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  • 08 Sep 2015
    Boy meets Girl
    BBC2 commenced their Trans Comedy Series on monday evening, to great acclaim from the gerls, but not the press or me. It is my personal conviction that anything that raises public awareness of our 'plight' is beneficial to our increasing acceptance within the broader community. By this process we present an increasingly formidable lobby to the politicians and in this country, Parliament. Personally, I enjoyed the laughs, in a 'Mrs Brown's Boys' manner, until the dinner conversation: at that point, I burst in to a flood of uncontrollable tears. The throw away line was in response to Harry Hepple's question 'what was it like?'. Rebecca Root replied 'born in a prison with no parole date'. Cheap laughs at the expense of opening a wound again in a recurring nightmare scenario which has been a heavy cross to bear for all the years before i eventually somehow found the courage to 'become myself and happy at last. I do not think that this series will give our community much credit in public acceptance; and, I fear it will help return us to the music hall characters who cross-dress for laughs ( Old Mother Riley, in my case ) in public perception. I like to think of myself as her side-kick, Kitty, if I have a choice when we next appear 'on-stage', or film. My recurring nightmare is to be written up and published by my dear sister, Hannah E, in the near future. It does, incidentally, have a happy ending, and I promise to post a version here. Meanwhile, I resign myself to not watching the rest of the series, in accordance with the comments in the press ( Daily Telegraph and Independant ). I am happy now, and see no reason to be upset again by an ill-thought-out attempt to put our case to the public in an inappropriate, boring and tired format.  
    1403 Posted by Hannah Ceridwen Eluned Cavendish-Grosvenor
  • By Hannah Ceridwen Eluned Cavendish-Grosvenor
    Boy meets Girl
    BBC2 commenced their Trans Comedy Series on monday evening, to great acclaim from the gerls, but not the press or me. It is my personal conviction that anything that raises public awareness of our 'plight' is beneficial to our increasing acceptance within the broader community. By this process we present an increasingly formidable lobby to the politicians and in this country, Parliament. Personally, I enjoyed the laughs, in a 'Mrs Brown's Boys' manner, until the dinner conversation: at that point, I burst in to a flood of uncontrollable tears. The throw away line was in response to Harry Hepple's question 'what was it like?'. Rebecca Root replied 'born in a prison with no parole date'. Cheap laughs at the expense of opening a wound again in a recurring nightmare scenario which has been a heavy cross to bear for all the years before i eventually somehow found the courage to 'become myself and happy at last. I do not think that this series will give our community much credit in public acceptance; and, I fear it will help return us to the music hall characters who cross-dress for laughs ( Old Mother Riley, in my case ) in public perception. I like to think of myself as her side-kick, Kitty, if I have a choice when we next appear 'on-stage', or film. My recurring nightmare is to be written up and published by my dear sister, Hannah E, in the near future. It does, incidentally, have a happy ending, and I promise to post a version here. Meanwhile, I resign myself to not watching the rest of the series, in accordance with the comments in the press ( Daily Telegraph and Independant ). I am happy now, and see no reason to be upset again by an ill-thought-out attempt to put our case to the public in an inappropriate, boring and tired format.  
