnspride.org) is finally ready to kick it up and get down to business. Although one of our Board of Directors has been uncooperative and uncommunicative (and sadly, we are likely going to take steps to replace him), others are on board and ready to go. Calls are already starting to come in from interested parties who want to be a part of Pride, including, amazingly enough, a rep from the Provincial Government's Department of Tourism! This is very very exciting stuff. In the near future, there will be a revamped website for Pride, as well as the launch of a Facebook group, and a yahoo group. I have also initiated contact with City Hall to look into getting a Flag Raising event, as well as start preliminary discussions for organizing the logistics of a Parade. It is not 100% confirmed yet, but Pride week in St. John's will likely be July 18-24.

Meanwhile, i have had a couple of good runs this week, although my patellar tendon has flared up to the point where i have had to limit my running.

More soon!

Jennifer

April 10, 2011 - feeling better, at least in most body parts!

2011-04-10T19:37:00.000-02:30

Well, i have had three really good days in a row, in terms of mood and energy. i have had great sleeps, i have not had violent mood swings, and i have been really excited and happy about life. This is a complete opposite from where i was earlier this past week.

Perhaps it has been the fun and exciting events of the weekend. I hung out with a friend and her kids and attended an excellent high school musical drama event - Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. I also have a visit to the movie theatre to see Hop, a cute story about the Easter Bunny family, and how a young bunny would rather be a rock star, then take over daddy's job!

well, the bad news is a strange development of what appears to be Illiotibial Band Syndrome - a common injury for leg endurance athletes. Only problem though, is that i have not really been an endurance athlete as of late. Perhaps the challenges of negotiating 8k of hills every day in st. john's, even if i walk them more than i run, has been enough to tweak this tendon. oh well, guess i can add another thing to the list for the next family doc visit. Hmmm, i guess i also have an excuse to take it easy this week!

Jenn

April 6, 2011 rough day

2011-04-06T23:18:00.000-02:30

yikes, the chemical mixture that is known as my daily bowl of pills seems to have gotten the best of me. the latest addition has been the infamous potential breast-enhancinmg hormone known as progesterone.

for three weeks now, i have been taking a synthetic progesterone, known as a progestin. although rarely prescribed to trasnswomen in Canada, it's use seems quite common in the USA. Cue my recent trip down south. It was not just a marathon run. it was a medical visit.

synthetic is much cheaper than nartural, but it comes with side effects - specifically, depression, mood swings, and fatigue. they have all hit quite hard. luckily, the drug is also working its magic on my breasts, which is why i knew i needed to start taking it.

although some doctors try to pretend that it adds no value, the majority of first-hand reports from transwomen around the world do state thast adding a progesterone into the hormone regime will turn the cone-shaped breasts into regular-looking breasts, as well as increase the maturity of nipple and areolas.

well, for those of you keeping score, you can add my name to ther list of those who do cite positive breast development with this product.

but i am quite disappointed that the doctor that i went to see, decided to put me on a synthetic instead of a natural (progestin vs prometrium). these additional side affects are brutal, plus there is increased risks to blood clots, high blood pressure, weight gain, and severe depression. oh well, it is what it is. now comes the challenge of trying to convince my local Canadian doctors to give this a go.

proof that transsexuals will go to great lengths to transition, this bottle of pills literally cost me a thousand dollars, if you factor in the travel costs to get to the usa to see a doctor. hopefully, i won't have to go back there every 3 months1 that would be expensive.

but yah, c'mon doctors, it's time to get up with the times. sure, elder ciswomen who take P may have seem more problems that benefits, but we are trans people. you can't base conclusions about how a drug would affect us unless you specifically study us.

anyway, i have upped my anti deporessant upon the advice of one of my docs, so hopefully that will get me feeling more energetic and less like a zombie!

Jenn

April 5, 2011 update

2011-04-06T23:11:00.001-02:30

crazy week so far. sadly, i will not be running in the election as i would put myself in conflict of interest and have to resign from my current job or ask and take an unpaid leave of absence.

ok, for you quasi-spammers who have been e-mailing me strange questions about my 'business' you'll have to be a little more specific, and much more personable, if you wish to receive a reply. i'm busy enough a it is.

in other news, i have been advised that my current temp assignment has been extended for another fiscal year, and even more exciting, steps are going to be taken to apply for reclassification, so i may get a slight bump up in wage, which would be really nice.

Jenn

April 2, 2011 - Running of a Different Type? The Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada

2011-04-02T08:23:00.000-02:30

Well, most of you reading this are probably unaware that there are 19 officially registered federal political parties in Canada at this time. One of them is the Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada. They were founded in 2005 by people associated with two existing organizations: Animal Alliance of Canada, and Environment Voters, two non-profit organizations, as a way to be involved directly in the political system and make governments adopt policies that protect the environment and animals. Political laws restrict the amount of political advocacy work that third party organizations may undertake during elections, so these two organizations decided to make this move.

