HIGH GEAR

July, 1975

Queen Anne's Lace

QUEEN ANNE'S LACE is a regular column of HIGH GEAR. To correspond with the author, write to: Queen Anne's Lace, HIGH GEAR Newspaper, P.0. Box 6177, Cleveland, Ohio, 44101

Got a question about drag queens? Or about transexuals and "The Operation"? Or anything that's associated with these subjects? I'll try to answer. Or direct you to a legitimate source with an answer better than I can provide. Just drop me a line at High Gear!

One question that's asked most often--and which I've heard so many times that I wonder if anyone ever thinks things out for themselves is, "How do I get a set of really believable tits?" WELL! You have three alternatives. Buy 'em. Build 'em. Or grow your own. What you can buy is actually quite varied. Goodyear Specials from the 510 are OK. Put one friendly tweak is a dead giveaway. If you have a sugardaddy or a good job (or make a lot of paying scores, assuming you're a "working gal") you can buy the best for about $70. Those are the oil-filled replacement poobies for girls who lose one to the surgeon. And if you don't have a friendly gay corset and ora shoppe friend, you can mail order them with no fuss at all! Just check the big semi-annual catalog from either J.C. Penny or Montgomery Ward. If you have a charge account, you can even pay them off by the month. They're worth the money and last nearly forever (if you don't puncture them with a pin), and your boyfriend can tweak all night and never know. As for building a set, two alternatives are open. Find a carnival supply house somewhere (you know, the kind of place that wholesales cheap stuffed animals, popguns and all the other garbage you get at a carny) and buy a set of the largest rubber baloons you can. They should be at least 10 inches across, round in shape. Fill each one with tap water to the desired dimensions and tie them tightly, after squeezing out all air so's they don't gurgle when you dance...and you have a pair of floppy, shapeless blobs (that's why you get them so big in the first place) that take the shape of a ora cup when stuffed in place. They last for months and are just as effective and tweakable as the oil-filled joobies for seventy bucks. The second alternative is a homemade, jelly-filled plastic Doople that's marketed just for queens, by an outfit in California called Chevalier Publications, P. O. ox 36091, Los Angeles Calif. 90036. Cost used to be about $10, complete with special bra to keep them in.. out that was a few years ago. They aren't bad..but it takes a chemical degree from old Fork U. to follow the directions for mixing the special jelly that is supplied to fill them.

Growing your own is a subject near and dear to the hearts of many a queen. Maybe nearer to her heart than she knows! It's a step to be thought over for a long time and taken cautiously. Reason: the same drugs generally employed to produce titties on boys are also used to prevent girls from growing in girls. In short, they're closely related--but not always the same as-oral contraceptives. And there's a lot of noise about oral contraceptives producing blood clots. And that's too damned close to the heart for comfort.

Fut if you must, the most commonly prescried druz is one called Fremarin. It's a conjugated equine estrogen, which is to say it's made from the pee-pee of pregnant horses (nares). The body seems to accept it with fewest side effects. And it seems to produce the desired boobies, widening of the hips and softening of the skin and general body contours. However, dear ones, the tablets are generally purple-colored and they re often called Purple Peter-daters for a food reason. If they're food quality stuff, you'll very likely lose the sexual use of your male plumoing. Your skin isn't all that'll ket soft! Under NO circumstances, no matter how easy the drug is for you to get "under the counter," should you simply start taking it and growing your own (and forget your sister's oral contraceptives too--they won't work on you.) 30 TO A DOCTOR. If you're really serious about this, contact an outfit in Louisiana which is a nonprofit foundation specializing in aiding transexual people. It's called The Erickson Foundation, 1627 Moreland Ave. Baton Rouge, La. 70803. They have cooperating, licensed and sympathetic doctors all over the U.S. and will tell you who can help you right here in Cleveland. The Foundation does a lot to ald TS people, including the funding of research groups and the publication of top quality technical material on the subject to aid doctors.

