When I was a kid, my parents kept me in line by reminding me that Santa Claus knew everything I did, good or bad, and would reward me accordingly on December 25th.
I stopped believing that story a few years ago, but I recently discovered that Google knows.
This morning, I used Google to look up something related to ham radio. Google came back with a list of website links and I clicked on one that looked promising.
Immediately, that ham radio website appeared in my browser, but I was taken aback by the banner advertisement displayed at the top of the web page.
It was an “Ads by Google” Saks Fifth Avenue' advertisement (see above) for a pair of Christian Louboutin glitter-covered peep-toed platform pumps with a 5-1/2-inch stiletto heel for only $795!
After trying unsuccessfully to come up with a ham radio application for the shoes, I realized that Google knows that I am a femulator and is gearing its advertisements toward Stana!
As a result, I plan to be a good girl this year and hope that Google will reward me with a $795 pair of high heels on December 25th.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Google Knows
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
First I Look At the Purse
Maybe it's just me. Maybe it has something to do with the environment or the era in which I grew up. But in my mind, a purse, clutch, handbag, pocketbook, etc., is the defining part of an outfit that indicates that you really mean business with regards to presenting femininely.
I can wear a wig, dress, heels, full makeup, earrings, necklace, bracelet, pantyhose, tampon, bra, girdle, panties, etc., but until I add a purse to my outfit, only then do I feel that I am really femulating.
Without a purse, a guy in a dress still has a lot of freedom, especially in his upper body, to move and motion in a manly manner. Hand him a purse and that is a mare of a different color. She now has to move and motion differently; she must consider her purse at all times and move accordingly.
"Moving accordingly" means moving like a lady, that is, she must carry herself like other lady's who are carting a bag.
While you are at it, carry a nice bag. A designer bag is to die for and shows the other girls that you are really concerned about your feminine appearance.
A designer bag does not have to bust your budget; the consignment shops are full of like-new designer bags at cut-rate prices.
So, get a nice bag and carry yourself and the bag like a lady.
And happy femulating!
Here are a couple of how-to's on the topic of carrying handbags:
• Couture Allure Vintage Fashion
• it's all in the bag
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Excellent Femulation at Womanless Beauty Review
I wish there were more photos of this "womanless beauty review" because the only available photo displays an excellent level of femulation. Anyway, this one was part of the Relay for Life event in Okolona, MS, that took place in May 2010.
Sonia and Me
I was very moved by the Sonia Burgess story (mentioned in yesterday's post here). In many ways, her story is my story.
Sonia lived full-time as a woman except at work, where she presented as a male.
I try to live as a woman as much as possible. The exceptions are at work and my life with my wife.
Where Sonia worked as a male, "the existence of her alter ego was something of an open secret."
After wearing convincing female costumes to our workplace Halloween parties, I believe that some of my co-workers suspect that something is up.
"Sonia was open about her lifestyle to anyone who asked, but she also had separate groups of friends: those who knew her as David and those who knew her exclusively as Sonia."
That describes me to a T (pun intended).
Sonia "was growing her hair out and she was certainly discussing some facial surgery and a boob job, but I don't think she was going to go for genital surgery. I don't think she thought it was worth it. It was enough for her to be perceived as female. She didn't see the need to go through such a radical procedure. Partly, this was because Burgess seemed to feel little friction between his (sic) two gender identities."
Same here. If I was full-time, I would grow my hair out and permanently remove the unwanted hair, but I would have no interest in surgery. I feel no friction between my gender identities' As I've mentioned before, I am a woman with a male body and that's alright by me.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Life and Death of David Sonia Burgess
"Last October, detectives were called to investigate the death of a woman under a London tube train. But as they traced her final moments, they discovered that she was, in fact, David Burgess, one of the most brilliant immigration lawyers of his generation. Here, Burgess's family and friends tell, for the first time, the complicated story of the loving father, brilliant colleague, sensitive woman and courageous person they knew."
Thank you, Gwen for alerting me about this story that appears in today's Guardian The Observer. You can read the rest of it here.
I so identify with Sonia! I wish I knew her before she died.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
When I Was A Red
Before I discovered that I was really a blonde, I thought I was really a redhead, as shown in this May 1995 photo.
