a transvestia TRUE STORY

"LETTING THE TRUTH BE KNOWN"

Joyce 41-B-1 FPE

Transvestites are seemingly shy about their existence, yet it also seems that there is a common urge to tell others about this "other side of one's personality." I know that I have had this urge, and perhaps my experience may be of help to some of you.

How does one go about telling "outsiders" about one's femmeself? Two things are important, conviction and opportunity. Conviction, firmly resolving within one's self that the other person must know, for their well being and/or yours. I decided that before I could marry my fiance, in fairness to her, I had to tell her about Joyce. Oh, I know how easy it is to write about it now, but I changed my mind a hundred times and lost several night's sleep before I could speak the words "I am a transvestite❞ to her. Opportunity, the right time and the right place, is also vital. I believe it is best to tell the other person when you are alone and in a serious mood. To let the truth be known at a party or when either of you is not in full understanding is self-defeating.

I chose to tell my fiance only after seriously considering all of the consequences. Would she be revolted or helpful? Would she laugh or cry or be indifferent? Would, in short, her reaction be positive or nega- tive? I came to the conclusion that if her reaction was negative, there couldn't have been a very true relationship in the first place and that it was best to know now. She had to know, I felt, because it is something that we would both be living with for the rest of our lives.

I took her to a movie and afterwards I drove around for an hour try- ing to summon the courage to tell her. My palms were sweating, my knees were shaking, and I smoked excessively. I parked in front of the dorm that she was living in. It was now or never. I turned to her and

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