Transvestia

then left the apartment to continue our time-consuming drive through the streets of New York City We event- ually drove to Greenwich Village where. as we still had plenty of time, we parked the car and took a walk with rather disastrous results. It was while walking on 3rd. Street that a policeman, who had seen Ray. Myra and Jim a few times before, stopped me and proceeded to arrest me. I was taken to the local stationhouse there I was booked, and then to another stationhouse where I was photographed and fingerprinted. After that I was

taken to still another station where I was held for the night until morning court. I remember that when I was taken to the 3rd. station, the Sergeant on duty at the desk sought to correct the accompanying detectives for bringing a girl to be held at that station, until he was informed of the facts. It proved to be the only humorous moment in the entire situation. I spent the entire night in a small and dark cell. The next morning, I was taken to court where I appeared before the judge still dressed as a young girl of 20. In my ignorance and fright I en- tered a plea of guilty and was to be held in lieu of $200. bail until I came up for sentencing on November 19, 1951. Over a week later. I was then taken to another part of the building known as "the tanks" where I had to undress and was given clean (but ragged) male attire and told to put my feminine clothing in a bag. After that I was taken to still another part of the building where I had to shower and remove the last vestiges of make-up, which were still on my face. After the shower, I was taken to a cell block reserved for homosexuals, even though I had tried to explain that I was not a homosexual. In retro- spect, this was, perhaps, the lesser of two evils, as I am sure that if I had been put in with the run-of-the- mill prisoners, I would have eventually left the place in a rather bruised condition. At about 10 p.m.. after I had been in custody about 24 hours. a guard opened the door of my cell to tell me that I was going home. My friend Ray had bailed me out. At court on the sen- tencing date I received a suspended sentence of 30 days This episode cooled my desire to dress temporarily. I did not go to any more parties for the rest of that year.

In 1952 (April 21), however; I went to the Thanks- giving ball in femme- attire and was rather disappointed as it seemed to be primarily a homosexual affair, and,

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