    Sep 08, 2015 1403
  • 07 Sep 2015
    Glove SG3
    I have always had these “man hands” and I so hate it. I mean, I am a girl trapped inside a man’s body and it’s just not right to have such manly hands! I have tried products such as lotions, creams, and moisturizers to help soften and remove my calluses but sadly, I did not even see a single change in texture and appearance. So I decided to take things one step further, and no I am not talking about surgery! I found this particular website called cross-dress.co.uk *link underneath* It is apparently an online store that caters to transgender women such as myself to achieve that very feminine look in a very practical, realistic, and instantaneous way. So upon going through their website, I found a particular product that got my attention it is called “Femini Silicone Glove SG3”. I attached a photo for your reference.sg3
    924 Posted by Natashe Franco
  • By Natashe Franco
    Glove SG3
    I have always had these “man hands” and I so hate it. I mean, I am a girl trapped inside a man’s body and it’s just not right to have such manly hands! I have tried products such as lotions, creams, and moisturizers to help soften and remove my calluses but sadly, I did not even see a single change in texture and appearance. So I decided to take things one step further, and no I am not talking about surgery! I found this particular website called cross-dress.co.uk *link underneath* It is apparently an online store that caters to transgender women such as myself to achieve that very feminine look in a very practical, realistic, and instantaneous way. So upon going through their website, I found a particular product that got my attention it is called “Femini Silicone Glove SG3”. I attached a photo for your reference.sg3
    Sep 07, 2015 924
  • 04 Sep 2015
    YOU SHOULD KNOW IT
    Hairy Pant Wearer (HPW) - Unflattering and somewhat negative term used to describe those men who like to wear ladies underwear under their male clothes whilst working, shopping etc. Cross Dresser (CD) - There's some confusion over whether this is any different from a transvestite but the term tends to be applied more to those who like to wear womens' clothes but who aren't fussed about putting on make up or 'passing'. Kind of half-way between an HPW and a TV. Transvestite (TV) - Someone who likes to dress up in womens' clothes with the aim of looking (and feeling) like a woman. Transsexual (TS) (sometimes spelled 'transexual' with just one 's') - A woman who was born inside a man's body, or at least heartily believes they were. Transsexuals are either 'pre-op' meaning that they still have all their male genitalia (though they might have had female bits added such as breast enlargement) or 'post-op' meaning that they have been cosmetically altered to have all female bits and no male ones. The transition from transsexual to full woman can be a long, drawn-out and expensive process and kudos should be given to those who go with their heart and make the change T-Girl - A catch all term used to cover both transvestites and transsexuals. She-Male - A term used mostly in the pornography industry for any kind of t*girl who is prepared to get her kit off/out for the camera and a few bucks! Not to be used in pleasant company as 'chick with a dick' isn't either. Drag Queens (DQ) - Gay men (note that other definitions say nothing about sexuality) who ape or imitate women. Drag queens normally get tarted up to go and work at a club whereas transvestites get tarted up to go and have fun at a club - you see very few drag queens out partyingLadyboy - Usually refers to transvestites and transexuals from Thailand.
    878 Posted by Natashe Franco
  • By Natashe Franco
    YOU SHOULD KNOW IT
    Hairy Pant Wearer (HPW) - Unflattering and somewhat negative term used to describe those men who like to wear ladies underwear under their male clothes whilst working, shopping etc. Cross Dresser (CD) - There's some confusion over whether this is any different from a transvestite but the term tends to be applied more to those who like to wear womens' clothes but who aren't fussed about putting on make up or 'passing'. Kind of half-way between an HPW and a TV. Transvestite (TV) - Someone who likes to dress up in womens' clothes with the aim of looking (and feeling) like a woman. Transsexual (TS) (sometimes spelled 'transexual' with just one 's') - A woman who was born inside a man's body, or at least heartily believes they were. Transsexuals are either 'pre-op' meaning that they still have all their male genitalia (though they might have had female bits added such as breast enlargement) or 'post-op' meaning that they have been cosmetically altered to have all female bits and no male ones. The transition from transsexual to full woman can be a long, drawn-out and expensive process and kudos should be given to those who go with their heart and make the change T-Girl - A catch all term used to cover both transvestites and transsexuals. She-Male - A term used mostly in the pornography industry for any kind of t*girl who is prepared to get her kit off/out for the camera and a few bucks! Not to be used in pleasant company as 'chick with a dick' isn't either. Drag Queens (DQ) - Gay men (note that other definitions say nothing about sexuality) who ape or imitate women. Drag queens normally get tarted up to go and work at a club whereas transvestites get tarted up to go and have fun at a club - you see very few drag queens out partyingLadyboy - Usually refers to transvestites and transexuals from Thailand.
    Sep 04, 2015 878
  • 02 Sep 2015
    When I knew.
