Blue Water Navy

I have contacted several BWN vets who are transgender or gay (politically known as PROGRESSIVE vets.) In general I am either ignored or denied when I ask their help with HR2254.

Theres a possibility their voices are being heard by their reps but I can't get a reply to help BWN. They want nothing to do with this group for obvious reasons. I know VUFT enjoys support from progressive vets.

SomersVet wrote:I have contacted several BWN vets who are transgender or gay (politically known as PROGRESSIVE vets.) In general I am either ignored or denied when I ask their help with HR2254.

....

So, they're, essentially, going to bit of their nose to spite their face? Now, that's progressive.

SomersVet wrote:I have contacted several BWN vets who are transgender or gay (politically known as PROGRESSIVE vets.) In general I am either ignored or denied when I ask their help with HR2254.

Theres a possibility their voices are being heard by their reps but I can't get a reply to help BWN. They want nothing to do with this group for obvious reasons. I know VUFT enjoys support from progressive vets.

Your Killing me ,,, what are the obvious reasons ? And what the heck is a VUFT , and how many million of you are there ? Why do you keep stirring that pot ?
If you have PTSD why not post about that ? What does transgender or gay have to do with Blue Water Navy issues ?

So, they're, essentially, going to bit of their nose to spite their face? Now, that's progressive.

No- they don't want to help HERE. Look at the crap I'm putting up with!

Your Killing me ,,, what are the obvious reasons ? And what the heck is a VUFT , and how many million of you are there ? Why do you keep stirring that pot ?
If you have PTSD why not post about that ? What does transgender or gay have to do with Blue Water Navy issues ?

The obvious reasons are the attitudes on this board- they get it everyday just like I do when I go shopping. It gets old and tiring and your reputations precede you. Who needs harassed on line? I get harassed no matter where I go so I've learned to ignore the ignorant. See my byline.

What is VUFT?? http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfaug09/nf081109-3.htmYou haven't read VA Watchdog lately? Ever heard of Gordon Erspamer?? He's your best friend, mister!! Google it for Christs sake! The numbers are in the THOUSANDS and VUFT ACCEPTED EVERYONE, they didn't define VETERAN according to homo and TRANSphobia. Why do I keep stirring that pot? Why do you keep resisting it? Whats your fear?

What does transgender and gay have to do with BWN? LOTS- DADT

And if I have PTSD why not post about that? What? Now you're denying me freedom of speech too? I'll post what I think. Just as you do.

All I have seen you do since you got on this board is talk about BWN not supporting your cause. AT THIS TIME OUR GOAL IS TO GET HR 2254 PASSED. PERIOD.HR 2254 is legislation that if it is passed will cover presumptive disabilities for Vietnam Veterans exposed to Agent Orange, regardless of gender or transgender.

As far as your comments, I feel they are unfair. There are people on the BWN forum that are not against your issues. Your issues are important ones and those that are for them will back you up. Our focus is on getting H.R. 2254 passed. [u]This bill affects all Vietnam Veterans!![/u]

I was not in the NAVY, but my husband was in the NAVY in Vietnam. Our fight has been with the VA for 4 long gut wrenching years. The VA has held my husbands claim of diabetes and other related disabilities, including being an amputee for 4 years. We are not any closer now than when the VA in New Orleans lost our first claim after Hurricane Katrina. So our goal from this household is getting H.R. 2254 passed and getting all claims paid for all Vietnam Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange.

I really hope you are not affected with Agent Orange disabilities. If you are not, that’s great!! But if you are in the future, you better hope that H.R. 2254 and a Senate version has become law, otherwise you will find yourself in the same VA mess my husband and other Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans are in. Agent Orange disabilities will not discriminate based on gender or transgender.

You post messages on this board and expect everyone to jump to your cause and if we don’t, you throw in our face that your friends will not support us. Not a nice way to be. Again, Agent Orange doesn’t discriminate. If Agent Orange disabilities haven’t gotcha yet, they could sneak up on you one day.

If this bill is passed, not only will it help my husband and other Vietnam Veterans exposed to Agent Orange, it help our son, career Navy of 22 years and other future veterans with their VA problems. The VA has steamrolled over veterans long enough.

Have a good day.

Cindy Fryday
A proud wife of a Vietnam Veteran, a proud of Navy Mom and a proud member of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association.

You can yell all you want, Cindy, but we're on the same team and I'm not issuing any apologies. 2254 is just one issue I work on. I cannot let one issue rule my life. I am WELL AWARE of the implications of passage or failure of this bill. Do I expect anyone to jump on my issues? No. You're too insecure. But some of you have a gay, lesbian or transgender member of your family somewhere and I'll bet I don't need to wonder how they get treated.

I'm borderline diabetic. Not being treated because I've managed to keep an exercise program going. Meanwhile I have a son with health trouble and a grand daughter who is a bit slow mentally. Both, in MY opinion, affected by AO exposure through me. Neither one of them will listen to me and I know damned well the V.A. would just deny it like they do everything else.

