Post by Mingma on Feb 20, 2016 7:48:23 GMT 8
Hello everyone,
I've just gotten home from three weeks of wandering around the Caribbean: a lesbian cruise, Carnival in Port of Spain and a few days of hiking and snorkeling in the north part of Tobago. Over the next few days I would like to share some of my impressions and perhaps even hear some travel stories in return.
The adventure was initially a trip to Miami to share in the celebration of the marriage of two dear friends. Brion and Mike have been partners for thirty-two years, and at long last were allowed to declare their relationship publicly and in the congregation of the church they are both active in. This has been their dream for decades, and to be permitted to participate as a transgender person in a gay marriage was about as meaningful a thing for me as has happened for a very long time.
I identify as queer, but for this trip put on my femme both for safety reasons and to also make the statement to people who have known me for many years that I can be a woman; sometimes butch, sometimes femme. But a woman for whom the adjective trans is a descriptor but not a definer.
I was travelling with a friend who is cis and both articulate and absolutely supportive of me as a somewhat ambiguous trans woman and accepting of who I am. We are not lovers, but that is more to not put limits on friendship and honesty rather than because we do not love each other. Regardless a bit before we were to travel east for the wedding, Dione got a two for one offer from the Olivia folks for a cruise leaving out of Ft Lauderdale and sailing to the Turks, USVI, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas. Since we both love diving and since neither of us had ever been on a cruise before, we signed up.
Olivia cruises are entirely women and primarily lesbian couples. I was up front with the staff about being trans and since I look, and sound like a girl, they were fine with me participating. So we boarded the ship and sailed - I pass okay and there were no problems but I wonder what the response would have been if I didn't have a pretty feminine appearance? Not as friendly I think. There were not any TERF people on board and the cruise was distinctly non-political in tone and timber, but I still wonder how welcoming I would have found it if I didn't morphpologically fit. There were some trans-men on board, but they put on the butch guise more than openly trans. Being nonbinary trans is a part of who I am and I talked about my journey at a couple of the 12 step meetings I went to, but by and large this trip was pretty much fully feminine.
Now my thoughts: The reefs are a little sad. There are some lovely coral gardens to be sure, but so much more bleached dead coral. Climate change and ocean acidification have extracted a tragic toll on these ecosystems. I was brought to tears a couple of times. There are places I very much want to see before they are gone. The reefs of Pap, Australia, Indonesia are all sick or at risk, there is so much beauty at risk - I hope they are still there when I arrive.
Cruise ships are largely enormous feeding stations bookended by bars. I have never seen so many people (and there were 1800 guests on board) eat so much and so often. The staterooms are great and the staff amazing! I have never been so pampered and cared for in my life. There was live music every night and a comedy club as well. We were well entertained. Still I don't think that this is my cup of tea. Maybe I have been ruined by being an environmental activist, or perhaps I am just boring, but if I ever do this again it will need to have a cultural or intellectual point. If however, you need or want to be completely spoiled and do not fear obesity, enjoy. Have to go for now, next bit will be Carnival in Trinidad.
To quote Aisla - Safe Travels
Ming
I've just gotten home from three weeks of wandering around the Caribbean: a lesbian cruise, Carnival in Port of Spain and a few days of hiking and snorkeling in the north part of Tobago. Over the next few days I would like to share some of my impressions and perhaps even hear some travel stories in return.
The adventure was initially a trip to Miami to share in the celebration of the marriage of two dear friends. Brion and Mike have been partners for thirty-two years, and at long last were allowed to declare their relationship publicly and in the congregation of the church they are both active in. This has been their dream for decades, and to be permitted to participate as a transgender person in a gay marriage was about as meaningful a thing for me as has happened for a very long time.
I identify as queer, but for this trip put on my femme both for safety reasons and to also make the statement to people who have known me for many years that I can be a woman; sometimes butch, sometimes femme. But a woman for whom the adjective trans is a descriptor but not a definer.
I was travelling with a friend who is cis and both articulate and absolutely supportive of me as a somewhat ambiguous trans woman and accepting of who I am. We are not lovers, but that is more to not put limits on friendship and honesty rather than because we do not love each other. Regardless a bit before we were to travel east for the wedding, Dione got a two for one offer from the Olivia folks for a cruise leaving out of Ft Lauderdale and sailing to the Turks, USVI, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas. Since we both love diving and since neither of us had ever been on a cruise before, we signed up.
Olivia cruises are entirely women and primarily lesbian couples. I was up front with the staff about being trans and since I look, and sound like a girl, they were fine with me participating. So we boarded the ship and sailed - I pass okay and there were no problems but I wonder what the response would have been if I didn't have a pretty feminine appearance? Not as friendly I think. There were not any TERF people on board and the cruise was distinctly non-political in tone and timber, but I still wonder how welcoming I would have found it if I didn't morphpologically fit. There were some trans-men on board, but they put on the butch guise more than openly trans. Being nonbinary trans is a part of who I am and I talked about my journey at a couple of the 12 step meetings I went to, but by and large this trip was pretty much fully feminine.
Now my thoughts: The reefs are a little sad. There are some lovely coral gardens to be sure, but so much more bleached dead coral. Climate change and ocean acidification have extracted a tragic toll on these ecosystems. I was brought to tears a couple of times. There are places I very much want to see before they are gone. The reefs of Pap, Australia, Indonesia are all sick or at risk, there is so much beauty at risk - I hope they are still there when I arrive.
Cruise ships are largely enormous feeding stations bookended by bars. I have never seen so many people (and there were 1800 guests on board) eat so much and so often. The staterooms are great and the staff amazing! I have never been so pampered and cared for in my life. There was live music every night and a comedy club as well. We were well entertained. Still I don't think that this is my cup of tea. Maybe I have been ruined by being an environmental activist, or perhaps I am just boring, but if I ever do this again it will need to have a cultural or intellectual point. If however, you need or want to be completely spoiled and do not fear obesity, enjoy. Have to go for now, next bit will be Carnival in Trinidad.
To quote Aisla - Safe Travels
Ming