    From birth...Actually from knowing the difference of male and female. In kendergarden I knew my soul did not match my boady. LoL..Looking back on it now I laugh. Then I did'nt understand.Why? Why, Dear Lord didn't my soul not become of me? I did not belong in this temple...that did'nt represent who I truely was.
    829 Posted by Cynthia Barfield jr
  • By Cynthia Barfield jr
    When I knew.
    From birth...Actually from knowing the difference of male and female. In kendergarden I knew my soul did not match my boady. LoL..Looking back on it now I laugh. Then I did'nt understand.Why? Why, Dear Lord didn't my soul not become of me? I did not belong in this temple...that did'nt represent who I truely was.
    Sep 02, 2015 829
  • 02 Sep 2015
    Revenge is best taken cold
    Hannah has just been asked to sit on a Consultant Appointments Committee as Royal College representative. It is at her old teaching hospital, which has over 30 eye consultants. By chance, it is for the Oculoplastic department. Hannah is an Emeritus Professor of Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery in Switzerland. When the first Orbital post came up at the hospital in 1980, there were 3 candidates: Robin Bosanquet ( who now denies, to me, that he attended the appointments committee ) who developed Orbital Ultra-sound scanning as a new service in the same hospital: myself who had worked in Glasgow with the 'legendary' Mustardé; and, an in-experienced young woman who claimed a CV in the USA when her husband was working there. At the interview, Robin stormed out when her name was called. She showed absolutely no surprise whatsoever; I shook her hand ( nothing lost ) and said 'well done Joan'- the look of hatred on her face told me all. She went part-time, organised never to be on-call; and, had bust-ups with the other Oculoplastic specialists allegedly. She retired many years ago, and rumour has it that management had accidentally always paid her a full-time salary. Ridgway and Rosen got the person they deserved: they knew there was something not quite right about my previous self- and they were correct in their assumption. Oh! My cousin is 'lord of the Manor' in the Cotswold village that Joan and husband finally retired to. At a family funeral last year Roger mentioned that he would invite them to dinner when i was down: they are apparently 'splendid company', and spoke extremely highly of me and our joint friendship! How will they cope with Hannah? Allegedly, one of the in-post Oculoplastic surgeons is a Homophobe, and allegedly attacked a guest Professor from London in the toilets at a post conference banquet. The assault was apparently severe enough to have him admitted with blood in his urine. I wonder if it was hushed up. Oh, he was mistaken, the professor could be thought to be' effeminate' , but had a wife and children and was happily married. If he is on the selection committee, how will he ever cope with a trans-woman who is a third-dan blackbelt in Judo, ( Trained under G K Koizume, Hosake and Watanabe ) and does not take prisoners?
    1301 Posted by Hannah Ceridwen Eluned Cavendish-Grosvenor
  • By Hannah Ceridwen Eluned Cavendish-Grosvenor
    Revenge is best taken cold
    Hannah has just been asked to sit on a Consultant Appointments Committee as Royal College representative. It is at her old teaching hospital, which has over 30 eye consultants. By chance, it is for the Oculoplastic department. Hannah is an Emeritus Professor of Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery in Switzerland. When the first Orbital post came up at the hospital in 1980, there were 3 candidates: Robin Bosanquet ( who now denies, to me, that he attended the appointments committee ) who developed Orbital Ultra-sound scanning as a new service in the same hospital: myself who had worked in Glasgow with the 'legendary' Mustardé; and, an in-experienced young woman who claimed a CV in the USA when her husband was working there. At the interview, Robin stormed out when her name was called. She showed absolutely no surprise whatsoever; I shook her hand ( nothing lost ) and said 'well done Joan'- the look of hatred on her face told me all. She went part-time, organised never to be on-call; and, had bust-ups with the other Oculoplastic specialists allegedly. She retired many years ago, and rumour has it that management had accidentally always paid her a full-time salary. Ridgway and Rosen got the person they deserved: they knew there was something not quite right about my previous self- and they were correct in their assumption. Oh! My cousin is 'lord of the Manor' in the Cotswold village that Joan and husband finally retired to. At a family funeral last year Roger mentioned that he would invite them to dinner when i was down: they are apparently 'splendid company', and spoke extremely highly of me and our joint friendship! How will they cope with Hannah? Allegedly, one of the in-post Oculoplastic surgeons is a Homophobe, and allegedly attacked a guest Professor from London in the toilets at a post conference banquet. The assault was apparently severe enough to have him admitted with blood in his urine. I wonder if it was hushed up. Oh, he was mistaken, the professor could be thought to be' effeminate' , but had a wife and children and was happily married. If he is on the selection committee, how will he ever cope with a trans-woman who is a third-dan blackbelt in Judo, ( Trained under G K Koizume, Hosake and Watanabe ) and does not take prisoners?