As for whether the "hormones" will really grow anything for you, there's no sure guarantee. The field of hormonal therapy in general is just being explored today and not a lot is known. One guidepost seems to be, however, that if your immediate female relatives (mother and/or sisters) have 1 ccciesyou may react quickly and positively to the hormone route. MAY is the key word. Not always. Otherwise, you can take the stuff for years and all that will happen is that you'll go so soft and stay soft. (And I don't mean in the head either). pop!

OK...that's today's lesson, girls. Let's sec tnose tits Getting Organized: Around the country, there are quite a few pretty well organized groups that have been standing up forand getting recognition for-queen's rights. If you're in New York, there's an outlet called S. T. A. R. (Street Transvestites'.... on) you ought

Loner's Anonymous

Page 15

Leon Stevens

The prospect of going to the bar by oneself can be intriguing and exciting, but once one arrives, it can be frustrating and traumatic. Due to several converging psychological obstructions, solo cruising can prove to be a trial.

Many single cruisers feel embarassed to find themselves alone in a disco. They suspect they are being stared at because they are not in the company of one or more others and surmise that they are being viewed as social failures. At first this might appear to be an exaggerated observation, but in public situations sensibilities become dramatically heightened and human nature forcefully asserts itself. The inverse of self-consciousness due to being alone in a multitude operates similarly. People tend to be suspicious of "loners" and speculate, perhaps suoconsciously, as to why these persons are alone. They assume from one's solitary presence that he is afflicted with a poor reputation or some offensive personality characteristic. One is more likely to be cruised if he is seen carrying on an animated conversation with others. While "cliquish" social environments are frequently criticized, one's cruisability is determined by his success in general socialization. Of course, a group or at least one other companion serves as a reassuring fortress from which one can zather courage to approach outsiders and to which he may flee if rejected. Lone cruising may prey upon itself. rejection tends to accelerate the paranoia of an isolated bar-goer, making him increasingly hesitant, and others more apprehensive of him. A drooping, threatening or remorseful expression is a handicap. If one goes to a bar alone, motivated by a search for his dream-lover, he is almost certain not to have a good time. The anxiety arrising from looking for one of one's whole future happiness in a single evening is certain to be self-defeating. Our traditional obsession with intense emotional pair-bonding and the anticipation of secure monogamou bliss has wrecked countless potentially good times. Failure to discover true love on a given night is too often perceived as the supreme defeat leading one to dread more such defeats weekend after weekend. General depression can result in chronic defeatism which destroys one's ability to interact spontaneousl with the disco crowd.

Initial

One can only have fun at the gay bar if he goes expressly for the purpose of having fun. Many people mistakenly believe that communication at the bar is composed largely of secret sig nals and subtle inuendos. Actually most people will engage in some conversation or dance with a stranger whether he is sexually stunning or not. Good will comprises a democratic majorit; in the human psyche out is obtained only through active solicitation. Good times are made, not received. To be sure, the pa is the most popular and convenient vehicle for achieving sexual gratification and trying to score via the par populace is hardl; inappropriate. However anyone who predicates his entire evening's enjoyment on his progress in cornering the "right" trick might just as well spend Saturday night at a funeral parlor. There is no disgrace in going home alone and contrary to common myth, quite a few wonderful and lucious men frequently do so.

Life is far too short for self-pity and self-terror. Human psychology is such that tragedy tends to expand to fill al the space available to it. Sorrow for the sake of sorrow may se aesthetic cut it is still a very genuine summer. Perhaps the question is not: "What good is sitting alone in your room?, 11 but rather: "nat good is sitting alone at the caɔaret?."

Fred Schenk suggests you

DRINK

Stroh's and Miller High Life

bars along 8th Avenue for a. queen named se.e. In Xiami and L.A. it's an outfit called T.A.0. Again, ask in the ars... or try a call to the Gay Hotline in either city or, in Miami, drop a line it's two people: Karen Rigg at P.0. Sox 45, Lansing, Ill. 60438. to T. A. O. at P.0. ox 1172, Miami Beach, Fla. 33139. In Chicago or John Prowatt 5424 North Kenmore, Chicago, Ill. 60640. In Cleveland-sorry. Taint none as yet. Wanna start something?

et to know about Askin the SLEUT