I'm Jacquii. Ask Me Anything ... And I may answer - who knows...

[PoetJC]

I'm PoetJC - Jacquii Cooke a native of the great state of Tennessee here in the United States.

Spoiler: Doctor's Office Swag | aka my selfie mugshot from a few days ago...

I flatter myself a hobbyist graphic designer / website developer. I started my first forum in 2006 called JPiC (Jacquii's Poetry in Color) Forum For Writers. It's still online at http://jpicforum.info - but has been collecting dust for several years now. I actually started a redesign & rebranding of the forum a couple years back which I posted about here. Unfortunately I never completed the design due to some technical issues and just overall general lack of excitement about the project.

I'm in the very final stages of completing my most recent project and am almost ready to move to the *official* promotional phase. I have not made an official announcement about it just yet, and for the past 4-6 weeks or so have only been running some low-key promotionals via social media just to test the waters a bit as it were... I'll be running a matching FB page and FB group for this new TSSN project and will share the link on TAZ in the next several days.

Spoiler: I'm encouraged by the FB numbers...

... which basically is a result of all organic reach, since FB has placed several hoops for me to jump through in order to verify my identity so that I can purchase & run ads about social issues, elections or politics. Hopefully approval will happen in the next day.

2 posts I made earlier this morning have had a total reach of 2298 people, 286 engagements, 20 shares and close to 1000 views. These numbers are not reflected in the screencap above. So yes! Indeed I'm encouraged about networking FB to my project's advantage and hopefully get members registered on my forum and actively posting!

At anyrate ... Some of you are more familiar with me than others. I've been registered at TAZ since 2006. I'm quite outspoken and as LGBTQ+ activist I've unashamedly and quite passionately engaged in political and religious discussions here at TAZ - to a few of your displeasure. So ... There's been some juice spilled, some dirt dug up & slung and a whole slew of other personal stuff brought up about me since registering, the majority of which I hope is good LOL.

So yeah... I'm not quite sure what the hell I'm getting myself into by posting this thread... Well - maybe I do - maybe I don't - but we'll see. Hopefully it'll be fun.

Okay. So... Go!
Ask me anything. And if I feel like answering I will do so.

Cheers from Tennessee

J.

 

[fixer]

At what age did you decide to be ...

 

[PoetJC]

At what age did you decide to be ...

Decide to be ... what exactly? Transgender? I didn't decide to be transgender. I simply am.
Your question is akin to asking of the caterpillar, "When did you decide to become a butterfly?" ... It's like you asking me, "When did you decide to be black." Or rather me asking you, "When did you decide to be a straight white guy?" That's how I see it anyway - And I don't mind the question. I would love to enlighten and perhaps broaden perspectives.

What I DID, however, decide to do was to accept myself for who I am, living as authentic a life as I possibly can, without regard to what everyone else thought of my particular situation. In fact - it seems that everyone else knew before even I did. I was called "sissy" and all the other derogatories before I even knew what "sex" was... But I knew at a very young age that I was different. Everyone around me did. It was obvious. Puberty saw me growing breasts in fact. I couldn't explain. Neither could the doctors. I basically have the same voice that I had in junior high school, only it's a slight bit deeper.

But I did come out -- as if I were ever in the closet LOL - because I wasn't - never have been -- at a very young age: 15 ... 1990-ish.
I wrote a tidbit about my beginning transition journey and shared it on my forum. Perhaps I'll link to it in a few days IDK...
In 1993, my senior year high school began the metamorphosis of Jacquii.

J.

 

[fixer]

ah... it was a baited question

much like when you hear someone say they had a migraine all day and they are functioning as a normal person you start to question their credibility

so not saying i doubted your “affiliation” but to me a legit person would only answer as you did

i had a cousin that was gay... showed up to a wedding reception with his boyfriend and got thrown out.. today he married a women and has 2 kids so this injected quite a bit of misunderstanding for me related to the matter

 

[PoetJC]

ah... it was a baited question

much like when you hear someone say they had a migraine all day and they are functioning as a normal person you start to question their credibility

so not saying i doubted your “affiliation” but to me a legit person would only answer as you did

i had a cousin that was gay... showed up to a wedding reception with his boyfriend and got thrown out.. today he married a women and has 2 kids so this injected quite a bit of misunderstanding for me related to the matter

Well... I'm naive - but I'm no fool. And I know some of the horrific **** that has been said about me and some of the horrific assumptions that folks make about me and transgender people in general. That animus is generally steeped in ignorance and the very 'misunderstanding' that you posted about.

So ... I'm quite well aware of some of the questions that'll come my way. I'll choose to answer them as I see fit. And I will do so truthfully and without regard to what anyone else thinks. Unless someone wants to come pay my taxes, my utility bill, my phone bill, my cable bill, etc... etc... - then honestly what everyone thinks about me is frankly none of my damn business.

I know what I think of myself - and despite my many many flaws - I know that I am a genuinely kind, honest, giving, caring, hard-working, intelligent, loyal, loving, compassionate & passionate person.