    Sep 02, 2015 1301
  • 01 Sep 2015
    Walk around the Block
    I became motivated to go on a walk today because of the fact that an acquaintance of mine did something bold over the weekend. It was a first trip to the beach in a very revealing swimsuit. I thought the least I could do in response is take a walk in the neighborhood. One must keep in mind that I don't yet own a wig, so I am not going to "pass". I wore a men's shirt and women's shorts and heeled sandals. I've done this before, as I've described in previous blog entries. What is different this time is that I am walking in my own neighborhood. Although it is dusk, it is light enough for anybody who pays attention to see what I am doing.       I thought I made pretty good time considering the heels made my stride shorter than normal! As I reached the first corner, I started to cross the street. I was surprised, almost startled, by the two girls who had been jogging on the other side of the street. They reached the corner just as I was beginning to cross toward them. Once they reached the corner, they stopped jogging and started walking in the same direction as I was going, just a dozen steps ahead of me. A few minutes later, the two started jogging again. I decided to stop long enough to take a picture of my legs and feet, showing that I am actually out in the open:   After taking the photo, I noticed a teenaged boy and a woman walking toward me. It was plenty light enough for me to be seen, as you can see in the prior picture. As I approached them, I noticed the boy looking me over. The woman was obliviously as she noticed me long enough to say hello, which I responded in kind.   The next two streets were uneventful. As I reached the final corner of the walk around the block, I noticed a stream of cars pouring out of the school parking lot. Most were stopped for the light at the corner, so I had to walk past them. I noticed a teenage boy looking out the window at me, with a big grin on his face. I don't know whether he was grinning because of the guy in heels or because of something someone else said. It doesn't matter, because now I notice the same boy and woman approaching me again!   As I neared them, I said to the woman that it appears we are taking the same route, and she laughed.   After reaching home, I decided to take one more photo, a closeup of the shoes.     I found the experience to be exhilerating and liberating, and wanted to share with my friends on Gender Society.   Love, Sami  
    970 Posted by Sami Brown
  • By Sami Brown
    Walk around the Block
    I became motivated to go on a walk today because of the fact that an acquaintance of mine did something bold over the weekend. It was a first trip to the beach in a very revealing swimsuit. I thought the least I could do in response is take a walk in the neighborhood. One must keep in mind that I don't yet own a wig, so I am not going to "pass". I wore a men's shirt and women's shorts and heeled sandals. I've done this before, as I've described in previous blog entries. What is different this time is that I am walking in my own neighborhood. Although it is dusk, it is light enough for anybody who pays attention to see what I am doing.       I thought I made pretty good time considering the heels made my stride shorter than normal! As I reached the first corner, I started to cross the street. I was surprised, almost startled, by the two girls who had been jogging on the other side of the street. They reached the corner just as I was beginning to cross toward them. Once they reached the corner, they stopped jogging and started walking in the same direction as I was going, just a dozen steps ahead of me. A few minutes later, the two started jogging again. I decided to stop long enough to take a picture of my legs and feet, showing that I am actually out in the open:   After taking the photo, I noticed a teenaged boy and a woman walking toward me. It was plenty light enough for me to be seen, as you can see in the prior picture. As I approached them, I noticed the boy looking me over. The woman was obliviously as she noticed me long enough to say hello, which I responded in kind.   The next two streets were uneventful. As I reached the final corner of the walk around the block, I noticed a stream of cars pouring out of the school parking lot. Most were stopped for the light at the corner, so I had to walk past them. I noticed a teenage boy looking out the window at me, with a big grin on his face. I don't know whether he was grinning because of the guy in heels or because of something someone else said. It doesn't matter, because now I notice the same boy and woman approaching me again!   As I neared them, I said to the woman that it appears we are taking the same route, and she laughed.   After reaching home, I decided to take one more photo, a closeup of the shoes.     I found the experience to be exhilerating and liberating, and wanted to share with my friends on Gender Society.   Love, Sami  
