Transvestia

reading a newspaper aloud. After about six months of daily practice I achieved a passable feminine voice. Meanwhile I worked diligently on walking, sitting and acting as a woman in my once-a-month dressing sessions at home.

My wife continued to let me attend the FPE meetings but gradually became disenchanted with my once-a-month dressing at home. Even though I dressed alone in a locked room out of her sight it nevertheless disturbed her to know what was going on. By this time I felt I was passable in public as a woman and so as a compromise it was agreed I would end my once-a-month dressing at home and instead would go once a month to a nearby motel in the afternoon and dress, then in the evening drive as Maureen to the FPE meeting. Dressing at home would be done only when my wife and children were out of town for a few days.

The novelty of sitting alone dressed all afternoon in a motel room was soon over and I began using the afternoon to go out. With the years of preparation the transition to public life was easy. I began by going out for dinner alone to a nearby restaurant. Then gradually I began walking around shopping centers, making small purchases in stores, stopping at filling stations to gas up the car, going to movies and visiting libraries. And now I go any place and do just about anything that a genetic woman does in public, though still on a once- a-month basis.

From the very beginning of my public life as a woman I made it a point to engage in at least a few words of conversation with each per- son I did business with so that I would have had the maximum possi- ble experience with my voice to handle any unforeseen situation. This experience has paid off over and over again.

The first time I tried on a dress was in a small suburban dress shop run single-handedly by a middle-aged woman. She worked hard to please each customer, trying to offer extra attention and service to compete against the big stores. I was trying on the dress used in the leading lady portrait when she popped into the dressing room with another dress she wanted me to try on. Chatting amiably with me the whole time, she assisted me with the zipper and then proceeded to help me change into the other dress. Standing there in my slip trying to make meaningful conversation with a stranger was an unnerving ex-

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