By Karen Kendra Holmes
Welcome readers to “Sounding OFF with Karen” and my pronouns are She Her Hers. I will be your writer and advocate for the column. I am very happy that the editor for Maryland OUTLoud Magazine asked me to host. I have worked in DC, now for 23 years at the same job and ready to retire in one and a half years and I cannot wait at the age of 70. I have been single since my transition and have been ready to date but no callers so far. For my first 5 years that was my choice, and I made it my plan to do so. After those five years went by, I said I was ready to date. Now it is coming up on my nine years of my SRS, I am happier now and my soul is at peace. I am enthusiastic about sharing my journey with others through videos, interviews, speaking engagements as well as my life’s journey. I have a podcast called “Fireplace Chat”. My commitment is to support the transgender community is stronger than ever because now I'm stronger than ever, and this is why “Sounding OFF with Karen” gives you and I a chance to just vent.
What I will be doing is writing about anything that I want to Sound Off and I want you to do so too. So, with that in mind I am opening my column to you all to Sound Off with me on any topic you want to sound off about. If you have something to sound off about, send your article piece to me at karen@marylandoutloud.com . If you want to send something in, your deadline to me is due to me February 20th. By the way if you don’t want me to say who you are when you send in your article, please let me know and I will keep you anonymous. Your piece should be no more than 200 words. I know you most likely have more than that to sound off about, but you will not be the only one about President Trump (No. 47). There are a lot of people, the LGBTQ+ community rights, the Federal Government employees, food prices, etc. Whatever it is send it in, and please no curse words.
So, to start things off I have been very pissed off with No. 47, just picking on the Transgender Community on everything he can do. There are so many other things he has done with his executive orders, it scares me. I know one of the things he ran his campaign on was against the Transgender Community but give me a “Cookie Break”!!! So, I know there are some in the LGBTQ+ community, but why did you vote for him. I know people wanted him because of the rise in eggs, milk, etc. but I would think your rights were more important. He is going after everyone and getting rid of DEI is just wrong in my book. I just wish No. 47 would sit down with a few Transgender people about who we are. We are not what you see on the Jerry Springer Show. We are police officers, military soldiers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, judges, you name it we are. As for the military, we don’t join or serve because we want to have surgery, it is because we want to serve our country like those who joined too. Being Transgender is who we are in our mind, heart, and spirit. There could be a lot of reason why a Trans person may not want to have surgery. They might be scared, money cost, etc. I don’t know but their reason is their business to do, so just let it go. We transition to be happy, but because of people who hate us and don’t want to see us happy, we commit suicide after losing their spouse, children, family, friends, job, and unhappy being treated bad. We are not hanging out in the lady’s bathroom or even women’s locker rooms.
I so want to say more, but I will save that for the next article. I do next time want to comment on Transgender women in women’s sports that No. 47 do not know or understand. If you would like to comment on that as well or what I wrote in this article, please send it in.
Until next time stay safe out there and again my email address is: karen@marylandoutloud.com. You can also catch me on my podcast on Fridays “The Fireplace Chat” at 3pm E.S.T. on Facebook live under Karen Kendra Holmes. Until next time Sound OFF with Karen.