    Sep 01, 2015 970
  • 28 Aug 2015
    When living in a world of secrets
    Hi there. This is my second post. I mentioned in the last post that I have accepted that I'm a man. It is truly liberating to embrace myself, who I am, and to find peace within my own skin. However, I am living in secret and it is truly harming me.   In general, I think that coming out - as trans, gay, lesbian, etc - is partly so difficult because it's a huge shock *to them* We struggle every single day with who we are, questioning and toiling, and some of the hardest steps are to come out to yourself. That bit was very hard for me, and I know that the shock factor will be insanely difficult for everyone in my life.   My friend/therapist/Buddhism teacher is a wonderful guy. He did not judge, argue, or try to "fix" me when I spoke with him. In fact, he changed my name in his computer and is referring to me with male pronouns. He also helped me to realize that I'm more gender fluid/bigender than full trans. Either way, I'm a man and I embrace that wholeheartedly.   I have yet to tell my best friend, as I'm not sure how to explain it. With gender fluid/bigender, it's a completely different concept to people. This is a black and white world. An either/or mindset. On forms, we must check "male OR female" and there are "boys clothes OR girls clothes." It feels like many people on this planet don't seem to understand that *no one* is just one thing.   Here's the thing. My family. Though I'm twenty-one, I happen to live with my parents and my older brother. He is a parttime college student, my mother doesn't work, and my father works from home. Thus, all four of us are usually in the house at the same time. That means that I have been sneaking about like a teenage boy slipping his girlfriend into his bedroom at night.   They know nothing. I have only gotten to present as a male twice, as I had to wait to be alone. I'm dying to go out as my male self, but they would notice me with my self-made beard and male getup. I want to make friends as me, my male self, but I don't know how to present myself as male. I'm afraid that my family will find out somehow. Everything that I do on the internet is kept under lock and key. It's the only place that I can be myself.   I am called female pronouns and my given name. It makes me cringe. In public, I cringe. Just today I stood in the hallway between public restrooms and it killed me that I couldn't go into the mens' room. Every day, it seems to get harder and harder to hide from them. But, they call transgender people "it" and I know that it could really upset things. Especially if, at some point, I decide that I'm more female again.   Any coming out advice, folks? I need some. Thanks :)
    876 Posted by Sander Mason
  • By Sander Mason
    When living in a world of secrets
    Hi there. This is my second post. I mentioned in the last post that I have accepted that I'm a man. It is truly liberating to embrace myself, who I am, and to find peace within my own skin. However, I am living in secret and it is truly harming me.   In general, I think that coming out - as trans, gay, lesbian, etc - is partly so difficult because it's a huge shock *to them* We struggle every single day with who we are, questioning and toiling, and some of the hardest steps are to come out to yourself. That bit was very hard for me, and I know that the shock factor will be insanely difficult for everyone in my life.   My friend/therapist/Buddhism teacher is a wonderful guy. He did not judge, argue, or try to "fix" me when I spoke with him. In fact, he changed my name in his computer and is referring to me with male pronouns. He also helped me to realize that I'm more gender fluid/bigender than full trans. Either way, I'm a man and I embrace that wholeheartedly.   I have yet to tell my best friend, as I'm not sure how to explain it. With gender fluid/bigender, it's a completely different concept to people. This is a black and white world. An either/or mindset. On forms, we must check "male OR female" and there are "boys clothes OR girls clothes." It feels like many people on this planet don't seem to understand that *no one* is just one thing.   