Now, is it ethical for a political party to exist who has no clear intention of winning the election, nor any serious thoughts of even winning political seats? Well, look at the Bloc Quebecois. They also have no intention of winning the election. Their main reason for existing is to promote Quebec separation from Canada. Animal rights and taking care of the environment are two things that have always been close to my heart. I was recently in communication with party leader Elizabeth White, and she seems quite keen to the idea of having me run as a candidate for this party in the election.

So, what's in it for me? Well, obviously, as Bill Siksay pointed out during the third reading in the House of Bill C-389, it is a shame that not one openly transsexual or transgendered person has ever been elected into the House. Not that I suspect that I would have even the faintest hope of winning a seat, should I run in the election for this party, but for me, this would be a great chance to demonstrate trans visibility in the election process.

Now, some may question my priorities in terms of running. is this really about animal and environmental issues? or is this a cheap way to attempt to get some media for trans rights? Well, if I wanted to run exclusively for trans rights, I would do so as an independent candidate. For me to run with the endorsement of a sanctioned political party, would not primarily position me as trans candidate, but a human being (who just so happens to be trans) who stands for what the party is trying to accomplish. This is also a great opportunity for at least one political party to show that they are not afraid or ashamed to embrace transpeople, not only into their political party, but to endorse at least one of them as a candidate.

We need more LGBT people to get involved in Canadian politics. Specifically, we need more transpeople to get involved. Running for parliament under any political stripe would likely bring some public attention to me, and hence, to the trans community as a whole. This would be a great opportunity for me to demonstrate to the world that at least some transpeople are quite open and interested in the betterment of our country. I could demonstrate that I am an articulate, well-spoken, and well-educated person, who is capable of forming rational political stances with analytical visioning and explanations and problem-solving suggestions.

From a personal perspective, there are many pros and cons to running in the election; and more pros and cons to running for this party. I have lots to think about over the next week, as the April 11 deadline approaches for the submission of candidacy applications. I am going to be actively seeking feedback from the st. john's animal and environmental rights community, as well as the global trans community, with regards to this potential idea.

Jenn

March 31, 2011 - ABC!!!

2011-04-02T07:14:00.000-02:30

Well, Steven Harper was in town today to launch his campaign. He spoke to a small private audience at the Delta hotel. But the bigger story, was the bigger crowd that gathered outside the Delta to protest his appearance and to support the concept of voting for anybody but him! This impromptu group was put together at the last minute by a group of labour union and student movements.

My two main concerns with the Harper Conservative Government philosophies are their lack of respect for the human rights of trans people, and secondly, and much more importantly, is their lack of respect for the integrity of the Canadian parliamentary system and Canadians. Harper has frequently broken rules, including laws, and has laughed it off stating that Canadians don 't care. He broke more election promises than any other politician that I can remember. He has operated like a dictator when he only had a minority parliament, which meant that he needed to find ways to cooperate with other political parties. He failed. In fact, he became the first political party to ever be held in Contempt of Parliament, a major shame and disgrace, not only for himself, but for the entire country.

International media outlets all over the world have caught on and Canada has lost their reputation as being a caring country that takes an interest in making the world a better place. Canada has even recently been denounced by Amnesty International for our lack of Human Rights.

I am proud to say that I participated in the "ABC" (anybody but Conservative) protest today. Although I was merely a participant, and not an organizer or keynote speaker, I was lucky enough to be captured on photos and videos th at made several major news outlets here, including 6 o'clock newscasts by NTV and CBC.

Some great amateur video footage was captured here at these two sites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTpkVUiPedA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwLahhavy4Y

A great audio slideshow has been put together here by the Independent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6DXQ8VE7qs&

It is definitely time for change. Now comes the fun part: deciding which of the other political parties to support!

March 30, 2011 - Trans Advocate Tanya Bloomfield Forced to Leave Canada Today

2011-03-31T00:27:00.000-02:30

Tanya Bloomfield is a tran advocate who moved to canada in 2006. she ran a business, raised money for lgbt initiatives, & chaired social & support groups. sadly, the transphobic Harper government refused to extend her immigration temporary pass and pushed her out today. She will arrive in the uk tonight unemployed, without her cats, without many of her belongings, and with no financial income. She has been abandonned by Canada. canada just lost a big piece of our heart and soul. this is exactly the type of person we should be attracting and retaining to canada. I am ashamed to be canadian today because of the negative and discriminatory transphobic treatment she was subjected to at the hands of the Harper government. Well Harper, I got news for ya, I am one Nova Scotian transsexual that you can't deport! So f*ck you and all your bigotism!

Listen to Tanya's It Gets Better video here

visit her blog here

and join her Facebook Group here .

Tanya, thank you for your many wonderful contibutions to Canada's lgbt community. I hope steps will be taken so that you may be allowed to return one day, should you want to.
Jennifer

March 25, 2011 - Georgia Marathon photos and video

2011-03-25T18:29:00.000-02:30

Well, the blueprint for the pics are out and they don't look too bad. Compared to other marathon pics, the two things I seem to notice both are the extra weight, and the fact that I am smiling in almost every pic. this was clearly the most satisfying run, albeit the most challenging, run, of my life. I think it is actually 100 times tougher to run a 5 and a half hour marathon while out of shape, then it is to run a 3 hour 16 minute marathon when you are in great shape.

