Jump on the wayback machine to the mid-1980s and you will find me religiously attending my support group meetings twice a month. Those meetings were my only opportunity to be en femme beyond my closet at home and I seldom missed a meeting.
I was still learning the art of femulation back then. My wigs looked like wigs, my makeup was all wrong, my heels were too high and my skirts were too short. (I guess some things never change.)
Besides giving me an opportunity to go out en femme, attending support group meetings helped educate me about the finer points of femulation. By chatting with the other girls in attendance and listening attentively to speakers who appeared at our meetings, I corrected the errors of my presentation.
Joann Roberts was one of our speakers. She spoke for about an hour and then hung back to chat with us as we perused the books she had for sale: her Art and Illusion: A Guide to Crossdressing and her Art & Illusion Companion, which was a supplement to the original Art and Illusion.
I bought a copy of both books. After I paid her, she thanked me for my purchase, then she added, "I could not help noticing you during my talk."
"Huh?" was my clever response.
"You are a natural and have a lot of potential."
I managed to squeak out a "Thank-you" and went on my way.
I will never forget what Joann said to me that night and thanks to her, I have been working on my "lot of potential" ever since.
A femulator in 1970.
Wearing Jessica London.
Sad to hear about her passing. I knew her in the 80's and 90s. A wonderful person, caring and loving. She will be missed. My condolences to her family and friends.
ReplyDeleteDiane Leonard
I'm really sorry I didn't get the opportunity to know her and I'm sorry for your loss, Stana. From everything I read you will miss her lots and so will lots of others. Again, I'm very sorry and send my deepest condolences to you, her friends and her survivors.
ReplyDeleteAfter joining IFGE by snail mail and by subscribing to their "Tapestry" magazine for about a year in the early 1990's Jo Anne Roberts had a advertisement for "LadyLike" magazine in one of the issues. Subscribed to "LadyLike" Magazine for about three years. I was never brave enough to send my photos in to "LadyLike". All the photos she published other girls looked so great and felt I would never be any where near as "pretty" like those photos were. "LadyLike" magazine and IFGE "Tapaestry" were very helpful in knowing that there were other males who liked to dress in women's clothes. Took a few years before I went out dressed first time in 1999 my first Tri-Ess meeting of Beta Gamma - Minnesota chapter which was disbanded and replaced by Tri-Ess Minnesota "TEM" or Tau Epsilon MU chapter.
ReplyDeletePhoebe
Dear Stana,
ReplyDeleteI also have Joann's 2 wonderful magazine sized illustrated guides to feminization. I also have her makeup DVD. I had considered going to one of her November conferences in Rehoboth, Delaware, but never did attend. Like Joann, I was born and raised in Philadelphia.
Love,
Sheila.
Stana,
ReplyDeleteJoann had the courage and conviction to put herself out front and to show the world that we are here, we are good people and that we were entitled to respect and dignity. I see the work that you and others do in the more modern era as a continuation of the progrss that she and others started.
Pat