Museum Of Transology

So, I’ve been stupidity behind a lot of my posts and I’m trying to catch up with them. 

In February we had the launch of the museam of transology. It’s currently based at the London fashion college by Oxford street. 

When you get to the door you will come across the 8ft genderqueer music box that has been hand made with broken mirror pieces and wood. Blood, sweat and tears went into that. I should know because some of it was my blood… Sorry. It was amazing to have the privilege to work on the piece with so many wonderful people. 

The museum itself is upstairs (lift is available to use to get up to it) and is full of pieces donated from trans people , predominantly from Brighton but also from people all over the UK. There are little tags on pieces donated, telling stories of how the items are there and what being transgender is actually like. 

There is a projector of lots of different people on it and videos of trans peoples work. On the launch day there was a private gig for the guests and pentacorn was one of the bands that played. 

The whole thing has been curated by the wonderful E.J who is one of the nicest and funniest people you will ever meet. He created a space where we can look back at our history and be proud of where we came from, and we should be greatful for this. 

The space is open until the middle of April and it is free to visit. If you are on Oxford street in the next couple of months, please go and visit it. It’s amazing

Not My Scene?!

So your LGBTQ and you want to develop a social life, but *gasp* you don’t like clubbing or pounding 8 grams of Mkat up your nose on a week night. So what the fuck do you do. 

Luckily in this day and age going clubbing isn’t the be all and end all for a *cough* nearly 30 year old who cannot stand the sticky floor and shitty music. But what do you do instead? 

There is an app out there called Meetme which is always a great start. They advertise meet up spaces for people regardless what you are into. For instance I go to a LGBT geeks meet up once a month at a coffee/bar place and get to meet up with new people like that. 

You can do a shout out to do stuff with friends on Facebook. Like cinema trips or days out. You can make your own little queer events by looking for cheep or free venues, and have meet ups there. 

Look round in your local areas for fun things to do. There are often craft or activities days going round in cities and towns.

Join groups that include your favourite hobbies on Facebook. You could find new friends on there and maybe find ways for you to hang out. 

There is of course YouTube tutorials if you like making things, and many different types of stores where you can find stuff you want to build. 

Basically, there is a whole world outside besides clubbing and drinking for queers, you should go out there and find places that make you happy. 

Update On Top Surgery

So yesterday I had my final top surgery consultantion at Charing Cross breast clinic. 

IT WENT AMAZING. I has the same surgeon as previously and she’s wonderful to talk to. I’m getting my top surgery within the next couple of months. MONTHS!!! I’m so excited that this is happening and will be happening so soon. 

Also we for a free bath bubble bar from Lush in the shape on a penguin and also we went to dinner at wagamama to celebrate our good news, so yesterday was a really good day.  

I’m getting my man boobs finally off! Yay!!!!

Favourite Birthday

First day of this and after numbering all the ideas and throwing them into a number generator, we have number 39 which is “favourite birthday”.

This probably has to be my 16th birthday where we all went to Chessinton world of adventures and I was able to bring a friend with me. The day was really hot and so much fun. 

Things I learned that day. One I really didn’t like the samurai ride. Going G force 10 is something no person should ever experience unless they are going out of space. It hurts and its not that pleasent. 

Never wear all black in the hottest spring on record. This made me have to buy a ramasies revenge tank top which brings me to my next point. 

Don’t wear a tank top going on rides that will put your boobs put of place. My tits fell out of my top at 100 foot in the air. Luckily they got thrown back in my top going round again, but when you are strapped in, there isn’t much you can do about it.

Finally I learned nearly 13 years later never to trust my mum. Some fucker had told chessington that it was my birthday so we had to deal with ramasies revenge backwards (just after my tits had fallen out) and I HATE BACKWARDS RIDES. For years my mum had blamed it on my friend only to tell me a couple of years ago that it was her. Cheers fam.

Return To The Gender Clinic

On Friday it was my second visit to Charing Cross gender clinic and well it wasn’t exactly great. 

