RANSVESTIA

a male or a transvestite; to do so would be extremely abhorrent to me emotionally and a needless added risk. A partial exception to this is a woman hairdresser that Virginia went to while visiting in Denver. Virginia educated her as to transvestism and found her willing to do wig work for our FPE chapter girls. I later went to her dressed during regular business hours and introduced myself as Mrs. Warfield, a friend of Virginia's. She accepted me just as she would any other woman customer, sat me down among her other women and restyled my wig. I still go to her for all my wig work. She has never seen me as man and although she knows what I really am she continues to treat me just like any other woman.

The major risk factor in my public life continues to be my heavy black beard stubble. Using Virginia's clown white panstick pan- cake powder technique I can achieve sufficient passability for even close up inspection for the first hour or two, gradually diminishing to marginal passability after 8 hours. Based on this, potentially difficult encounters can be safely handled for the first few hours. However, lengthy activities such as airline travel followed by taxicab and motel contacts require the utmost in planning and timing to maintain passability within my time limits. I have considered having my beard removed but in my professional life as a man I am daily in close con- tact with the public and cannot easily hide the skin irritation and swelling that results from electrolysis treatments. Also I've felt that a hairless face would present a less than normal masculine image to my daughters and tend to embarrass and offend my wife.

The average middle-age woman alone usually conducts her public life in the daylight or early evening, rarely after about 10:00 p.m., and I try to do likewise for maximum safety. I check into the motel at noon and am dressed and ready to go out by 2:00 p.m., giving me 8 hours of public life before 10:00. Beyond that time my only activity is driving from an FPE meeting back to the motel.

Many of the arrests in Denver of transvestites, transsexuals, female impersonators and homosexuals have been made late at night in bars. In my opinion any FP that frequents bars and nightclubs alone late at night is asking for trouble. I don't drink or smoke because it is unappealing to me and injurious to my health, but I feel strongly that the use of alcohol in any amount is a foolish risk for any FP that drives and moves about in public while dressed.