This was the first marathon I entered when I clearly had no idea whether or not I would even finish. to complete the race 55 days after sex reassignment surgery, and to do so by setting a personal worst by only 7 minutes, far exceeded anything I could have hoped for.

Here is a video of me crossing the finish line ;

and here are 5 of the many pics that were taken of me my the professional photographers.

March 22, 2011 - Georgia Marathon & back to work

2011-03-22T20:33:00.000-02:30

well, it was an awesome weekend for me. after finally getting thru customs, i had a great little trip to boston and atlanta. i met up with friends in both places, saw a transsexual health care specialist, and ran the geogia marathon. in addition, i got to spend a day outside in summery weather and work on my tan a bit.

well, most were shocked when they learned that i was even considering a marathon this soon after surgery, but the chat i had with my surgeon, as well as discussions i had with other transwomen runners, gave me the understanding that this was doable. my recovery seemed far enough along that running would not cause any damage to the surgical site. the only real issue was the fact that i entered overweight and under-trained.

having experienced overweight and under-trained conditions last september when i struggled thru the newfoundland marathon, i used that race as a blue print for this one. the run in atlanta was very hilly, and my quads are suffering now because of them. in the end, i set a personal worst of 5.34.14, which is not bad considering i ran a 5.27 back in september. this race wasn't about speed. it was about finishing and proving something to myself.

once again, by setting extremely challenging goals, i either set myself up for expected failure, or extreme elation, with success. this was probably the most satisfying run i have ever had.

meanwhile, it was back to work today. it was nice to get myself back into my normal routine, if in fact, i have a 'normal' routine. although my surgical area still makes it difficult to squat or kneel, i didn't have too much trouble accessing the many file folders from the bottom shelf today. people were generally glad to see me and were excited and happy for me, knowing that i had successfully had my surgery.

now comes the challenge as i try to juggle work, vaginal maintenance, and further marathon training, over the next few months. the vagina requires frequent 'dilations' for 6 months post-op, to ensure that it keeps its shape and depth.

speaking of running, the quads enjoyed the rest yesterday. i managed to have no problem today as i stood on my feet for most of the day. the chronic pain in the left foot was not a factor in my run last sunday, nor was it a problem today. i had a light 4k run after work, on my way home.

Jenn

march 17, 2011 - airport debacle

2011-03-17T19:27:00.000-02:30

today, i was detained for 2 hours by USA customs. apparently i was guilty of "traveling while trans" which apparently is not acceptable. i was eventually freed and cleared to visit their country, but not until after i had missed my flight. it was never made clear to me as to why it took 2 hours for them to realize that i was who i said i was, and that i was not a threat to national security. some complaints will definitely be filed shortly.

while i can appreciate the importance of airport security, it is totally unreasonable to consider transpeople a threat simply because they are trans. this complete lack of respect for me as a traveler is what bothers me the most. i sat in a waiting room while at least 20 other people were serviced and processed before i was called to the desk for 'secondary screening'.

what a mess. oh well, at least i got to my destination, albeit 3 hours late, and after i had to pay an airport change fee to switch flight.

the issue of biological sex vs legal sex is an interesting dichotomy that likely contributed to this issue. the red tape of sex change government paperwork process is another concern. i am now almost 8 weeks post op and still don't have my new paperwork.

more on this story in the days ahead...

Jenn

March 11, 2011 - general update

2011-03-11T17:25:00.000-03:30

Well, it has been a rather good week for me. I had an excellent telephone job interview with the Government of Alberta for an information management and privacy position. I find it interesting that although I send my resume all over the country, Newfoundland and Alberta seem to be the only places where I make it past screening to interview stage. I can only assume that having work experience in Newfoundland, and a Bachelor Degree from an Alberta school, are the key reasons. It makes me wonder if there isn't a little provincial bias in all human resource programs.

Amazingly enough, 4 years ago when I had pretty much given up hopes on finding a decent job with the Ontario Government (despite completing what was supposedly a very prestegious Ontario Government Internship Program), I found myself having job interviews for policy analyst positions in Alberta and Newfoundland. I knew I aced both interviews and sensed that there may be not one, but two job offers to choose from. I made up my mind that I would acccept which ever one came first. Well, two phone calls came within 10 minutes of each other, and the rest was history!

Given all of that history, it would be highly ironic if I ended up leaving Newfoundland for Alberta this year! As much as I still want to make Newfoundland my long-term home, I would jump at the chance to go to Edmonton and take this job.

Anyway, I have been battling a bit of a cold this week, and that slowed me down for the early part of the week. I finally felt better yesterday, and gave myself my toughest running test to date since coming home from surgery. I ran two 10.55k sets, with an hour break in between. a quasi-half-marathon. It was a strong and steady run with practically no discomfort in the surgical site area. It was a great work out and a great confidence booster. I can tell that I am very close to having all of my mobility. There's still some discomfort when I sit in a chair for long periods of time, but I sense that a week from now, I will be 100%.

