ransvestia

sonally feel those groups have the right to follow their desires, I do not want to be known as one of them. Most other heterosexual FPs I as- sume share this feeling. Hence, the public view of FPs is reinforced as homosexual or bizarre sexual, since it sees like or no other types of individuals as cross-dressers. This is a vicious circle.

Many of us would lose our jobs, our social standing in the commun- ity, our family ties if our transvestism were generally known. Thus it is only rational that we are covert. We protect ourselves by various screens, employing false names, using mail drops, and renting boxes. We hide our clothes and cosmetics and practice our gender transformation in private, sometimes nervous and afraid of outside interferences that may compromise our position. The view of society poses a stigma and plants the seeds of guilt. The covert practices tend to give credence to the feel- ing of guilt. After all, if it is right why do we hide?

I am suggesting that we hide for rational and seriously practical rea- sons. I am suggesting that it is society that is bent out of shape. It hap- pens more often than we like, let alone admit. I am suggesting that we should look at any guilt that we may have and see whether it is war- ranted or imposed from outside.

Removing guilt clears our personal life. That is always important, one of the highest priorities. However, what can we do to educate the public without jeopardizing our places in society? This, of course, de- pends on our objectives as individuals. Those who are content to dress in private or to meet at secret gatherings and who are willing to allow things to go on as they have been will do little. Many of us are that way about most things. Yet over the past ten years or so I have been observ- ing not only a change in myself, a growing maturity, but also a signifi- cant movement in the form of FPE. From the outside, I have seen the beginnings of a professional corps of FPs, who devote their life to act- ing out their convictions. These people, Virginia and Mary, and others are neither heroines nor martyrs; they are merely the forerunners or pioneers of our future shamans. Our civilization is predicated on specialization. Part of our gender problem is based upon the nature of civilization to specialize between the roles of men and women. But, at this point, we amateur FPs, and I use amateur in full English sense of the word as denoting a high level of achievement but only as an avoca- tion, are creating an economic market that will sustain professionals. This concept suggests that changes in the views of the public toward FPs lies not only in the political and public relations arenas but also in the economic sphere.

59