My belief in my redheadedness goes back to when I was a baby. I don't recall it myself, but my parents always claimed that I was a redhead in my very early years. (Gradually my hair color turned brown, later gray, and still later thin.)
Anyway, when I was choosing a wig color, I figured red might work since I started here as a redhead. Turned out that I liked myself as a redhead and wore various shades of red for years.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
By Popular Demand
Many of you sent positive feedback regarding my vintage photograph and asked for more. So, I went through my shoebox of old photos to see if there were any other oldies that were goodies.
I found this one from December 1994, in which I was all dolled-up to attend my support group's Christmas party.
I love that dress. I think I only wore it twice. I hope it is still in storage in the attic; if so, I think I can find an occasion to wear it again.
I also like the hair style. If I can find that length and style in a lighter color, I may be sporting a new hairdo soon.
What's Good for the Goose...
Wouldn't it be nice to receive this e-mail advertisement tomorrow:
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Housework
While I was tidying up, I wondered what you girls would like to see here in my blog. What is missing? What would you like to see more of (or less of)? Et cetera, et cetera.
All sincere suggestions will be considered. I look forward to hearing from you!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
First On My List
Anne Francis died Sunday.
The 5'8' film and television actress was probably best known for her role as Honey West in the television detective series of the same name, but I will always remember her as Robby the Robot's housemate in the science fiction film classic Forbidden Planet.
Coincidentally, on the day of her death, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) showed Forbidden Planet and I happened upon it while switching channels (I did not know she had died at the time).
While watching the film, I mentioned to my family how the monster in the film had scared the bejesus out of me when I saw the film for the first time as a 5-year-old sitting in the back seat of my family's Buick Special at the local drive-in theater.
What a predicament!
Whenever the monster appeared on the big screen, I looked away. Problem was that when I looked away from the big screen, I ended up looking out the side windows of the Buick and who knew what monsters were lurking out in the blackness beyond the Buick!
Getting back to Ms. Francis. She was the first on what would turn out to be my very long list of women who I found attractive and wanted to be like. Watch Forbidden Planet and I think you will agree that she was someone to femulate. And she had Robby the Robot at her beck and call to boot!
Rest in peace, Altaira.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Scalia's Surprise: Women Don't Have Constitutional Protection Against Discrimination
WASHINGTON -- The equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not protect against discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation, according to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
For the record, the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause states: "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." That would seem to include protection against exactly the kind of discrimination to which Scalia referred.
Read the rest of this shocking story in The Huffington Post.
UPDATE: Scalia says the 14th Amendment protects only black citizens, not women. Oh, and a rich white kid named Bush
For another view on the matter, please read this piece by Joan Walsh from Salon.
Japanese Crossdressers Niche Shopping Site
Now that I have finally gotten rid of the visions of sugarplums dancing in my head, I have been trying to catch up on my trans-net reading.
During my catch-up, I came across this December 16 Japan Trends story about an e-commerce store that is an offshoot of the crossdresser maid cafes. For those who are unfamiliar with crossdresser maid cafes, they are restaurants where the waitstaff dress as maids and also happen to be male.
The e-commerce store, Lagrangel, sells a variety of feminine finery (including wigs) for Japanese lads who wish to present as ladies. Too bad their size large is about 6 inches too small for me!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
To Do
• Dress en femme more often than not
• Kiss a girl
• Lose ten pounds
• Write a book
• Get rid of my back fat
• Have more nights out with the girls
• Get rid of my varicose veins
• Improve my blog
• Find a new hair style
• Attend a transgender conference
• Sell Avon en femme
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Wednesday in Heels
"Angelina Jolie had her own request for stunt gear in the new movie "The Tourist" -- stilettos," according to the Associated Press.
"Jolie did her stunts in Salvatore Ferragamo heels. The heel height came down a bit for the most active scenes, but "she basically toughed it out in her shoes," said costume designer Colleen Atwood."
Read the rest of the story here.
Meanwhile, if you ever bought a pair of heels that turned out to be too small (who hasn't?), here is a cool tip I found on YouTube that demonstrates how to stretch your shoes a half to one full size using ice.
