TRANSVESTIA

look the same; only my attitude is different. What I have really ex- perienced is that some people will read me no matter what I do; others read me perhaps inadvertently, by something they pick up subliminally; many take me for the real thing; and there seem to be some that would think a dress on a stick is a woman. I have had a woman laugh as she passed me on the street outside a Sears, and I have exchanged small talk with another woman who was trying on a new dress in the back room of a thrift shop where I was browsing. The first experience was demoralizing; the second exhilarating.

Obviously the street is not a safe place. Being in a room where fe- males are disrobing is not safe, either. On the other hand there are risks that one is exposed to whenever you go out dressed. The trick is to minimize them.

The store where this event occurred is one where I know the owner. Although the woman changing her clothes did not know about me, if she had exhibited any concern, the owner would have handled it. I would have left the back room if I felt there was any sign of trouble in the air.

I try to minimize risk by knowing exactly where I am going and how long I will be there. I try to prepare myself for the eventualities that may arise. In actuality, many arise that are unanticipated, but what else is new?

My repetoire of activities is limited. I go shopping or to cosmetics studios. I visit some local clubs that have female impersonator shows. I meet a TV friend for a quiet evening of conversation at her apartment. I eat dinner at a Japanese restaurant where I am known.

Those being the type of activities in which I will engage, I then plan to minimize my driving time, my walking on the street, and my search- ing for a parking spot. For example, it may be desireable to arrive at a show earlier than necessary so that space will be available in the parking lot, not a block and a half away. The activity dictates the fashion. I have a lovely textured pullover long-sleeved blouse that I like to wear with a miniskirt and boots. It is eminently suitable for daytime wear, but im- practical for trying on clothes. There is no way to remove it without taking off my wig. Have you ever tried on a dress with a blouse under- neath. Similarly, it is silly for me to wear a dress that zips up the back on these shopping excursions. Such dresses are hard to put on once a day, let alone three or four times in an afternoon.

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