Monday 31 October 2011

Happy Halloween!

Whether you call tonight Halloween, Samhain, or All Hallow's Eve, may you be safe, have fun, and enjoy yourself!

Here are a few pictures I've done for this year. Hope you enjoy!




Sunday 30 October 2011

An Open Letter to Business Owners

Edit: Please help me raise awareness regarding transgender discrimination by cross-posting this letter to your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or website. The more people who see it, the more people will realise that discrimination needs to stop. Thank you! Muir.


Dear local business owner,

You don't know me personally, but I came into your business the other day. I was hoping to get served and then go on my way to complete everything else on my "to-do" list, but something happened. You refused to serve me.

My appearance was like any other "typical" guy. My jeans were clean, my shirt ironed, my hair brushed, and I smelled of the latest popular brand masculine body spray. There was only one difference between me and every other guy who walks into your establishment - I am transgender.

You refused to serve me because I am not a "real man" and ordered me to go to another business that was not owned by you. I do not expect you to understand how angry, hurt, and upset that made me. I do however, expect you to know the law. After all, you are a business owner and are therefore expected to follow business laws set by the government.

Under the Equality Act of 2010, when a person walks into a business and they are presenting as (i.e. dressed as and professing to be) a certain gender they are to be treated as that gender irrespective of the gender they were assigned at birth and the gender you may think they are. This means, for example, if a person walks into a male only barbershop, is dressed like a male, and asks for their hair to be cut, then they are to be treated as a male and given the exact standard of treatment any other male would receive. To do anything less is a breach of equality law and is, to be blunt, discrimination.

All we want is to be treated the same way everyone else is treated and to be allowed to live our lives happily, without hate, without discrimination, and without having to fight to do something as simple as get a haircut.

So the next time I, or any other transgender person, enters your business, please do one thing for me. Smile at me and say, "Certainly, sir!" and give me the same standard of service you would give any other guy.

After all, that's exactly what I am - just another guy.

Sincerely,

Random Customer

Friday 21 October 2011

A 16 Minute Sketch

I recorded a video on Youtube of me doing a speed sketch of a portrait. The tools used were a mechanical pencil, eraser, dry tissue to smudge the graphite, and drawing paper.




Finished drawing:



Let me know what you think!

Saturday 15 October 2011

Fitness Update for October

Hello everyone! This past month has resulted in a lot of changes in my body measurements, with a significant decrease in weight and changes in both directions in measurements.

Height (=): 5 feet
Weight (-): 158 lbs
Waist (-): 35.5 inches
Thighs (+): 27 inches
Calves (=): 16 inches
Arms (-): 12 inches
Chest (without binder) (-): 36
Neck (=): 13

My weight has decreased by 3 pounds, which I'm very happy about. My weight goal is to get down to about 140 lbs. Only 18 lbs to go! At the rate I'm going, my goal will be met by this time next year! It's hard to believe that I've lost nearly 3 inches on my waist. The downside is I'm still a 38" waist size in clothing. 36" just barely fit. Maybe once I lose a bit more fat on my stomach my trouser size will go down. My thighs have increased in diameter, yet it's not really noticeable. The reason for this, I believe, is because I've lost fat but increased muscle. They used to rub together when I walked and now they don't nearly as much, which is a really good thing! Everything else has either stayed the same or decreased slightly. I've lost another inch on my chest - yay! This is the main reason I've started working out - to get rid of my chest. It's my goal to get my female breasts down to an A cup so that I'll no longer have to wear my binder to look flat-chested.

My exercise regime is changing slightly in regards to how much weight I have on the hand weights.

Cardio: Either walking a minimum of 30 minutes a day OR playing a cardio-intensive game on the Kinect (i.e. Dance Central, UFC Trainer, Zumba Fitness) for 30 minutes or more.

Weights: Bicep Curls - 10 reps at 3.5 kg, gradually increasing up to 35 reps at 3.5 kgs per arm
Pullovers - 2 sets of 10 reps at 3.5 kg, gradually increasing up to 2 sets of 15 reps
OR
1 set of 20 reps at 3.5 kg