Mrs. Cunberg

I found an interesting item on eBay about ten years ago. It is a photo of a crossdressed man. Although it is a nice colorized photo, it is the accompanying description that I found very interesting.

Here it is unedited:

"THIS IS ACTUALLY MY GRANDFATHER,HE WAS SO GOOD AT DRESSING LIKE A WOMAN THAT WHEN HE TOOK MY FATHER TO SCHOOL ALL HIS CLASSMATES WOULD GREET HIM AS MRS,CUNBERG,IM SHOCKED TO FIND PICTURE AS IT WAS HIDDEN VERY WELL IN ATTIC,MY FATHER WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT BUT SAID HE WAS A WONDERFULL MAN,"

Doing the math, I figure that Mrs. Cunberg was out and about in the early 20th Century. Her hairdo and clothing indicate that her photo may be from the 1920's, which was an era of more liberal thinking, especially in regards to non-traditional gender roles.

So it was a good time for Mrs. C to be open about her gender. She could have been a role model for the folks epitomized in the popular song of that era "Masculine Women, Feminine Men."

Source: Intermix

Billy Halle aka Koro, a professional femulator in the 1920s

Stopping Pickups

On more than one occasion, men have tried to pick me up. Women have, too. 

It is always flattering and a boost to my ego. However, I am happily married and a faithful spouse, so I have always rejected attempts to get into my panties.

I stop pickups in their tracks by pointing to my wedding ring. So far, that strategy has always worked for me.

Selfing

Lady J

Dancing

I told this story before, but I recently recalled a part of the story that I neglected to pass along before.

One of my first girly moments was related to the ballet. When I was 5-years-old, my mother enrolled my younger sister and I in a dancing school. My class had about 15 girls and one other boy. Once a week, we practiced tap and ballet for an hour under the tutelage of young female instructors.

I have no memory why my mother enrolled us at dancing school. I could understand enrolling my sister, but why did she immerse me, her only son, in that world of femininity? It certainly was not going to make a man out of me. Maybe she detected the girl in me and thought that I would enjoy participating in such a girly activity.

If that was her plan, she was correct. I enjoyed every minute of it!

I loved learning dance and being treated like the other girls. The young instructors became my role models. I even recall dreaming (both day-dreaming and sleep-dreaming) about dancing as a ballerina, wearing a pink leotard, tutu, ballet shoes, and makeup with my long blond hair put up in a pony-tail.

In the spring, we had a dance recital. It was held at the Loew's Poli Palace theater in Waterbury. "Registered as a National Historic treasure, the Palace's elegant lobbies, crystal chandeliers, gold detailing, almost 3,500 seat capacity auditorium, along with its Broadway-sized stage, make this the largest seating capacity theater of its kind in all of New England" when it was built in 1922 (Source: Cinema Treasures).

So my first (and last) appearance on stage was big time!

Now here's the part I recently recalled...

Since we were appearing on stage, we had to wear makeup. My mother was my makeup lady, but she knew bupkis about stage makeup. So when she applied our makeup, she made my face up just like my sister's face – lipstick, rouge, eyebrow pencil, eye shadow, mascara – the works! Although I was wearing a boy's costume, I had the face of a girl!

Due to tight family finances, we only took dance classes for one year, but that one year immersion in femininity left a life-long impression on this girl.

Wearing Lanvin.

Femulators partying in the 1950s.

What's the problem!

Wearing Joie.

Trevor French (left) femulates in the 2015 stage production of Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Mary

I wanted to be Mary Tyler Moore when I grew up, so when I learned that she died Wednesday afternoon, I think part of me died along with her. I am sure I am not alone feeling that way.

Growing up, Mary was a weekly highlight, first on The Dick Van Dyke Show and later, on her own show. She was pretty, smart, stylish, spunky and just lovely... just like I wanted to be when I grew up.

I am very saddened by her death.

God bless you, Mary.

Wearing Neiman-Marcus.

Artist Henry Faulkner, 1945

Choices

We make choices everyday.

(Boxers, briefs, or panties? Yogurt or bagel? Bra or bra-less? Regular or decaf?)

Some choices are more important than others and some have long-term ramifications.

(Should I be a doctor, a lawyer or a fire chief? Should I marry her, him or it?)

Sometimes our choices backfire. Sometimes our choices are just plain wrong and we suffer the consequences, but we are still free to choose whatever we want.

So why can't we choose our gender?

Despite all the scientific evidence to the contrary, the anti-transgender crowd claims that transgender folks choose to be transgender just like the anti-gay crowd claims that gay folks choose to be gay. And according to those crowds, making those choices is wrong.

I am naturally feminine. My feminine speech and mannerisms are a bad fit in boy mode, but in girl mode, they are a perfect fit.

I could man up and never wear a dress again, but I chose not to do male drag. So, yes, I made a choice to live authentically and not fit in with the boys.

But what if I was not transgender?

What if I was a guy with no gender issues, who carefully weighed all the options and decided that living my life as a woman was preferable to living my life as a man. And as a result, I chose to live my life as a woman.

What's wrong with that?

I say, "Absolutely nothing."

It is just another choice. Admittedly, it is an big choice with a lot of long-term ramifications, but humans make important choices everyday. That's why God gave us intelligence and free will ― so that we can make choices ― like choosing our gender.

Wearing Brahmin.

FF femulates Shirley Bassey on Portugal's version of television's Your Face Sounds Familiar.

We Are Women

Eliza recommended this commercial from Germany. You don't have to understand German to understand the ad.

Wearing Get Crooked hot pants. (Source: SilkFred)

Contestant in the 2016 Miss Snowflake womanless beauty pageant in Martin, Tennessee.

Miss Gendered

I was so impressed with this lady's ability to run in heels that I did not notice the gender-angle of the advertisement until I revisited it over the weekend. The lady assumed that the party they were attending was for a girl named "Taylor," when in fact, it was a party for a boy named "Taylor."

Taylor is a unisex name, but considering the popularity of singer Taylor Swift, the error is understandable.

Wearing Cushnie Et Ochs.

David Duchovny femulating in television's Twin Peaks (1990).

One small step by a very small man

One hour after the new president was sworn in, the LGBT rights page of the White House website was removed. You can look for whitehouse.gov/lgbt, but "Sorry, the page you're looking for can't be found."

Searching the website for "LGBT" or "transgender" is just as futile.

Sad, very sad.

Phillip Lim trenchcoat Louis Vuitton bag Gianvito Rossi shoes (Source: Vivaluxury).

Somebody's Dad modeling in a fashion show in 1956.

Dzięki, Bogu, Jest Piątek!

Wearing DVF sunglasses, Alix bodysuit, Frankie skirt, Louis Vuitton bag and Neil J. Rodgers pumps (Source: Vivaluxury).

Dylan Peck, male womenswear model

Kamil Bijos femulates on the Polish version of television's Your Face Sounds Familiar.