You don't have to be a pansy but showing the kids that you are a little different than the average man sure can help. They have seen me cry after a sad occurence. They know that I love beautiful scenery and lovely music. They know also that I appreciate, love, and try to understand them. I quite frequently ask them if anything is bothering them and can I help. I also ask them if they want to know anything about sex. I also add that if I don't know, I'll find out. I have told them more than once that I won't be shocked nor will I blow my top with any questions. I impress upon them that we both have to help each other, because I am quite new at being a parent to two teenagers. I will make mistakes but try not to repeat them too often. Now this is the point I had reached when it was decided to tell the kids.

I picked our son up from a show and on the way home I asked him if he knew that his dad was different from the average father. I could tell by the look he gave me and the tone of his voice that he sure did know that I was different. I then told him all about me. I did not say that I just like to wear dresses, I am a firm believer that I'm feminine, and told him so. I gave him a brief idea of what it means to me, some of the terrible torture I have gone thought, etc. I asked him if he had any questions, he said no, but I knew that I couldn't leave it like that, I had to get him to talk about it or nothing would have been gained by my telling him. I told him about different friends of mine, whom he has met, who are TV's, I asked him if he knew about me before this moment. He said yes, but not enough that he could really be sure. He then told me that he was glad that I had come out and cleared up the whole thing.

When we stopped at the house, I looked him right in the eye and told him that I loved him and I was still the same person he's known all his life. I put my arm around his shoulder and said, "I love you very much." My son took me into his arms and said, "I love you very much too Dad.” As I write this, the tears come almost as hard as they did at that moment. I gave him my story (issues 42 and 43) to read. He knows, he understands and he loves.

I found it a great deal easier to tell my daughter about it. Her reaction was about the same, though she knew a little more about me than her brother did. I had pierced her ears a month

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