A damned proud BWN Vietnam Veteran AND damned proud male to female TRANSGENDER!!

I'm far from insecure. You need to look in the mirror....

Do you get attacked daily?

No, I'm not insecure but I am militant. I have to be. I've had people get in my face and tell me I'm going to hell.

I have said what I wanted to say. I'm not going back and forth with you on this. I hope things change and get better for you because I have no hard fellings against transgenders, gays or lesbians.

Cindy

SomersVet wrote:

So, they're, essentially, going to bit of their nose to spite their face? Now, that's progressive.

No- they don't want to help HERE. Look at the crap I'm putting up with!

......

Sharon, your initial post had nothing to do about this forum. Here's your statement pertaining to HR2254. It says nothing about BWNVVA.

SomersVet wrote:I have contacted several BWN vets who are transgender or gay (politically known as PROGRESSIVE vets.) In general I am either ignored or denied when I ask their help with HR2254.
.........

As I've posted before, I don't care if you are gay, a transgender, or what ever, as long as you're not a pedophile, and have several gay friends and I agree that treatment should be equal. I also have said, essentially, what Cindy posted. The main goal of this group is to get the Agent Orange related issues that affect the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans resolved. Once that's accomplished we will have time and, some of us, the desire to work harder on your issue specific issue, though it's not just transgenders who are discriminated against in receiving equal care from the VA, natural born women are as well.
I can tell you this, I'm on your side and may be one in the minority here but the pissed off attitude doesn't help your cause and it's even wearing thin on me. I get enough BS from the VA and don't need it from fellow vets.
There are a hell of a lot of veteran related issues that need addressing and, speaking for myself only, I concentrate on VIETNAM Veterans issues and the Blue Water Navy in particular, even though the Desert Storm and other veterans are taking it in the shorts from the VA too. They can also wait until our, BWN, issues are resolved. So, again I'm on your side, as a fellow Vietnam Veteran.
I will say Sharon, IMHO, you folks need me, and those like me who are more tolerant and open minded than some people are, more than we need you.
It ain't gonna be too smart to piss us off enough so we stop being on your side.

You mentioned this.

I'm borderline diabetic. Not being treated because I've managed to keep an exercise program going. Meanwhile I have a son with health trouble and a grand daughter who is a bit slow mentally. Both, in MY opinion, affected by AO exposure through me. Neither one of them will listen to me and I know damned well the V.A. would just deny it like they do everything else.

If there's any hope for those health issues being accepted, depending on just what they are, and their causes, it falls on HR2254. There is more research going on that is now showing the affects of TCDD extending to grand children of those exposed and that will, over time, also be shown to be true and the IOM will accept it and, presumably the DVA would have to accept it as well.

I just had my hearing before a BVA judge a month ago so I'm hoping to leave here by next spring. My girlfriend wants to go to the east coast. Anyplace but here is fine with me.

I've been in PTSD therapy, depression and gender dysphoric therapy since 2004 when I graduated from college. I don't mind that people don't understand, what I mind is that people rarely sincerely ask "Why?" and give me a human chance to explain. Yeah it pisses me off when I walk through a grocery store and people stop, stare and stand there shaking their heads. This happens almost every day. It pisses me off that people think they are my moral judge and jury and they make assumptions about my personal sex life. People get in my face and announce that I'm going to hell presuming that I'm christian, I'm not. Do I get in their faces and announce that they are going to reincarnate into an insect and get stepped on? I'm Buddhist and quite content with my chosen spiritual path. I get more peace praying to Siddhartha Buddha than I ever did to Jesus.

Its 5:31am and I'm up trying to figure out how to help an abused friend in a bad situation. Sometimes it helps to work on someone elses troubles and forget ones own. So with that I'm signing off. I'd love sleep and I guess it'll come when I'm finally exhausted.

-Sharon

OK Sharon , sincerely WHY ?
And please explain how it was caused by agent orange exposure 1961-1972 in the VietNam Era , which is our main concern here.
Heres your chance.

I dont have time at the moment to get in-depth with this. I was speaking philosophically. I have to deal with the crisis I have at the moment.

As for the AO-my mother served in the old WAC. She was a cartographer during WWII, I THINK. I have never been able to access any of her military records. I may try again soon but I don't know if shes alive or died yet and if shes still breathing I can't get those records. Like so many others she is full of hate too. How do I know what chemicals she was exposed to? AO? Inks? Chemical cleaners?



All for now.

Oh Lord; the plot thickens! Don't you get it yet? The world is full of problems, you got about an hour I'll give you mine. You got about 50 hours we can all explain our problems and THEY ARE ALL RELATED TO AO EXPOSURE IN NAM. THAT IS WHY THIS FORUM WAS FORMED; TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. It has NOTHING to do with your gender issues which I feel very confident in saying has nothing to do with AO, yours or your mothers exposure. Get the chip off your shoulder and give up this pity trip; you're on the wrong bus Sister/Brother? I've held off making such a statement but I've had enough ..... I will no longer respond to any of your posts, not because I am "phobic" in any way but because this is not the place!