Meanwhile, I have stuck my nose back into the books, having read autobiographies of Ric Flair and Pete Sampras this week. Still on the book shelf next in line will be biographies of Don Felder (the disgruntled ex-guitarist of the Eagles), Boris Becker, Monica Seles, and John McEnroe. As I attempt to regain the best physical health possible, I hope I can pick up some pointers by reading the stories of some of the best and most successful people in the world who I admire.

Whether I have the pure athletic talent or not, what I know that I have, and what gives me an advantage, is my killer instinct athletic zone. Sampras definitely had it, as I knew he did. Whenever he stepped onto that tennis court, he just oozed with confidence. He believed in himself and he knew he was going to be the best in the sport, which he was. As out of shape as I am right now, I have this sense of inner confidence. I just know that whatever running goals I will set, I will hit them. I have no doubt in my mind that I will be back at Boston again soon. I also have no doubt in my mind that I will do the unthinkable and one day break my personal best marathon time that I set in 2008 as a male.

Jennifer

March 6, 2011 - Running Update & More

2011-03-06T13:34:00.000-03:30

Well, as documented, I haven't done much running as of late due to my recovery from Sex Reassignment Surgery on January 24. But in recent weeks, I have slowly started to make my comeback. the comeback officially started 21 days after surgery, with a very light 1.6k run on Feb 15. This was more like a tin-soldier trot, but it was the first time I had my heart rate up in 22 days, so it was a nice first step.

I would end up running about 3 times a week for the rest of the month, leading up to an 8k run towards the end. I ran a total of 44.1k in February. As we enter March 6th, I can feel my fitness levels return to at least where they were before surgery, which is not saying much. But the future is bright. I am now at about 80% mobility and I can run gently for long periods of time without pain. Ironically enough, I still can't squat down to pick something up off the floor, or sit in a chair for long periods of time, without a moderate to strong level of discomfort. But the good news is that the antibiotic topical ointment cream that my doctor gave me last week, is really starting to help the healing process of the sensitive raw skin down there. I appear to be right on schedule to reach full 100% mobility in about 2-3 weeks time.

Well, as we enter March, my cats are starting to shed their winter fur, which means tons of cat fluff all over the place. I think I spent an hour brushing the carpet this morning! Too bad I can't turn all of this cat fluff into a human hair wig! I probably have enough material if it was possible.. lol

Kudos to american blues rocker Melissa Etheridge for coming to Newfoundland last night for a concert. She is probably the best-known lesbian in the rock music business. She has been very open about her life struggles, ranging from being accepted as a lesbian and doing tons of advocacy work, and dealing with cancer. She is a role model to so many, and unlike many in the music business, she actually is a great role model.

Well, I got some good news from my office the other day. While it is no secret that I am upset at being what i feel is severe underemployment, one thing I don't talk about much on here is the fact that i do at least have a job. It only pays half of what I was earning in my last job, but at least it is paying me enough to cover the basics. Rent, heat, cable, internet, telephone, food. It always gets paid for. My temp assignment has now reached over the one year mark, and I was excited to learn that it was extended for another year. The folks at the office have been very accepting of me as a trans person, and they have been very understanding of fact that I feel under employed. I must have asked for time off for job interviews at least 10 times since starting there, and not once have they ever raised concern. On Friday, the entire office chipped in and surprised me with a lovely get-well-soon gift basket, that contained fruit and chocolate. It's nice to know that I am missed and great to know that I am valued not only as a file clerk, but as a human being. I will definitely look forward to my return to the office in a couple of weeks.

Well, blog is now up to date, the apartment is clean, the cats have been fed and brushed, so I think it is time to head outside and get some fresh air!

Jennifer

February 27, 2011 - back at it

2011-02-28T05:15:00.000-03:30

Well, the antibiotic topical ointment that i got from the doc a few days age really seems to be helping. the raw and tender skin on my outer surgical site area has really improved in the healing process. i was able to run at about 70% effort today, so i ventured over to kent's pond for the first time since returning home from surgery. there was about 4 feet of snow covering the trail, and some snow piles as high as 20 feet, where it had obviously been shoveled. but it was nice to see one of my favourite sites, even if it was all snowed in. i actually walked across the ponds as the ice was clearly over a foot thick. there were several dozen ducks over by the river where water flows into the pond. afterward, i dropped into the animal shelter to visit the many young and baby cats they have available for adoption. those poor cats spend most of their time alone, so they really love human contact during visitng hours.

meanwhile, my two cats continue to love having me at home all day, as i continue to recover. i am scheduled to return to work on march 22, and at this point, it looks like i should be very close to 100% come then. i am hoping to get in light runs every day until then, as i hope to rebuild up my fitness levels to where they were before i left for surgery.

one of the highlights of my day was a phone call to my first of three roommates that i had in montreal. it had been about 3 weeks since we last spoke. we had a wonderful chat, reminising about the many laughs and inside jokes we shared. she has a similar sense of humour like i do, and loves sarcasm. oh my.. i really miss her. it was great to chat with her about the surgery recovery process too, as it seems comforting and reassuring that we are both dealing with similar issues in terms of raw skin areas, internal stitches disolving, etc.

well, after two really good sleeps, i am awake at 4.30 am and can't seem to get back to sleep. oh well, those two great sleeps were two more than i expected to have all year... lol Oh well, more time to enjoy this last day of February that we have ahead!