You see many red flags have been brought up , the Dr was am insufferable cunt to say the least and will probably now label me as a problem patient. I’m not stating who it was (cough Davis) but if you tell me that it takes only one or two months to get a response from them whilst they have my notes that took 6 and a half months for me to get, I’m going to call out your bullshit. Also he acted as if I didn’t know anything and I told him to stop fucking lying to me, kai and I have to pick up the bullshit pieces this clinic gives AFAB people on a monthly basis, so yes we know how bad your admin and note taking really is. I don’t think he likes me much. 

Also he failed to read ANY of my notes stating that this was literally just a second signature for lower surgery as I already had 3 go aheads from other Drs , gender specialists and psychiatrists and what had failed me was NHS funding. He was sure that I didn’t know what I was talking about till my partner also stepped in and said exactly what I had told him and to look at my notes. 

He was going on and in about my father and step father, as well as my families history with mental health. He actually wanted to know very little about me and only brought up my actual transition in the last ten minuits. He didn’t know why I hadn’t been contacted by the surgery team and would chase them up asap.

We decided to pop into the surgery teams place of work (since they were round the corner) and guess what. THEY NEVER GOT THE FUCKING REFERRAL. That’s right, they never received it. Well they did, maybe but it had the wrong surgeons name on it, so it was fucking bounced back.  I could have already had my fucking top surgery already but because the team is now run by Kate and not Allison they just didn’t give them the notes. It had Kate’s surname on it though, and still they didn’t think it was for her!! The only records they had was the last surgery consultation I had. 

So we ran down back to the clinic and told Davis to send the referral to Kate and not Alison. Considering they had her surname right they might have actually cross checked first who was running the surgery team now. He did his “urgh umm OK” which he did for the whole hour of my appointment. Again he said he would get right on it. Pigs fucking fly though. 

However I’m getting another lower surgery consultation and I’ve said I don’t want the same Dr seeing me, as 10 minuits wasn’t an adequate time for a life changing surgery. However its probably not going to be another 9 months because, well you know the admin issues

The long story short. I would have had top surgery already of it wasn’t for a forename typo. 

By the way. If you tried calling the clinic between 1 and 4 pm, we didn’t hear the phone once. So if you didn’t get through, they turned off the phones again.

Also my next appointment is next year

In August. 

10 months time. 

Review – Finding Dory

***Contains Spoilers, please read with caution. Also this review contains a grown man crying consistently, its going to get emotional peeps***

So I just posted my review on “Suicide Squad” and on the post I said that I has seen two movies. This was infact the other one that I saw. To be honest I saw Finding Dory first but I thought I would write this one last. I also saw this on regular cinema viewing which I do not regret in the slightest. The back seats were so comfortable. 

For snacks I had a latte from the Starbucks as well as a goats cheese panini. No dodgy nachos in sight. Also after the movie Kai lost their SD card but thanks to the Crawley cinema failing to clean properly, we found it with the help of the cinema manager. 

So I have been waiting for this film to come out for literally nearly half of my life. I’m not even joking, finding nemo came out in 2003. That made me 15/16 and I’m now nearly 30. God I feel old now thinking of it like that. 

Yes there is the traditional Pixar short at the beginning of the film. Its a cute little 5 minute piece about a baby seagull (I think) who is learning to catch food by themselves. 

To the main feature itself. It took me under  5 minutes in before I started crying my eyes out. I’m not even joking. Picture the scene. Baby Dory is talking to her parents and trying to work out how to tell everyone that she has short term memory loss. She then looks at her parents and says “What if I forget you”. THEN YOU SUDDENLY REMEMBER EVERYTHING IN FINDING NEMO! THATS WHAT SHE WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER IN THE LAST FILM! And then I cried. And I’m not talking tiny little tears, I wept like I had lost a family member. Like I’m holding back the tears now because nothing would kill me more than not remembering my own mum. 

