Transvestia

good defense lawyers, not only from a crusading stand- point, but for their own protection when confronted with an irate wife, a surprised child, or a shocked friend.

Burke tried to trap Virginia quite a few times, but Virginia neatly fielded his thrusts. The only time when Burke nearly scored (not quite) was when the subject of TV's taking female hormones was brought up. Burke was obviously trying to have Virginia ad- mit that any TV who tries hormones is actually say- ing he wished he were a woman in body as well as in soul, and that this could very well be the doorway into transsexualism. Virginia spoke very bluntly: "If I'd had $5,000 when the Christine Jorgenson story made the headlines I would have hurried to Copen- haguen. Fortunately I didn't have the $5,000 and so I stayed here, and had time to think. Today I wouldn't have the operation for love or money. Such a statement marks the boundary between the TV and the TS. The TV rejects the thought of surgery. He enjoys living the two sides of the human coin. The TS hates the masculine side and is willing to do anything to get out of the male role thrust upon him by nature.

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Let us notice however that Virginia underscored the fact that she had time to think about the entire question. And here I think we find a very vital part of the matter. To think about something implies be- ing in possession of sufficient data so that our con- clusions may be meaningful. If we think in ignorance, we just don't get anywhere. We need information in order to think about ourselves. Have you noticed that most TV's relate the very same experience: "When I first realized I wanted to wear girls' clothes I thought I was some sort of a freak, or perhaps a latent "queer", I was upset and scared." Now, if a TV can harbor such thoughts about himself because of insufficient data, it is not at all surprising that society in general harbors the very same thoughts about a TV since society is forced to think about us

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