at the time. But it's real, it's true, and it isn't limited just to me. Others who have been over some of the same road have come to the same insight. You can probably move much further than you have in this direction it doesn't require full time living, nor breast de- velopment. Only a further development of self acceptance. First you accept the fact that you are an FP (TV to the newcomers who may still insist on this term), next you accept the existance of some femi- nine traits and interests inside your otherwise masculine person- ality. Finally you not only accept these feminine traits, you seek actively to develop that hidden side of your total human self so that you can be a Fuller Person an FP. Having worked in that direction you will realize that you are moving away from the anatomically oriented, animal inherited self concept "I am a male" toward the future; toward, "I am a person" without anatomical or sexually qualifying adjectives.
Isn't it true for most of you that when you are femme dressed you feel in various degrees, depending on the individual, a different per- son? Why is this? It is because, in our visually minded society, the total visual image that you present to others defines in your own mind the area in which you will operate. When you present the orthodox masculine appearance you are telling others visually that this is what you are, this is how you will act, this is the way you ex- pect to be treated, this is what you limit yourself to (at the moment). A woman does precisely the same thing with her external "feminine" appearance. Now you go to your room and doff your pants, shirt and jacket and step into your lingerie, nylons and dress, put on a wig, make up your face and put on a necklace and presto, you now project a different message to the observing world (if any). Now, when you say, THIS is what I am, THIS is how I will act, THIS is how I expect to be greeted and THIS is the area in which I will op- erate the "THIS" that you are referring to is a whole new thing from before. It provides you with an opportunity to be, act, feel, be treated and to operate on an entirely different level with different rules, pleasures, and satisfactions. Awareness of all that is what makes you say, "I feel like a different person." You ARE a differen person in the sense I'm discussing.
Being a different person means a change from the person you've been all day with its exasperations, disappointments, requirements, frustrations etc. etc. In a world such as we live in today, that can be quite a load. No wonder all FPs say "I feel so relaxed, so com- fortable, so at ease when I'm dressed." Naturally they do. And naturally too this is why the shrinks can't really "cure" us unless
87