Here's the thing. My family. Though I'm twenty-one, I happen to live with my parents and my older brother. He is a parttime college student, my mother doesn't work, and my father works from home. Thus, all four of us are usually in the house at the same time. That means that I have been sneaking about like a teenage boy slipping his girlfriend into his bedroom at night.   They know nothing. I have only gotten to present as a male twice, as I had to wait to be alone. I'm dying to go out as my male self, but they would notice me with my self-made beard and male getup. I want to make friends as me, my male self, but I don't know how to present myself as male. I'm afraid that my family will find out somehow. Everything that I do on the internet is kept under lock and key. It's the only place that I can be myself.   I am called female pronouns and my given name. It makes me cringe. In public, I cringe. Just today I stood in the hallway between public restrooms and it killed me that I couldn't go into the mens' room. Every day, it seems to get harder and harder to hide from them. But, they call transgender people "it" and I know that it could really upset things. Especially if, at some point, I decide that I'm more female again.   Any coming out advice, folks? I need some. Thanks :)
    Aug 28, 2015 876
  • 24 Aug 2015
    When we least expect it
    I was walking down the sidewalk outside of a music store when the thought suddenly hit me. "I should be a guy." Born a female, I was never a "typical" girl. At two years old, I had bristly stitches in my upper lip and proudly declared that I had "whiskers like Daddy." At five yeras old, I was Mickey Mouse for Halloween and played Han Solo in Make-believe Land. At seven years old, I told my parents that I'd get married in tux and wanted swim trunks instead of "girl" bathing suits. Until puberty, I told my parents: "I want to be a boy." The thoughts went away by the age of eleven, which is when my mental conditions arrived. I never felt like I was right, that something was wrong with me, and my self-loathing led to some unpleasantries. The only time that I felt happy and comfortable was in the theatre. I worked in the theatre for five years...always playing male roles. The theatre saved my life.   At seventeen, I was eight hours away from my family and anyone who knew me. I changed my name from "Brooke" to "Shelly" to start my life over, become who I really was. Just get comfortable with myself. I began to dress more masculine and fell in love with a girl. So, I came out as a lesbian. It made sense to me. Why I never felt comfortable as "Brooke." Two months ago, I watched a film called "Tomboy." (Great film, by the way) It's about a ten year old girl who poses as a boy. I grew uncomfortable during the film, seeing literally some of my very behaviors in this girl. It made me think. Too much. I panicked, questioning my gender for the first time since I was a child. I wrote it off as an isolated incident. Until the sidewalk. Part of me believes that I am gender fluid or merely a VERY butch lesbian. Yet, I think of myself as a man and it feels like I've always been that way. I've dressed in drag (such as in my picture) and it feels right. I've imagined myself as a man for ages, but I'm resisting. I fought so hard to admit that I was gay, after all. So, after running from being "straight" as a woman, I get uneasy at the idea of being a *straight* man. That word. "Straight." It carries such clout. However, after all these months of questioning, I went to a baseball game last night. (It was a slaughter, seriously, the pitching was just awful and the outfield---I digress) As I sat on the third base line, a different thought suddenly hit me. "Yep. I'm a man. No doubt." Thus, though I'm dealing with some doubts, I can honestly say that I'm a man. I have named myself "Sander" and purposely gone to Starbucks just to say my name aloud and see it written on a cup. So, I'm easing into this and I am easing into myself. Just as when we least expect life decisions, we can never expect when we find ourselves. Dear sidewalk,Thanks.With love,Sander
    801 Posted by Sander Mason
  • By Sander Mason
    When we least expect it