The whole film is about Dory finally remembering that she had parents and that she needs to find them. Cue more tears as you find out that “just keep swimming” is the most important song in her life. Cue crying because her fixation of shells actually has meaning. Cue even more crying because 15 years of Dory being the joke and in fact she has one of the most heartbreaking back stories since Up was made. 

A lot of the characters are in fact disabled in one way or another and it is brilliant. Its not used as the joke, but shows everyone that regardless of disability you can still do wonderful things. Most of the film is based in an aquatic centre for sick animals and the care and recovery of the sick and disabled. 

Nemo is also in the film , don’t worry about that. 

I don’t know if they could honestly make another film, or if I could wait another 15 years for my next fix, but there is certainly room for maybe short episodes or a side film. 

Honestly I’m glad I waited for this film. I loved it so much.I can’t wait to see it again.  Its a huge HUGE rollercoaster of emotions and if you have experienced any family grief or hurt I advise you get the tissues out. I honestly hasn’t cried so hard watching a film like that in a very long time. 

TLDR – FUCKING AMAZING. GET THE TISSUES, YOU WILL CRY UNLESS YOU ARE COLD INSIDE!!! 

Review – Suicide Squad

***Contains spoilers. Please read with caution***

Not every day do I get to do two reviews in quick time, but seeing two films on the same day has really helped with that. My other review will be after this one.

Ok, originally I never wanted to see suicide squad at first. I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to see DC shit all over the Gotham City franchise once again. Hell I didn’t even go and see Batman Vs Superman because of my views on Ben. But here I am. My friends wanted to see it and I didn’t want to be alone for two and a hours in the cinema lobby. 

If anyone has read any of my other cinema reviews, its ok. I didn’t buy the cardboard nachos this time, we had roast dinner between films and an amazing iced tea lemonade for this film.

So, pro tip. Bring a cushion or a pillow. I had to sell a kidney for Imax 3D and the seats are not even that comfortable. They are smaller then the regular ones too. This was the Crawley cinema so it might be different , but always be prepared. 

First off I love Deadshot! When I saw trailers I saw basically 90% Harley and 10% the rest of the characters. Will Smith has finally been given a reasonable role unlike the previous shit he has been forced to peddle out in previous years. He probably had one of the greatest back stories in the whole film and the father/daughter relationship he has just adds depth to character. A lot of work was put into his character, but I feel like in some parts it was being over played because they didn’t have much back story to give with a lot of the other squad. 

Obviously this would be the part to mention the Joker. If you are expecting to see two hours off seeing Jarad, forget it. He has 20 mins of screen time tops and that’s mainly a lot of flash backs. I didn’t feel this hindered the film. Yeah he reasonably looks the part of a modern day joker and as an actor he’s fine but I personally can’t stand him as a person for the shit he has done. Maybe in the (potential) second movie, it will be mainly him based, probably, but I hope that in the second they focus on a few of the side characters. 

Harley is everything you expect. They explain very quickly from the start that the Joker has abused her and whilst she still loves him, the relationship is fucked up pretty badly. Towards the end you realise that he loves her too but again the relationship is obviously toxic. Harley is a good character and if they do a second film I hope that she manages to be more controlling in the relationship with Joker. Though the possibility of Harley getting with Deadshot certainly shouldn’t be off the cards. 

There is a wide variety of characters and several people of colour, so in that regards, well done Hollywood for trying. 

The “enemy” I personally felt was a little too cliché. The which and her brother reminded me very much of the film “Queen of the damned” which I don’t know if they were trying to copy it on purpose or not. The crime commissioner (Amanda Waller) in charge seemed pretty wooden and emotionless. I don’t know if they made her like this for the part, or if that is how she acts. But personally I just didn’t get her performance. 

I was dissapointed that you get very little from Captain Boomerang and I seriously hope that if a second film happens they do more back story certainly on him. 

Yes there is Batman who pops up a few times in the film. Yes I also very nearly threw up in my mouth also. I’m sorry but I hate this Batman so much. 