Jenn

February 26, 2011 - Music News

2011-02-26T09:04:00.000-03:30

Gordon Lightfoot's longtime guitarist, Terry Clement has passed away, at the age of 63, ten days after suffering a stroke. Terry met Gordon in 1970, and joined his band in 1971. The band will never be the same. I had the opportunity to see them play together live on 5 occasions. They definitely made musical magic together.

In happier news, founding member of Poco, Rusty Young, celebrated his 66th birthday this week, as did long-time Poco guitarist, Paul Cotton, who turns 68 today. Paul overcame a heart attack in 2005. He retired from Poco last year to spend more time at home in lovely Key West, Florida, where he continues to partake in other music projects, including the occasional local gig. Rusty is in fine form and lives happily in rural Missouri. As the only remaining founding member of Poco, he has become the musical and business leader of the band, which continues to tour regularly. They are also in the process of recording new material for what will soon become their first full album of new material since 2002.

After becoming a fan of California-rock supergroup, the Eagles, my musical research lead me to discover that the sound for which the Eagles have, was initially created by Poco. In fact, Poco lays claim to being the pioneers of of country rock. Poco was founded in 1968 after members of folk-band, Buffalo Springfield, decided to part company. In 2004, I saw Poco live for the first time at the historic Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, TN, where they reunited with founding member of Buffalo Springfield and Poco, Richie Furay, for a full gig of music that was recorded for a DVD. This would be the first of many Poco concerts i would attend over the next 4 years. I was fortunate enough to not only see the band live over 30 times during this span, but i got the chance to become friends with members of the band. They are a great group of guys, who even in their 60s, continue to love making music, and they genuinely respect and appreciate their music fans.

Jenn

February 22, 2011 - Danny and Dasher being playful!

2011-02-22T13:46:00.001-03:30

Here's some pics I captured last night while my cats were grooming each other and play wrestling!

February 21, 2011 - C-389: Countering the Rhetoric

2011-02-21T09:18:00.000-03:30

I didn't write this (in fact i don't even know who did). but i wish i did. this precisely illustrates how transphobic fear-mongering continues to be a problem, and points to the reason as to why Bill C-389 and explicit Human Rights protection for transgender people is necessary:

C-389: Necessary Exactly Because This Persists

You know you're less than human in the eyes of society when people are debating about whether you should be allowed to use the same public restroom as anyone else.

If that sounds a little melodramatic, you'll need to bear with me. You see, I'm transsexual, and have been using the womens' restroom ever since I transitioned, years ago. It has never been illegal for me to do so. Making it an issue at this point in time is archaic on a level that is mind boggling. People who struggle with the idea of transsexuals in womens' restrooms should know that the Transgender Law and Policy Institute notes around 130 jurisdictions in the US where explicit legal inclusion for transgender and transsexual people exists (some back to 1975), and yet there has never been any washroom issues of the kind being suggested by opponents to trans human rights. The conflation of trans people with sexual predators is a fallacy, and it's also ludicrous to speculate that some other sexual predator would risk drawing attention to himself by crossdressing, in order to access a washroom that he'd have better luck just sneaking into when no one is looking. Considering that washrooms have already been a non-issue for decades and aren't even addressed in Bill C-389 at all, there is no rational argument here, but rather a meme designed to generate a quick panic response.

In the US south, decades earlier, there was reluctance to desegregate washrooms because of “delicate sensibilities” and beliefs in the inferiority and impurity of entire groups of people. In the advent of HIV, there were ignorant comments about gay men in washrooms, borne by fears that had not yet been dispelled by science that AIDS could be contracted from a toilet seat. And every time, there was hysteria. Every time, it was unfounded. Every time, our society ultimately moved toward progress, inclusion and accommodation, anyway. And every time, we looked back and realized that the potty panic was just plain offensive.

One of the Conservative government’s stated reasons for opposing Bill C-389, An Act to Amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression), was that it was “unnecessary.”

But it IS necessary. It's necessary exactly because this irrational fear of the unknown persists. Exactly because trans people still get conflated with sex predators and child predators, or labelled as "sick," "perverse," and "freaks." Exactly because people become so clouded with assumptions and myths that they seize upon entirely irrational and unfounded fears. Exactly because people are willing to fabricate or conjure these ideas from nowhere, to argue for our deliberate exclusion from human rights under the pretext that granting them would be "dangerous" or "scary." Exactly because this bias is so entrenched that people think nothing about broadcasting it openly as though fact. Exactly because it is so pervasive and out in the open that discrimination becomes not only likely but inevitable.

What bothers me, however, is that the washroom scare approach has practically overwhelmed the conversation to the point where it probably seems like human rights protections aren't necessary. With a few exceptions, we've largely not heard from trans people at all, nor any of the real troubles we face.