Anyway - Interesting... About your cousin.
Think that the reception (OR RATHER THE LACK OF RECEPTION THAT HE RECEIVED FROM YOUR FAMILY) might have have caused him to deny his reality??? It happens waaaaaay too often. And mostly in situations were people are rejected by the ones that are supposed to love them unconditionally! Either "change" for acceptance, die in tragic suicide or get the **** out of dodge while giving the audacious haters the middle finger!

Re: Family ... A recent meme I made with quote captured from the TV series POSE. Seems to fits your cousin's situation if he hadn't flipped his script so to say:


Since he is now apparently a straight man. I hope he doesn't get caught up in the **** we often see with folks who deny their true identities only to be caught up in homosexual relationships, destroying their family and their own reputations, made mockery of by humanity as being hypocritical liars & cowards like many a GOP politician has recently been caught up in such drama...

I'm fortunate that in the 1990s I wasn't cast away by my family.
Unfortunate that happened to your cousin.

J.

 

[fixer]

he is a used car salesman now so any/all the above is quite possible

 

[PoetJC]

he is a used car salesman now so any/all the above is quite possible

Well show him love! Be a decent human being for God sake!
Don't crucify him because he has/had a boyfriend. Who cares. Live your life and for the love of God allow others to live theirs!
I mean - His sexuality is frankly nobody's damn business but he and his partners.
Live and let live. Be welcoming! Don't be an ass because you believe he chose to indulge in sodomy bla bla bla or whatever. 95% of the world probably does. And who cares? Unless it's rape - in which case - glad he can't get pregnant because he might be forced to carry the baby. Meh...
Wish him well. Don't wish him into the closet. Who the hell does that? Hateful people. That's who!
I don't know him - your cousin - but I wish him well. Because why the hell would I not??
Besides - I'm trying to be a what is called a decent human being

J.

 

[LeadCrow]

Did you travel much abroad? If so, what would have been your favorite destination and why?

 

[PoetJC]

Did you travel much abroad? If so, what would have been your favorite destination and why?

Only time I've traveled abroad was a pilgrimage to Rome Italy. I was part of a small brass ensemble (I played tuba) and choir that actually had an audience with Pope John Paul II my senior year high school 1992-1993. We toured Rome, Pompeii, Florence and Vatican City among a few other cities. One of the best memories of my life. I posted some TBT pics on FB about it a few weeks ago actually. It was wild revisiting those pics for a myriad of reasons....

Anyway - We toured St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum, Pompeian ruins, the Sistine Chapel, saw the Statue of David. It was a crazy awesome adventure of a life-time. I've dreamed about going back ever since. The culture, the people, all the exquisite art, the food. Everything about the trip was a marvel to me. Rome is the destination of my first legal alcohol purchase actually. Think it was a bottle of Bailey's Irish Creme. I was 17 years old. It was a grand experience. And OMG - The food. And the Italian men hehehe. Got hit on a lot actually. It was insane.

It was crazy awesome.
I also had the opportunity to go to Mexico with my Spanish club my junior year high school - but our family couldn't come up with the extra money.

The Italy trip more than made up for it though. A once in a lifetime type of experience. Perhaps twice if I hit the powerball lottery LOL

J.

 

[Lisa]

I have a number of important questions.

Dean or Sam Winchester?
Whiskey, Gin or Vodka?
Who is your favourite character in Family Guy?

 

[PoetJC]

I have a number of important questions.

Dean or Sam Winchester?
Whiskey, Gin or Vodka?
Who is your favourite character in Family Guy?

Important indeed = so I'll tackle all 3 .. One at a time:

1. Both. They're brothers. Give em both love and feel no shame. ((I do love a pretty boy though...))
2. All 3. They are all intoxicating. ((I do love a Fruity beverage though - so the chaser?..lol.)) okay. That being said I do absolutely love to smell gin. The aroma...
3. Stewie. The friggin maniacal freak in a tiny tiny package who does loves his Mama. Although... I'm quite fond of that girl from season #1 who dropped out and missed the voice over lottery. A real shame. I should know lmao. So.. Maybe Meg?? Her hat is #AlwaysKewl

These answers brought to you by way of inebriation.
And ... Options

J.

 

[Lisa]

1. Both. They're brothers. Give em both love and feel no shame. ((I do love a pretty boy though...))

I'm a Dean girl. Sam is okay, but I'm climb over him to get to Dean

2. All 3. They are all intoxicating. ((I do love a Fruity beverage though - so the chaser?..lol.)) okay. That being said I do absolutely love to smell gin. The aroma...

Good answer. We can continue to be friends

3. Stewie. The friggin maniacal freak in a tiny tiny package who does loves his Mama. Although... I'm quite fond of that girl from season #1 who dropped out and missed the voice over lottery. A real shame. I should know lmao. So.. Maybe Meg?? Her hat is #AlwaysKewl

I love Stewie!

These answers brought to you by way of inebriation.

Me too!!! Having a well-deserved vodka (or four) tonight. Having a mini-celebration.