Basically. I did like the film. Its actually quite visually pleasing, some great action and comedy however there was so much they could have improved on and made better. I will certainly watch it again and hopefully on the DVD release there will be extra scenes and maybe some more back story. 

TLDR – Not too shabby, could have been much better but I did certainly enjoy it for what it was. 

Transition Update – Consultation For Lower Surgery

Photo of me waiting in the clinic.

So as an update on my transition, I thought I would just check in to say what happened at my lower surgery consultation. 

Yes I am fully aware I have had my lower consultation before my top surgery. 

It was only 10 minutes long, rushed and honestly I thought the person was really rude. They clearly didn’t want me to get the meta option, and when I stated that it would be my only choice for lower surgery, he then showed me the most photo shopped and perfectly angled meta pictures. 

He didn’t like the fact that I knew that I had the option to only want stage one meta, and neither peeing standing up, or having an erection was a thing I was that bothered about. 

He was more interested in my hair, food, smoking and Pokémon. When I said that i was planning to quit smoking he just said “well you can for a few months and you can start smoking again”.  Like what the actual fuck. 

He just said at the end to wait for Dr Christopher to contact me and see where we go from there. Honestly it was a fucking shit show. 

When Kai and I came out, we just went Pokémon hunting haha. 

Review – London MCM Comiccon

Several months ago we booked tickets to go to MCM comiccon in London for Kai’s birthday. This Saturday (28th June) it finally arrived. So I’m going to explain the day piece by piece.
We had to chase up our tickets the day before because they hadn’t been emailed to us. We should have checked that way before, but luckily after much pestering by both myself and Kai they finally arrived Friday night. We had bought them in March!
On the way there the rail staff were pretty good in directing where to go. Well done on that. Getting off the underground wasn’t too much of a hassle.
The long walk to not even the gates to get in. What in the lord fuckery was that. It was beyond a joke. I got a quarter of the way there before my body gave up and we had to call assistance. Just to clarify, this wasn’t the queue to get in but the detour round the building
Eventually we managed to get some assistance and each staff member was so helpful until we had to get to right at the end of the whole building for the help/accessibility desk, to be rudely told that I should have got there sooner (we got rushed in) or bought priority entry because they had run out of wheel chairs and if I wanted (WANTED; WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK) I should have been able to get there sooner. As I said, we had been rushed in, and it had only just started. Eventually after much arguing we got her to take our contact details and ten mins later she apologised because there was one or two wheelchairs for “emergencies”.
Ok so after all that bullshit, we could finally look round and see bits. The venue itself isn’t that bad, its pretty big, so you can imagine how tiring it was trying to get from the main door to the access door at the end of the building, when it took about 15 mins to get to. The Excel centre is like a giant mall with big concert areas. They were filled up with stalls and things. Honestly there was lots to see.

We got to meet Shawn from storage wars whilst we were going round the centre and he was a total babe. He seemed so happy seeing eveyone.
Going round was a total nightmare if I’m honest, I couldn’t see much and I hated being wheeled around. I was so upset that my body wasn’t working and it made me really fucking depressed that I had to use the chair to get round. I was constantly bashed and no one looks where they are going. So i was often stepped over or walked across.
I spotted two different acts of cultural appropriation happening by white cosplayers who were trying to make their look more “authentic”. Its fucking gross that people think its acceptable to do that. Unfortunately until the venues tackle this, it will always happen.
There were not enough staff at the venue if I’m honest. It was a nightmare trying to find assistance. I don’t think they had thought it through that 15,000 people were even going to attend. However the staff we did manage to find (apart from the one at reception) were really nice and helpful.