When a friend began her transition, the company she worked for, for nearly twenty years, requested that she delay presenting as female in the workplace until a policy on trans people could be developed. After delaying for three, four, five and eventually seven months, she crashed emotionally from having to return to the closet every day for work. She went on stress leave. After three months, she requested to return, but received no replies. After six months, she was terminated by default... At first. The company she was with eventually agreed to have her return at a reduced position, reduced pay and further deductions to reimburse them for the cost of her short-term disability period. She agreed to this, because her alternative was to lose 19 years of employment on her resume, to a name change. And to this day, said company does not have a trans policy: She's been told that because they're consistent with existing legislation, it isn't needed.

Someone I know in the trans community was in a car accident while traveling in rural Manitoba. She was half conscious, but remembers receiving excellent care, until emergency personnel began to cut off her clothes. At that point, people froze, and emergency care stopped until she was transferred to a Winnipeg hospital. The rural facility told her that they "didn't have a means to accommodate" her.

Someone very close to me experienced an extended campaign of harassment, verbal threats, rumour-spreading and incitement within the small town she lived in. She contacted the RCMP a number of times, and nothing was done about it. Eventually, she was told that, "This doesn't classify as a hate crime. You're not in one of the protected classes. We checked with our legal department." Ultimately, she was able to obtain a peace bond, and the situation was resolved. However, if the government's position is that transsexuals are "already protected" by existing legislation, they might want to inform their law enforcement and legal departments.

These stories have gone unreported largely because they come from a community that has been disenfranchised within a society that doesn't know what to do with us and doesn't want to be bothered to figure out a solution. If we aren't too discouraged to pursue justice, then we're discouraged by those around us, because it's easier to make our existence the problem than actually finding a way in which we can reasonably coexist. These things continue unnoticed because this bias is so pervasive in our society that without a definitive statement from the upper echelons of power, and that because we are "unnecessary," it is perfectly fine to continue to discriminate.

Affirmation in the form of C-389 is necessary exactly because this persists.

(Author Unknown)

Febryary 20, 2011 - my long-awaited reaction to the new BAA standards

2011-02-20T22:57:00.000-03:30

Alright. So the Boston Marathon reached capacity after just 8 hours from when registration opened. This can only mean two things: there are more people than ever before who want to run the boston marathon, and there are more people who have been willing and able to do the work necessary to qualify.

So the axe finally fell on the old standards. for 2012, the qualifying times will stay the same, and for 2013 and beyond, they are 5 minutes faster. but here's the kick: there will be a four tier rolling registration program. those who have run 20 minutes faster than the qualifying time, will get first crack at registering. a few days later, if there are any spots still left, the those with 10 minutes faster will get in. stage three wll be for 5 minutes faster, and the final stage will be base qualifiers.

bottom line, with the growth and interest in this sport and in this race, it's safe to say that the standards just went up 20 minutes next year and 25 minutes the year after.

some people complain that they don't like the limbo of not knowing whether or not they qualified, well, train harder and break the 20 minute barrier. simple as that!

some folks have complained that female qualifying times are easier than males, and that these changes further give then an easier time to qualify; but i am not buying it. that is just sour grapes.

boston is supposed to be the bench mark for the greats in the sport. traditionally, only the top 10 % of marathon finishers are qualifiers. this won't change a thing. it makes sure that only the best will get there...

has it just gotten tougher to qualify for boston? Yes! are the changes equally fair to everyone? probably not. will everyone have to train extra hard to get in? absolutely. so c'mon folks. stop whining and start training harder.

so what does this mean for me? well, if i want a guaranteed shot at getting first crack at the registration process on Sept 12, then i must run a 3.25.00 or faster. the most logical time and place to attempt a qualification would be a late August run, perhaps Quebec City.

so, what's it going to take to get myself running at that level? well, one heck of a lot of work. once i am sufficiently recovered from my surgery, i will have to take on a text book 4 month elite-level marathon running training program. but do it in 6 months instead, to allow for more weight loss. this is definitely doable and i am definitely going to make it a priority. should be an interesting challenge. in fact. it make be my toughest challenge ever, and that's saying a lot!

February 19, 2011 - Grudge match at the Scotties

2011-02-20T10:40:00.001-03:30

Well, it's no secret that I have been a big fan of Canadian curling since I first took an interest in the sport back in 1990. It's also no secret that I have always admired Jennifer Jones, since she first broke on the scene and won the Canadian juniors in 1994. It should also come as no surprise that one small part of the reason I decided to name myself Jennifer was because of my admiration for Jones, both as an athlete and as a person.

But you know, respect and dignity are very important in athletics, as far as I am concerned, and I was shocked and saddened to learn that not only had Jennifer dumped her third, the legendary Cathy Overton-Clapham, but that she did so in a 'blind-sided' manner. It is very rare for a three time defending champion to make such a major line up change in any sport. It would be like the Patriots dumping Tom Brady, or the Penguins dumping Sidney Crosby.

Obviously, I have no idea as to the internal issues that this team faced. Who knows? Perhaps there was some conflict between Jones and Clapham. Bottom line, Clapham was winning world championships with Connie Laliberte when Jennifer was hitting herself in the head with a broomstick in the juniors. There seems to be a lack of respect here.