Dunno what my spouse will think finding a pair of 4-inch pumps next to the pot roast, but if it works, move over tater tots!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Femulate Brasil
Femulate Brasil emulates Femulate in Portuguese.
César is the brains behind Femulate Brasil and I thank him for honoring my blog with his Portuguese version.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Support the "Girls"
An e-mail from Jackie alerted me that the boys who emulated girls in a pageant at the Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill, FL, were receiving flak from some of the folks commenting on the news story about the event.
Seems that the boys put the event together as a fundraiser for the school's cheerleaders, but some "enlightened" individuals found the crossdressing inappropriate and harangued the boys with their comments.
Jackie and I agree that the boys do not deserve the negative comments. Rather, they should be congratulated for their fine work. If you would like to add some positive words to those comments, I urge you to do so here.
Boys Being Girls Again
Bill e-mailed me about womanless beauty pageants at the Travelers Rest High School in Travelers Rest, SC. You can view photos of the 2008 pageant here and the 2009 pageant here.
Bill opines that "2008 is much better than 2009" and that "pierced earrings and high heels are worn in this event."
"Some application of Nair would have improved matters," says I.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
More or Less Womanless
I received an unsolicited e-mail a few days ago that invited me to visit a web site to view videos related to womanless pageants, weddings, fashion shows, etc. I checked it out and found a list of approximately 300 links to such videos. Many I had seen in the past, but some were new to me.
I was going to pass the web site along to you readers, then I discovered that there was a "catch." If I was not careful about where I pointed and clicked, the womanless video list transitioned into a pornography video list. So I abandoned the idea of passing along the web site information to you.
Instead, I Googled it myself. Doing so, I came up with 692 womanless-related videos. Like the porn site list, some I have seen in the past, but some were new to me.
You'll have to separate the wheat from the chaff yourself. Enjoy!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Another Tall Thursday
Long time, no Famous Females of Height, so without further ado…
My trans sister in Atlanta, Petra, alerted me to the tallest female of this group, 6'8" Ricki Covette, a burlesque performer from the 1960s. Petra kindly sent along a pertinent link about Miss Covette, too.
I have been watching Seinfeld reruns lately and I spotted three of our tall ladies on that show: 5'8" Cindy Ambuehl, 5'9" Kathleen McClellan, and 5'9" Ivana Miličević.
Also spotted while ogling the telly were 5'9" model Sophie Turner, 5'10" actress Margo Stilley (spotted in the film How To Lose Friends & Alienate People - that's her in the accompanying photo), and 6'3" actress Dot-Marie Jones from television's Glee.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Meanwhile, Back at T-Central…
At last count, my guest post at Calie’s T-Central has generated a thread of 20 25 interesting comments. If you have not read the comments, I recommend that you do. You might also want to add your own comment to the discussion.
Vampire Girls
Looking for femulations on eBay, I came across an unusual postcard depicting a vaudeville act called “Vampire Girls Company.” The “girls” are actually boys and according to the postcard, they were performing at the “New Garden Theatre.”
The back of the postcard indicates that Waterloo, IA was the site of photo on the front of the postcard. I can find no other information concerning the Vampire Girls.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Go Directly to T-Central…
…do not pass go and do not collect $200.
Sister blogger, Calie, the brains behind the operation known as T-Central, invited me to guest post on her blog. I was honored that she asked me and I happily accepted her invitation. My guest post now appears there.
By the way, I am getting over my illness. Today, I feel about 80% “normal,” as compared to 50% yesterday and 0% on Sunday. Thank you all for your well wishes!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Ill
I'm ill.
I woke up in the middle of the night and had vomiting sessions at 2, 3 and 5 AM losing 5 pounds in the process.
I got out of bed at 8 AM to take a shower figuring that after a shower, I would feel better. I did not. Instead, I felt very weak and tired, so I went back to bed and slept most of the morning.
I woke up around noon with a 100.3 degree temp; took an ibuprofen and that brought my temp down to 99.
I felt blah all afternoon and am going back to bed after I post this.
Sorry, I am not my femulating self today. I hope tomorrow that I will be better.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Dear Stana: Where’d You Get the Bunny Costume?
