RANSVESTIA

We both laughed so much that night we could hardly eat our dinner. I recall a man in the bar trying to pick me up; this amused both of us. We never went out that way again, and my wife's acceptance turned to apathy. Possibly because she felt I was competition for her, I don't know. Business problems, the subject of transvestism and a host of other matters caused her to leave home and file for a divorce.

Now, four years later, and at the age of twenty-eight, I find I am still enthused about expressing my "other side." During my marriage to my second wife, I ran across an ad for your book, The Transvestite and His Wife. We both learned much from the book, and because of the informa- tion contained therein I began to be at peace with myself, comfortable with the feeling that I was not the only one!

Before reading your book, I even visited a psychologist. He kept asking me how dressing in female clothing made me feel, then took his notes and consulted a psychiatrist. No definite conclusions were ever reached by either one of them, and I guess I've done them an injustice by not mailing to each of them a copy of your book.

Transvestism, or as you refer to it Femmiphilia, is something a person has to live before an entire understanding of the subject can be reached. The turmoil it causes in one's life cannot really be understood by someone just reading on the subject of Transvestism. I know I went thru "hell" just learning to live with myself. I found, however, and as you stated in your book that once you are able to face yourself, it's easy to tell others about yourself; and nine out of ten times they will at least try to understand.

I am going with a nice girl who completely accepts my way of living and does everything possible to complement it. She has read your book, sent for more of your material of her own volition, and I really think she knows that even though I am a transvestite on one side, I am plenty mas- culine on the other. She enjoys the feminine things I do for her, e.g., doing her hair, helping her with her makeup, etc., and I enjoy her acceptance, her devotion to my needs as a transvestite and her genuine interest in the subject. I think at this point, I have attained the "best of both worlds"! I would like to go out "dressed” more often and will as soon as I feel I can act and look like the person (a girl) when I am out, that I am trying to em- ulate. By the way, I don't know the law here in Illinois relating to this. I think it has just been changed . . . maybe you can advise.

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