of course, I loved it because that was exactly what I wanted to see in him. I only had sex with him once, and he didn't disappoint me. But I was a silly girl in those days, and I couldn't stand to do the same one twice. Besides, I could see that he was really a queen. You get to know those things. I let him play trade just once because he was attractive. But that was enough. You have to fool yourself once in a while on this 'man' business, you know. It's like anything else. You can spoil things by examining them too closely."

Miss Destiny leaned forward in her chair, and placing her hands on her capri-clad thighs, elbows wide, got up for the umteenth time. She was like a frigthened animal: every muscle and nerve straining and alert. Her head and eyes darted from side to side; her mind was nimble and bright. But through this constant movement and mental exertion came a reassuring self-confidence-a directness and dedication of purpose which showed through these outward distractions. It was clear from her manner and dress that she could not care less what we or anyone else might think about her. Miss Destiny was not likely to waste any time in negative reactions to persons who disapproved. She was certain she had mastered the wisdom of the phrase, "Know thyself." "Pershing Square lets you be yourself better than any other place I know," Miss Destiny sped on. "That's why those of us who don't mind facing what we are gravitate there. Hollywood is a fake. It is not at all what it seems; nor are the people.

"A few years ago I had an invitation to a dinner party at a private gay club in Hollywood. It happened that I knew the ex-queen who ran the place; she had risen up through

a lot of low living, and was now considered quite respectable in her

one

new surroundings. This charming and gracious person whose sexual tastes, despites her spots, had not changed one jot since the day she had first come out, was continually after me to get out of the 'dirt' of downtown L.A. I knew many friends who, after a fair training period in Pershing Square, moved on to better fields of usefulness in San Francisco and Beverly Hills and now disdained their smirchy history. So I thought I would take the opportunity to try the Hollywood scene once more and maybe sophisticate myself a little and mix a bit in the politer circles. My hostess turned host had made me promise that for the occasion I would leave my drag behind (I had just bought a lovely after-five dress with patent leather shoes to match). I promised to be as jam as I could. So I got myself carefully costumed in a suit and tie which I keep for just such times when I want to deny my feminity. And I must say that I wasn't very convincing. But the worst thing was-and just as I had feared-that there sitting around the dinner table in their narrow ties and tight-fitting coats and pants were my dear 'sisters.' Nobody I had actually ever seen before, fortunately, but they were my sister queens all right, sitting there most piss-elegantly, making polite conversation. And there too were the same hustlers that I knew from the Square, much spruced up and graduated into this sensitive setting. It was just a little sad. Directly across the table from me was a prominent Bay Area attorney with a reputation for defending gay kids, looking indistinguishable from the rest of the queens, and in Hollywood for the same purpose to find a Over a few places on my right, casting blessings upon us all and adding an even more favorable note to the affair by her presence, was a woman psychologist who was sup-

man.