I like your site and check it often. On your site's picture gallery, there are many pics of you, but I wanted to ask about one toward the bottom where you are dressed in what looks like a black waitress outfit from a Playboy Club. You look absolutely fabulous. It must feel wonderful. I was wondering about it though; where you got it; if it is from a Playboy club?
Regards,
Fred
Hi Fred,
Thank you for the kind words!
Like every boy, I wanted to be a Playboy bunny when I grew up. Didn't happen, but the next best thing was to be a Playboy bunny on Halloween.
Halloween 2004 was my target for joining the girls in Hef's bunny hutch, so I began searching the Internet for bunny costumes.
Occasionally, authentic Playboy bunny costumes turn up on eBay, but they are prohibitively expensive, not to mention that they are never available in Size 16 Tall.
There were a few bunny costumes available on the Halloween costume web sites. All resembled the real Playboy costume in one way or another, but none were authentic enough for me and again, size was an issue.
I am a do-it-yourself kind of girl. In the past, I assembled many Halloween costumes from scratch, so I decided that if I wanted to achieve authenticity, I would have to build my own Playboy bunny costume.
With summer winding down, there were clearance sales galore on swimwear and I found the perfect item for my costume at the Newport-News web site: a black sequins maillot-style swimsuit. I don't recall the size or the price, but when it arrived, it was a perfect fit and I was well on my way building the costume.
I already had shoes that matched the bodice: a pair of black patent high heel pumps.
The bunny ears, tail, tuxedo cuffs and collar with bow tie were relatively easy and inexpensive to acquire. Various Halloween costumers sold kits that paired the ears with the tail and the cuffs with the collar. They were so inexpensive that I bought two kits each just in case I had a costume malfunction.
The hardest items to find were the fishnets and rosette name badge.
I owned fishnets, but none that had a fishnet pattern all the way up to the waistband, which is what I needed to cover my legs from toe to hip. One more time, size was an issue, but I finally managed to find a pair online that fit my very long gams.
After visiting a number of craft and party stores, I found a rosette name badge at a local party store. All I had to do was add my own name to the badge, which I did using a font on my computer that approximated the original bunny rosette name badge font.
I had a collection of foundation garments to experiment with in order to achieve a bunny-like figure while attempting to keep the foundation garments hidden. After considerable experimentation, I went with a corset-style waist cincher to achieve the narrowest waistline and a legless panty girdle to flatten my tummy.
I went bra-less since the swimsuit had a built-in bra. I inserted my largest homemade birdseed falsies in the cups of the swimsuit and used surgical tape to bring my "girls" together to add some cleavage.
Voila! I was a now a Playboy bunny and my costume was a hit at my support group's Halloween party that year.
I am very proud of that costume and I hope I will have the opportunity to wear it again someday real soon now.
Best Wishes,
Stana
Need advice concerning femulation or other crossdressing-related matters, then e-mail me and I will happily give you my opinion on the matter. My e-mail address is stana-stana at sbcglobal.net.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Womanless Beauty Pageant
Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill, FL, held a womanless beauty pageant last night.
It is the best womanless event I’ve seen in awhile. There were a lot of pretty contestants wearing beautiful outfits. In fact, the contestants were so pretty that I was not sure it was really a “womanless” contest when I viewed the first photo (above).
The pageant results appear here and a gallery of photos here.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Dear Stana: Your Gorgeous Wig
What is the make and model of your wig. It makes you look wonderfully womanlike.
Thanks,
Patio
Hi Patio,
Thank you for the compliment!
I favor the monofilament wigs from Noriko, specifically the models that are available in gradient dark rooted colors."
Since I began wearing the Noriko brand, I have been told countless times that my wigs look like real hair. Some people were actually shocked when I told them I was wearing a wig.
Besides the excellent quality of Noriko wigs, I believe that the dark roots sell the wig as being authentic hair.
I own a variety of Noriko wigs including their "Stacie" model, which appears in the accompanying photo.
Best Wishes,
Stana
Need advice concerning femulation or other crossdressing-related matters, then e-mail me and I will happily give you my opinion on the matter. My e-mail address is stana-stana at sbcglobal.net.
Monday, December 13, 2010
High Heels Giving You Pain?