Clapham didn't wallow in pity for long though. She quickly regrouped and miraculously, put together a new team and showed up at the provincial play downs and won the entire thing. Now Clapham as skip will lead their province's best into the Scotties this week in Charlottetown. Among other match ups, her team will take on the new and so-called improved Jennifer Jones team on Feb 23. I can't help but sit here, as many sports fans often do, and cheer for the underdog. Wouldn't it be something to see Clapham not only beat Jones in the round robin, but go all the way to win the tournament? Seems like poetic justice to me!

Furthermore, as much as I have always liked Jennifer Jones, my personal loyalties in this sport have to lie with my original home province, and we all know that the greatest women's curler of all time is Nova Scotia's own Colleen Jones. Jennifer is attempting to match Colleen's record of 4 consecutive Canadian championships, and you know, part of me really wants to see Colleen keep that record all to herself. Several years ago, Colleen found herself ousted from her winning team, who went on to play with a new skip (without any major success, I might add). Colleen, at the age of 50, has once again put together a new team and lead them to greatness. Amazingly, Colleen has fallen ill with meningitis, and she was forced to recruit a new skip for her team. This team qualified for the Scotties and are in the draw as well. Once again, wouldn't it be an interesting case of poetic justice if Nova Scotia, now lead by Heather Smith-Dacey, were to knock off Jennifer Jones and go all the way?

Ahhh, drama. It's what makes sports even more exciting to watch. Well, let the games begin, and may the best team win!

(Depicted in the photos are me, very early in transition, with Jennifer Jones, and Cathy Overton-Clapham, when their team visited Newfoundland in April 2008, to play in the Tylenol Player's Championship).

February 18, 2011 - a blast from the past

2011-02-18T21:23:00.000-03:30

well, this should be fun!

i haven't been online much in the past few days because i have been glued to a very good book. i have never been much of a reader, but now and then, i get my hands on a good biography and can't put it down. and that was the case with andre agassi's book.

long before i became a runner, i was a huge tennis fan, both as a fan of the pros, and as a high school athlete. the book brought back many memories of both watching agassi as well as some of my own classic matches with high school friends back in the early 1990s.

can you see just a little influence here in terms of style, attitude and swagger? that's andre on the left from 1991 (age 22) and me on the right from 1993 (age 19).

Ironically enough, i tried to pattern my game after John McEnroe, both in terms of having a strong serve-and-volley style offence, and in terms of my notorious outburts on the court! throw in the cockiness and flamboyance of pro-wrestler, Ric Flair, and i had created my own super hero!

on the court, i was in my zone. i was the greatest tennis player, not only in my school, but in my neighbourhood. i would go out to the courts early saturday morning and stay there all day, playing match after match, against anyone who thought they had what it took top beat me. i often went home in the dark undefeated, having thrashed as many as 5 different opponents - usually 4 which were a joke, and one which was a serious rival.

now, i did lose my share of matches, and i did break my share of rackets in disgust, but unlike life itself, on the courts, i had confidence, i had a sense of self-importance, i had a sense that i fit in.. little did i know that this was my daily escape from the gender role that i hated and couldn't stand.

fast forward 18 years and here i am rededicating myself to marathon training as i finish up my recovery from sex reassignment surgery. after squandering much of hid talent for many years, agassi went thru a traniton of sorts off went the long hair, and brooke shields was replaced by steffi graf. andre went on to win 6 of his 8 grand slam titles on or after the age of 29, which is ancient for tennis!

now here i am, at 37, looking to start what is essentially a brand new running journey. although i played tennis and golf somewhat seriously as a teen, i never truly reached my athletic peak. fast forward to 2007, and within months, i go from couch potato to marathon finisher. one year later i qualify for the first of 2 Boston Marathons. one year later i 'win' the world outgames by virtue of being the only one in my sex category, the first time in world history that a 3rd sex category has been created and treated on par with the other two.

i have a legacy as a fast male runner who ran a 3.16.59 just 14 months after running my very first marathon. i ran 2 marathons in 2 days in 2 countries, and re-qualified for boston on the second half of that double duty weekend, the next year. i have the world outgames title that is sure to always be a part of my legacy. but i feel, as agassi did when he was 29, that he had lots more in the tank due to many years of not taking sports seriously and not putting that constant wear and tear on the body.. i feel very much the same way. i'm 37 going on 25. i feel that the best is yet to come, and although i know it will be tough to schedule training around vagina dilation, returning to work, and all the advocacy work i do, but i am going to make it a priority to get back to boston for 2012. and then set even higher goals for 2013.

....meanwhile, i've had a good couple of days... less pain than earlier in the week. still dealing with very tender skin on the lower outer vaginal area, and still having some pain and difficulty with dilations, but generally doing better.. a visit to the family doc for the first time since i returned went well. she put me back on some anti biotics as a precautionary measure due to the rawness of the tender skin. hopefully those won't sap what little energy i have.

the light jogging continues to be a part of my afternoon routine. i hobble along like terry fox, but it is generally pain free. it's nice to finally be getting some cardio in after three weeks of none. it's a long road back from surgery, but so far, the plan is on schedule.

