in which the term Femme Personation really becomes necessary since it is much more than simple transvesting. cross-dressing. Perhaps it is too strong to call it a way of life, but it is akin to it. Now that we know what we are (and more importantly--what we are not) and have some sort of a philosophy about it we can stand to have people know without flinching... we can even tell them ourselves and do it openly, cleanly and without shamefacedly pussy footing around the subject. Some of the readers of TRANSVESTIA have reached this stage and find that acquainting others with their femmeselves is a source of some satisfaction.

Now in the interest of W. M. & T. (Wisdom, Moderation and Per- spective from a former Virgin Views article) let me hasten to say that arrival at this "Point beyond acceptance" does not imply that one foolishly reveal himself to all and sundry. No matter how guilt free the FP may be, many of the persons around him are still very guilt ridden and insecure themselves, not from TV but from any of dozens of things that afflict the human psyche. If your hearer is insecure he will not be able to bear the problem of your nonconformity on top of all his own troubles. Such a person will not accept you and will bolster up his own insecure ego by making fun of you, spreading goss- ip, condemning and generally making trouble for you. So pick your confidants with some consideration of their internal equilibrium. When you have found a number of friends like that you will really have arrived, because your femmeself will have achieved one of the last goals--that of social acceptance by persons who already know your masculine self and who now, after being introduced to your fem- meself, know ALL of you, accept your complete existance and allow you to be yourself in whatever role you wish to be in at the time.

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Such social acceptance is the ultimate goal of a pattern of ex- perience that begins in loneliness and fear, struggles through years of shame and guilt and finally emerges into the sunlight of accept- ance, pride and peace of mind. "When you make the inner as the outer, and the outer as the inner and the above as the below, and when you make the male and the female into a single one.. then shall you enter the Kingdom". - The Gospel of St. Thomas. This type of statement runs through many of the metaphysical and mystic teachings down through the centuries. The trouble is that each gen- eration tends to think of itself as having the broadest knowledge and insight, and the best hand hold on truth. Thus we tend to discount many old observations with a shrug and a comment to the effect that such ideas were alright in the days of old, but we know better now. But do we? We thought we did and psychologists and psychiatrists passed over the problems of gender. Everyone gave lip service to