Transvestia

in two squares dancing. Most of them were in costume. What a relief. Now I felt a little more natural in my costume.

I took a seat along the wall. No one seemed to be looking at me. It wasn't until the dancers were ending the dance they were doing when I came into the room, that I thought about dancing.

After they exchanged partners, some left while others joined the dance. I noticed there was a man's place that was not taken in the far square. I ventured over to that square. When I was about three feet from the girl that would be my partner she said "can you be a boy in this dance?" I stopped dead in my tracks. That meant that my costume was better than I had anticipated. So I re- plied in my highest voice "I"ll try".

Perhaps I should explain my costume. I had on a pair of girls black flats because high heels would make me too tall. Also I was wearing a very full black cotton skirt and white blouse separated by a very wide black belt. On my head I wore a brown wig. My lips were painted with lipstick.

By the end of that dance the people in the square I was dancing in knew I was not "for real" but they still didn't know who I was.

More fun came in the next dance. That night there was a lot of cutting in on the squares. One time when I was cut out of a square I cut right back in, only I was dancing the girl's part. It got most confusing for some people. Just when they were used to a big girl dancing the boy's part I would switch and dance the girl's part. After switching to the girl's part it was like learning how to square dance all over again.

The most asked question was, "who are you?" I made them guess. Some never did guess my real identity Everyone had fun that night, but especially me, Charlene

59