Most of the transvestites don't like to remember how they were discovered in girl's clothes at an age of 5-6 years old and laughed at. Such experi- ences make people shy as animals. Therefore many stay at home in locked rooms dressing alone rather than contact like-minded persons. FPE (in translation from American means almost the same as “realiza- tion of your full personality") has for most of the members meant a fantastic change. Instead of isolation at home, they can meet with others and be helped with practical problems, and can participate in a conference and banquet several consecutive days as girls and can act openly and with a girl's name.

"Y" is a commercial traveller. This means lonely evenings at many hotels but many possibilities to "dress." "But who can take the time after a hard day to make himself a complete girl every evening - it takes several hours to do so, requiring a very careful shaving and makeup," says “Y.”

"Don't you try to create the same sort of woman you have in your wife?" I asked.

"No, she is a more humble woman and I do not think that she would be able to live happily if she knew about me. I am quite sure of that so I have lived a complete double life for 30 years now. At home I am the husband with a wife and grown up children and with grandchildren. There they only see the grey lounge suit which my "brother” (as we say) has worn year in and year out. My wife does not know that my ears are pierced with double holes, for small studs at smaller meetings and for heavy pieces of jewelry together with the smaller one at gala dinners. In beauty parlors, however, they are very understanding about such things. Many transvestites go there to have their beard removed by dia- thermy. One of the participants here has spent more than 10.000 crowns ($2000) in order to get rid of his beard. I spend a good deal of money on clothes."

“Y” looks like a well-groomed wife of a managing director, and is very tastefully dressed.

――

Sometimes when it is too lonely sitting in the room at the hotel wait- ing for the next day, Y appears half-way and with his coat over the lady's apparel and his wig in a bag, Y's "brother" slips out of the hotel into his car and finishes the make up and dressing there. Then “she” goes alone to a restaurant.

"I feel calm and perfectly safe as Y," he says. "I am also happy and effective as Y's brother. They complete each other very well. I would not want to lose either of them."

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