the radiant mother watching and smiling. Perhaps she guessed their emotions.

Soon the eating began but the visiting went on unabated. I learned something from everyone I talked to. Each FP represents a lifetime of struggle to find herself, endless experiments in techniques, a storehouse of information, some of which could easily meet your own needs.

The saga of Elaura and charlene was retold for everyone's interest and amusement. Each had traveled from a faraway city as a woman and without any masculine clothes to fall back on. Each had unbeliev- able experiences as the unpredictable occurred, each kept their cool, and each finally made it all the way. Each retelling would gain em- bellishment until in future years it would take its place with the romantic tales of adventure about Virginia and Annette that are retold at each gathering of FPs.

As we were finishing dessert our speaker arrived, a plain-clothes man from the local police department, believe it or not. He was a friend of Annette's, was completely knowledgeable about transvestism and FPE, and showed a marvelous understanding and acceptance of us. After listening to him I felt he was my friend. Life would be so much simpler for all of us if our police back home were like this gentleman.

After several group photographs we let them close the restaurant and continued at Annette's house where we gathered on the chairs and the floor to listen to Virginia. She recounted some of the recent events in FPE, described some of her own involvements in present projects, and gave us a taste of some of the things planned for the future.

I looked around at the girls as Virginia spoke. Here sat an assort- ment of men dressed as women from all over the western part of the U.S., each involved with living a very complex life because of their feminine interests. A phone call to their employer, a careless comment to an associate or a blackmail attempt could ruin any one of them. Yet they sat here at ease, at peace with themselves and with those around them. This was only possible because of the security and screening that is basic to FPE. Each was only a femme name as they sat here in their beautiful dresses, as remote and free as a woman from another planet. Yet within the framework of this security they could voluntarily make friends with another FP, write to her, and get to know her. But never would an unknown person, a third party, or a stranger have access to them. They were safe.

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