High heels are my favorite shoe. I love wearing them (I seldom wear anything else) and I love seeing other women wearing them.
I admit that they may be painful to wear. (“No pain, no gain,” as they say.)
Some heels are worse than others, but after 8 hours, even the most comfortable pair of heels will take their toll. So I was pleased to find an article by Brooke Siler on The Huffington Post today that describes leg exercises to try if your high heels are giving you pain.
Read all about it here.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Saturday Night Trans
Last night, Paul Rudd hosted Saturday Night Live bra-less. Paul McCartney was the musical guest and performed a Beatles' transgender number, Get Back.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
More Trans on 30 Rock
Jenna's female impersonator boyfriend Paul (played by Will Forte) appeared on 30 Rock again in last night’s episode. Mid-show, he was in roller skating waitress drag working with other roller skating "waitresses" and later he appeared as a black swan à la Natalie Portman (see photo with Jenna, played by Janet Krakowski, as Lynn Swann).
You can watch the whole episode here until January 7, 2011.
Also, on the 30 Rock web site is a short video titled Mrs. Lutz on Lutz, in which Mrs. Lutz shares all of her son's embarrassing secrets. Her son, J.D. Lutz, is one of the writers on the fictional Saturday Night Live-like television show that 30 Rock documents. Mrs. Lutz is played in drag by the actor, John Lutz, who plays J.D. Lutz (see photo).
Thursday, December 9, 2010
2010: The Year of the Transsexual?
According to this article in today’s New York Times, “2010 will be remembered as the year of the transsexual.”
“Not since the glam era of the 1970s has gender-bending so saturated the news media. The difference now is that mystery has been replaced with empowerment, even pride.”
Read the rest of the story here.
(Thank you, Sondra, for tipping me off about this article.)
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Christmas Shopping
I have been Christmas shopping this past week and I am almost done except for a trip to the packie to buy some wine and liquor.
The thing about Christmas shopping is that I buy almost as much for myself as I do for the people on my shopping list.
Last week, my Woman Within Christmas shopping experience included a top, a bra, and six pairs of tights for myself.
My Sephora shopping order on Friday included mascara, eyeshadow, and powder for myself.
My trip to Fashion Bug yesterday included a six strand silver necklace for myself.
Today, my online visit to Victoria's Secret included two sweater dresses (see photos) for myself.
My excuse is that no one buys Christmas gifts for Stana, so Stana has to take matters into her own hands!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Boys' Dreams
What boy tottering on the edge of the gender chasm could resist this outfit advertised in Macy's Sunday newspaper advertisement?
I know if I saw such an outfit when I was a teenager, I would be ready to get on board the Good Ship Lollipop and sail away to Ladyland.
I didn't do it because I was afraid what other people might think.
I was the first child of my generation and my family had high expectations for me. Back then, I believed that I would be a big disappointment if I ran away to The City, fulfilled my dream, lived full-time as a woman, and became a female impersonator? So I hung back, followed a traditional career path and made everyone proud of me except me.
It took a long time to realize that what other people think about me is not important. My dreams were important and now I so regret not following mine.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Paul's Transvestite Tips
Updated Below
My favorite television show, 30 Rock, is becoming my favorite TV show (if you know what I mean). In last night's episode, Jenna's female impersonator boyfriend Paul (played by Will Forte) made a return appearance and I was amused.
I visited the 30 Rock web site today to look for photos of last night's episode. I found plenty of those.
I also discovered a slideshow of "Paul's Transvestite Tips," which I also found amusing.
My favorite tip is "Feather boas should bring out one's eyes."
UPDATE: You can watch the whole episode here until January 7, 2011.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
"Tuesday, I spent the day en femme" again.
Just some additional thoughts on what I wrote here yesterday about my Tuesday out en femme.
All the comments and e-mails I received (so far) on the matter were of the opinion that my outfit looked fine and I had nothing to worry about. Therefore, short hemlines will continue to play an important role in my wardrobe.
At outreach, someone in each class asked me about my sexual orientation. Some students were taken aback (others, not so much) when I indicated that my preference was women and if you accept my how I identify gender-wise, that makes me a lesbian.
