femininity. Cross-dressing, it seems, involves, exposes, and threatens more of the male ego than any other form of behavior except the sex act itself.

To return to the original point, the idea I try to put across in the story is not that Lynn, once exposed to girls' clothing, falls in love with their softness, prettiness, etc. and, as an inevitable result, grows up to be a typical transvestite. He may or may not, according to the reader's wishes. I believe the idea that a normal boy “accidentally" becomes a tv in this way is a theme overplayed in tv literature. It pro- vides an expedient means of getting the hero dressed and the reader into the action, it's true, but is hardly authentic. In reality, most little boys are emotional and psychological replicas of their fathers, with the seeds of the masculinity hangup there, though not yet developed. To say that such a boy will become a transvestite without a predisposi- tion in that direction would be wishful thinking. A boy like Lynn, how- ever, may have that susceptibility because of his family situation. If he does indeed become a tv the prime mover in his case will not be the sudden realization that the clothes are soft and pretty; rather it will be his reaction to his family's (and especially his mother's) lavish praise of his appearance in the clothes. It should be obvious that this special praise for his girlish looks, plus his realization that his mother originally wanted all girls, will have the unplanned effect of making the clothes and later femininity itself desireable, despite the fact that Lynn is loved as a boy, and despite the fact that his mother does not, and never did, regret his maleness.

It is not at all certain that Lynn will, as his sister promises, love being a girl. If he becomes a transvestite, he'll probably experience periods of self-doubt, guilt, and disgust for his weakness, just as most of us do. But if he's lucky, his mother's words will remain with him throughout his search for self-acceptance. Perhaps one day he'll discover that he doesn't need masculine logic to justify ruffled panties. He might realize, if he's fortunate, that he requires no reason to pamper his body, no excuse to indulge his emotional needs. Having the need is its own justi- fication; being feminine is its own reward.

And that's the way women are.

Sincerely, Lesley Anne 6-S-3