RANSVESTIA

The

Editor's Mailbag

Dear Carol: I have been getting Transvestia for a little over two years and this is the first time I have written. After too many years of battling with my crossdressing desires, I left the closet and found a world of peace, beauty and excitement. It is really an experience that allows me to feel and be myself. I feel complete when wearing femme atire. The anguish I experienced in keeping these "sick thoughts" under rap, the guilt, the shame, the torment experienced, that's OVER WITH NOW. Now that I am out of the closet there is a world out there to venture into. So I mustered up my courage, put my prettiest lingerie and dress on, followed with a wig, make-up, earrings and then ven- tured OUT -- was that ever scary!

I went to a bargaub show store in a shopping center where I looked at heels in the size 10 section. I had chosen this store as it usually was busy with all types of women there and it ap- peared that I could melt into the many shoppers quite easily. Across from the rack where I was brousing, the manager and his assistant were busy stacking new shoes. However, when the manager noticed me he tapped his assistant on the shoulder, pointed his hand in my direction and whispered something to the assistant - all the while looking directly at me. His assistant also looked at me and then dropped his arranging of shoes and made a "beeline" towards the office. Without knocking down the entire display I somehow managed to make an about-face, walked briskly through the store, out the door and to my car.

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