We had bought a photo with Warwick Davis and after what seemed like forever, staff managed to get us to where he was, and away from the rest of the crowds. There was quite a wait, this was due to the autographs being far too over subscribed. This was a huge issue with most of the stars of the day, and that in all honestly money was thought off far more then time constraints.
When we saw him, he was ok. Wasn’t really talkative, and the photo was quite rushed, which I understand because of time. Then there was the issue of getting our photos.
It was a total fucking disaster, there was no organisation and rather then having photos straight away, you had to walk round to collect them. Some people had been waiting 3 hours just for one photo. Then we saw the photo, they had made no adjustment for the wheel chair, and it wasn’t central. It had cost us £25 and I was quite disappointed in it. We would have got two prints for both our parents, but we were not wasting another £10 on them, when we were going to have to edit them to look good.
We then had to rush back down to the end of the building to hand the wheelchair over, before we got charged £300 for the use. Luckily we got there just in time and managed to look at a few stalls before we left.

Honestly it wasn’t too bad, a lot of my issues were stemmed down to the fact that my body was fucked the whole time. A lot of issues need to be addressed with accessibility and cultural appropriation but it was ok. In October, if I go again, I will bring my own chair if I need it, and do the whole weekend because it felt so rushed.

Tldr: Ok, but could do with less racist bullshit and a little more organization.

Lions and Tigers and Bears

Last Thursday my best friend Daisy drove her girlfriend, Kai and I to Port Lympne reserve park. It took us a few hours to get there, but it was amazing to get out of Brighton for the day.
There were no actual bears, except this hairy thing

The first thing I would like to say is that, as a grown adult I love going to see animals. I also highly enjoy going to zoo’s when its not the school holidays. If you don’t have kids, I recommend you do it then because its so peaceful. You occasionally have to deal with a crying baby from time to time, but it’s worth it. Secondly, the place is 600 acres. Yes you heard me right 600, and no you cannot walk it all.
The cost is £20 and it includes a 2 hour truck drive round the park. They have set times when the trucks go round, so I suggest you arrive there early. The last time to enter the park in is half 2.

The first thing we did was look around and investigated the walking areas. The area is so big that we managed to walk round about a quarter of the area. You don’t realise how big the place is until your legs are aching and you feel like you might die. So yes, this is also an amazing.
We also got to see so many different types of animals. I think Kai will be also doing a post on this place, and he has so many photos, so please read that when it goes up. The animals looked so happy (apart from when it was feeding time and you then remember how dangerous some of these animals are) and they all had so much space to run around.
The plus side is also when visiting places like this, you do get to see animals that are probably going to be extinct soon. The thought is depressing as hell that in a few generations people would never see Rhinos or Lions unless its in a video or a text book. Please if you can, get out there and visit places that have these animals, before its too late.

Our slot for the truck ride was at 2:30pm and it was really good. It took us around the rest of the park that we couldn’t see. Its also a really fun ride. Also, Giraffes are really fucking friendly. When you drive past, you are probably going to have one pop their head into the truck. They had a baby giraffe and it was so cute.
Towards the end, we heard some scraping and the truck had to make an emergency stop. A tire had come of the actual truck and we were driving on its rim. The driver was both professional and a total gentleman. Even when a really rude couple (and their elder son I believe) were really rude to him. We were told to wait 20 mins / half hour for the truck to get fixed or you could start walking up the hill. We had already walked the same hill already and decided to stay with the truck. The couple then got arsey, complaining that the driver wasn’t doing his job and that they could handle it better. They then got really stroppy when they saw that a pregnant lady and her small child were given a lift up the hill and complained that they had to walk.
We apologised to the driver on their behalf and explained that they had already been giving everyone dirty looks before the ride had even started, and that personally they were looking for something to complain about. This was proven when we got back to base and we saw the woman of the couple complaining. We then told the staff what actually went on, and that she was clearly lying through her teeth. She even had claimed that the driver said the truck would take 40 mins to fix, which was total bullshit. The staff were so grateful that we came to them, we honestly were so shocked with what she was saying.

Honestly, if you have a free day, I highly recommended that you go visit, its so good. I would like to go again soon so I can see the dinosaur exhibit they are building at the moment. Not only are the animals so cute, but the views are amazing.
If you want to see more photos of the day, find me on instagram. My username is @tylercharlesausten