Jenn

Feb 15, 2011 - World Outgames revisited

2011-02-15T21:44:00.000-03:30

i recently ran into a canadian marathonner from the mainland who has apparently met me and a few of my other frontrunner friends, while in copenhagen. this colleague will be in town later this week so we are going to plan a social event, to catch up on news, and to perhaps talk about the state and future of the LGBT sporting scene.

the world outgames marathon results are hard to find, as they only appear deep in the games website, and not on any other results site that i can find, so i decided to transpose them here:

2009 World Outgames Marathon Results

rank - bib# - name - hometown - time

Females

1 M4 Cornelia Schindler Germany 8349 03:15:09
2 M6 Cinta Groos Netherlands 03:28:03
3 M8 Janny Dekker Netherlands 03:55:28
4 M5 Tina Ruiz USA 03:55:32
5 M2 Kristin Magnussen Norway 04:23:03
6 M9 Dusty Rhodes United Kingdom 04:49:33
7 M7 Patricia Dubler Germany 05:11:11

Transwomen

1 M1 Jennifer McCreath Canada 5937 1 04:19:53

Transman

none

Males

1 M40 Hansmartin Spatzier Germany 02:40:00
2 M30 Frank Bassin Germany 03:04:57
3 M29 Ian Mcpherson USA 03:08:07
4 M23 Stephen Souch Canada 03:09:30
5 M31 Steffen Faerber Germany 03:12:58
6 M63 Daniel Laster USA - Seattle 03:19:14
7 M59 David McConkey Canada 03:20:07
8 M32 Warren Brown USA 03:21:22
9 M56 Nils Øksnevad Norway 03:25:15
10 M57 Sylvain Barbeau Canada 03:26:37
11 M53 Martin Abele Switzerland 03:28:14
12 M33 André Ahrend Germany 03:31:05
13 M58 David Hazzan Canada 03:31:22
14 M20 Douglas Lawrence Canada 03:33:23
15 M34 Peter Kummert Germany 03:35:04
16 M60 Erik Winther Olsen Denmark 03:40:06
17 M36 Jeff Barbier USA - Sacramento 03:40:44
18 M21 Dennis Grouleff Denmark 03:41:40
19 M62 William Barrett USA 03:45:41
20 M45 Per Horn Rasmussen Denmark 03:45:43
21 M52 David Bush USA Seattle 03:45:45
22 M61 Jan Roffelsen Netherlands 03:48:05
23 M37 Kjeld Hansen Denmark 03:49:37
24 M12 Karel Tichy Czech Republic 03:50:46
25 M65 Ray Bisson Canada Toronto 03:52:52
26 M55 Cletus Durkin USA DC 03:53:41
27 M50 Robert Klein Germany Frankfurt 03:54:59
28 M15 Ruairi O'Connor United Kingdom 03:58:05
29 M24 Mohan Sharma Canada 03:58:35
30 M54 Roberto Gomez Mexico 04:07:22
31 M68 Robert Lyons USA NY 04:10:01
32 M44 Jan René Rasmussen Denmark 04:15:05
33 M39 Billy Stewart India Delhi 04:23:03
34 M28 Deo Jaravata USA L.A. 1 04:24:19
35 M13 Lars Boye Andersen Denmark 04:29:39
36 M38 Robert Bartolo USA DC 04:32:41
40 M67 J Ford Huffman USA DC 04:39:00
37 M64 Daniel Suman Panama 04:50:07
38 M16 Sumit Baudh India 05:18:37
39 M49 King Chow Toh Netherlands 05:21:17

note these results only include officialy registered athletes, not charity runners.

February 13, 2011 - you can't keep a good advocate down!

2011-02-13T21:20:00.000-03:30

Well, the past few days have been extremely challenging for me. The healing skin and stitches on the lower outter area of my surgical site, have become irritated by the constant requirement for vaginal dilation. this has caused constant pain, and makes walking, standing, and sitting, a severe challenge!

But through all of this, and even with the buzz from the somewhat helpful pain-killers, i have managed to take on and complete, a great deal of advocacy work with regards to Bill C-389, the trans human rights bill. i have recently joined a team of 17 trans people from all across Canada, who have conducted a media blitz in hopes of getting our side of the story broadcasted to the country, so everyone may become better educated about the truths and myths of what the implications would be to the trans community with or without this bill. we have all offered up our personal life stories of discrimination, in a way to illustrate the challenges we face, and the desperate need for human rights protection.

In addition, i wrote up a very detailed personal letter to 98 out of the 105 Senators in Canada (the ones who have published e-mail addresses), to demonstrate to them as to why this Bill is needed.

It will be very interesting to see if i get a response from anyone.

Meanwhile, i am trying my best not to get too frustrated at my lack of mobility. it's rather tough reading the facebook posts of my many friends and colleagues who went out for their infamous weekly long run today. oh well, my day will eventuallyt come again!

In the meantime, i am making the best of my time at home inside, enjoying the company of my two cats, and welcoming short visits from some of my friends, and enjoying corresponding by e-mail with the many new friends that i made in Montreal 2 weeks ago.

Until next time,

Jennifer