Someone in each class also asked me if I presented as a women because I was just interested in all the trappings of being female or was it something more than that, something internal. I explained that it was more than just the trappings of being female. I never felt that I was a female trapped in a male body. Instead, I was "me" trapped in the expectations of what being a "male" was all about.
Although I embraced many things considered "male," I also rejected many "male" things, while embracing many "female" things. As a result, friends and enemies (especially enemies) considered me to be effeminate.
I never tried to be effeminate just as I never tried to be macho, but society branded me "effeminate" nonetheless. I never understood why because I was just being "me."
Yes, I love all the female trappings; I love presenting as a woman, but that's only the tip of the iceberg called "me."
On a lighter note... My wig continues to impress. A student asked me about my hair and I revealed that it was a wig, which surprised many of the students. I explained that the dark roots of my wig "sells" it and the students agreed with my assessment.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Tuesday, I spent the day en femme.
Tuesday, I spent the day en femme.
I wore my argyle tunic, black ribbed tights, and black mid-calf boots. After I looked in the mirror, I wondered if I was showing too much leg.
"L" and "N" at work wore similar outfits on Monday. "L" wore leggings instead of tights, but they were form-fitting and could be mistaken for tights. So I figured that my tights could be mistaken for leggings, unless the viewer got real close.
Who was I trying to kid?
You had to be myopic not to see that I was wearing tights. The ribbing gave them away. If the tights were a solid color, then mistaking them for form-fitting leggings was in the realm of possibility, but the ribbing was very apparent and to my knowledge, there is no such thing as ribbed leggings.
So why did I go out showing so much leg? Because after I looked in the mirror, I liked the way that I looked!
I was out the door at 9:30 AM.
First, I wanted to see the man with all the toys, so I drove to the mall. I entered through JCPenney and spent about 20 minutes browsing through items in the woman's clothing department.I saw a few items of interest and tried on a couple of jackets, but I discarded each one for different reasons.
While I was in JCPenney, I was very self-conscious about my leggy outfit and I kept looking to see if I was attracting any attention. I noticed none, so I felt more comfortable with my appearance, and walked out into the mall.
At the center of the mall, I found Santa; he was ready for action and I was his first customer. I gave him a break and instead of sitting on his lap, I sat next to him.
While his elves snapped a couple of photos, I told Santa what I wanted for Christmas and he said that if I had been a good girl this year, he would see what he could do.
I chose which photo I thought was the best and the elves printed two copies of my pick (see below) to take home with me.
I exited the mall and drove to a strip of strip malls about ten minutes from the university where I would be doing outreach after noon. I intended to visit Dress Barn, Payless Shoes, Marshalls, and Kohls, but by the time I finished visiting Dress Barn, it was time to drive to the university.
By the way, I tried on five dresses at "the Barn," but bought none. Three were too small and the two that fit looked too big on me.
I arrived at the university and pulled up to the guard house that guarded the parking lot. After I explained why I was visiting the university, the guard said, "Park anywhere that is not reserved, Ma'am."
"Thank you, sir."
I parked the car, walked to class, and on the way, a group of guys ogled me as I walked by.
"Thank you, guys."
At the classroom, I met up with three other transgenders and the spouse of one. I had done outreach with all of them on many other occasions.
The two Human Sexuality classes had approximately 30 students each with females outnumbering males by about a 4-to-1.
The routine is that each of us spends about three to five minutes each telling our life stories in a nutshell. Then the students ask questions.
We hear many of the questions (like "How did you choose your female name?") over and over again at each outreach, but there are always a few unique questions that require some thought to answer.
Yesterday, the students were very enthusiastic, had a lot good questions; so many so that we ran out of time before they had a chance to ask them all.
After the class, we read the students' reactions to our presentations. Yesterday, I lost count of the number of reactions that admitted that before our presentations, the students thought that all transgenders were gay and now they learned that that legend is not true. Another common thread was that some of the students were apprehensive about our appearance, but afterwords, they felt very comfortable with us.
After the classes, I called it a day. I had not slept well the night before and I was exhausted, so I drove home and went to bed early. But before I fell asleep, I reflected on another fun and productive day out en femme and began looking forward to the next opportunity to be me.