    I was walking down the sidewalk outside of a music store when the thought suddenly hit me. "I should be a guy." Born a female, I was never a "typical" girl. At two years old, I had bristly stitches in my upper lip and proudly declared that I had "whiskers like Daddy." At five yeras old, I was Mickey Mouse for Halloween and played Han Solo in Make-believe Land. At seven years old, I told my parents that I'd get married in tux and wanted swim trunks instead of "girl" bathing suits. Until puberty, I told my parents: "I want to be a boy." The thoughts went away by the age of eleven, which is when my mental conditions arrived. I never felt like I was right, that something was wrong with me, and my self-loathing led to some unpleasantries. The only time that I felt happy and comfortable was in the theatre. I worked in the theatre for five years...always playing male roles. The theatre saved my life.   At seventeen, I was eight hours away from my family and anyone who knew me. I changed my name from "Brooke" to "Shelly" to start my life over, become who I really was. Just get comfortable with myself. I began to dress more masculine and fell in love with a girl. So, I came out as a lesbian. It made sense to me. Why I never felt comfortable as "Brooke." Two months ago, I watched a film called "Tomboy." (Great film, by the way) It's about a ten year old girl who poses as a boy. I grew uncomfortable during the film, seeing literally some of my very behaviors in this girl. It made me think. Too much. I panicked, questioning my gender for the first time since I was a child. I wrote it off as an isolated incident. Until the sidewalk. Part of me believes that I am gender fluid or merely a VERY butch lesbian. Yet, I think of myself as a man and it feels like I've always been that way. I've dressed in drag (such as in my picture) and it feels right. I've imagined myself as a man for ages, but I'm resisting. I fought so hard to admit that I was gay, after all. So, after running from being "straight" as a woman, I get uneasy at the idea of being a *straight* man. That word. "Straight." It carries such clout. However, after all these months of questioning, I went to a baseball game last night. (It was a slaughter, seriously, the pitching was just awful and the outfield---I digress) As I sat on the third base line, a different thought suddenly hit me. "Yep. I'm a man. No doubt." Thus, though I'm dealing with some doubts, I can honestly say that I'm a man. I have named myself "Sander" and purposely gone to Starbucks just to say my name aloud and see it written on a cup. So, I'm easing into this and I am easing into myself. Just as when we least expect life decisions, we can never expect when we find ourselves. Dear sidewalk,Thanks.With love,Sander
    Aug 24, 2015 801
  • 20 Aug 2015
    Is Everything OK?
    Last weekend was my birthday. My wife and I decided to celebrate it by taking an exploratory trip around the area. Since I had success wearing my heeled sandals on my trip the prior weekend, I wanted to wear them again on the trip. My wife suggested I wear shorts this time, rather than the slacks I had worn on the prior trip. So here we go! I'm wearing woman's sandals with a two-inch wide heel, women's shorts with a five inch inseam (kinda short), and a men's shirt with a hawaiian scene printed on it. So I'm not completely en femme, just the bottom half.   As lunchtime approached, we sought a restauarant in an unfamiliar town. Upon entering the one we chose, I had to rush to the men's room to relieve myself. Once finished, I noticed my wife sitting at a table at the far side of the restaurant. Shortly after I seated myself, the waitress appeared and asked if everything was okay. I said yes, but that I had just started looking over the menu.   A minute or so later, a gentleman appeared at the table and asked whether everything was okay. We replied yes, and he departed. I commented to my wife that the restaurant's help appeared to be unexpectedly helpful in this little town.   Shortly afterwards, someone else arrived at the table to ask the same question. This continued until about 6 or so different people did so. That's when we determined I was being checked out by the staff!   Everything went well with the experience. Nobody treated us disrespectfully. I thought it was funny that I had become someone unusual to spice up their day.   So for those of you who are on the fence about whether to show yourself publicly, I can speak from my brief experience. So far I haven't had any negative experiences. Either people aren't paying attention, or if they are, it is respectful. This doesn't mean everybody will behave considerately, so you still have to try to stay away from situations that could be hostile. However, in general people are going to go about their business. Give it a try when you are ready, and be patient until you muster up the nerve to do it!
    940 Posted by Sami Brown
  • By Sami Brown
    Is Everything OK?
    Last weekend was my birthday. My wife and I decided to celebrate it by taking an exploratory trip around the area. Since I had success wearing my heeled sandals on my trip the prior weekend, I wanted to wear them again on the trip. My wife suggested I wear shorts this time, rather than the slacks I had worn on the prior trip. So here we go! I'm wearing woman's sandals with a two-inch wide heel, women's shorts with a five inch inseam (kinda short), and a men's shirt with a hawaiian scene printed on it. So I'm not completely en femme, just the bottom half.   As lunchtime approached, we sought a restauarant in an unfamiliar town. Upon entering the one we chose, I had to rush to the men's room to relieve myself. Once finished, I noticed my wife sitting at a table at the far side of the restaurant. Shortly after I seated myself, the waitress appeared and asked if everything was okay. I said yes, but that I had just started looking over the menu.   A minute or so later, a gentleman appeared at the table and asked whether everything was okay. We replied yes, and he departed. I commented to my wife that the restaurant's help appeared to be unexpectedly helpful in this little town.   Shortly afterwards, someone else arrived at the table to ask the same question. This continued until about 6 or so different people did so. That's when we determined I was being checked out by the staff!   Everything went well with the experience. Nobody treated us disrespectfully. I thought it was funny that I had become someone unusual to spice up their day.   So for those of you who are on the fence about whether to show yourself publicly, I can speak from my brief experience. So far I haven't had any negative experiences. Either people aren't paying attention, or if they are, it is respectful. This doesn't mean everybody will behave considerately, so you still have to try to stay away from situations that could be hostile. However, in general people are going to go about their business. Give it a try when you are ready, and be patient until you muster up the nerve to do it!
    Aug 20, 2015 940
  • 14 Aug 2015
    Bravery Last Weekend
    For many of you, going out en femme may not be a big thing anymore. For me, a newbie, it is a VERY BIG THING. It's big enough that I'm just taking baby steps. Last weekend I travelled by car to visit my children. I decided to do something different. I guess you can say that I was female from the waist down. I wore heeled sandals and a flattering dark pair of slacks, plus a well coordinated men's shirt, with no makeup. My trip away had stops at a rest area and two convenience stores/gas stations. While I was fueling I noticed a woman giving me a look, but other than that, everything went as if it were perfectly normal. This included going into men's rooms. The way back also had ventures into two stores and a rest stop. This time I had no issues at all. I admit that what I was doing didn't stand out, but that's exactly what I was trying to do. I wasn't trying to draw attention. I'll save that for another day, when I've got more guts. As it is, my wife has already told me that it was more guts than what she thought I had. Thank you for letting me share this small victory. What everybody has said is true. 99% of the other people are too involved with what they are doing to notice or care what you are doing. For me, it was very liberating, even though it was a small step. I can attribute this to the women on this site who have already done this and have explained how it worked for them. Thank you for the encouragement and advice. Love, Sami
    887 Posted by Sami Brown
  • By Sami Brown
    Bravery Last Weekend
    For many of you, going out en femme may not be a big thing anymore. For me, a newbie, it is a VERY BIG THING. It's big enough that I'm just taking baby steps. Last weekend I travelled by car to visit my children. I decided to do something different. I guess you can say that I was female from the waist down. I wore heeled sandals and a flattering dark pair of slacks, plus a well coordinated men's shirt, with no makeup. My trip away had stops at a rest area and two convenience stores/gas stations. While I was fueling I noticed a woman giving me a look, but other than that, everything went as if it were perfectly normal. This included going into men's rooms. The way back also had ventures into two stores and a rest stop. This time I had no issues at all. I admit that what I was doing didn't stand out, but that's exactly what I was trying to do. I wasn't trying to draw attention. I'll save that for another day, when I've got more guts. As it is, my wife has already told me that it was more guts than what she thought I had. Thank you for letting me share this small victory. What everybody has said is true. 99% of the other people are too involved with what they are doing to notice or care what you are doing. For me, it was very liberating, even though it was a small step. I can attribute this to the women on this site who have already done this and have explained how it worked for them. Thank you for the encouragement and advice. Love, Sami
    Aug 14, 2015 887