MUCH Nicer!

 

 

 

Wearing Cynthia Rowley.

 

 

 

Actor Freddie Fox femulating in British television’s Worried About the Boy (2010).

Celebration of Women

On Tuesday, Huffington Post published a story by Curtis M. Wong about Marty Thomas (photo above), who is one of the actors performing on Broadway in Pageant: The Musical. The article is interesting and includes a slideshow of photos from the show, however, I take exception to the following quote from the article.

"You can’t just go by the standby strikes or clichés of drag queens. It’s a celebration, rather than a camp mimicking, of women, as can only be told through the voice of gay men."

There are so many things wrong with those words that I don't know where to begin! My panties are duly knotted.

 

Wearing Nanette Lepore.

 

 

 

A contestant and eventual winner in a womanless beauty pageant (2014).
(She deserved to win just for wearing those amazing shoes. Wow!)

Another Convention

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the ham radio organization that I worked for over 35 years and have been a member of for nearly 50 years. The organization is based in Connecticut and to celebrate the event, they are having a convention in downtown Hartford next weekend.

The ham radio group I am involved with as  secretary, director and newsletter editor will have a booth at next week's convention and I will be staffing that booth Friday and Saturday. I will also attend the convention's banquet on Friday night.

Needless to say, I will be en femme for the convention.

If you are a ham and plan to attend, I hope to see you in person.

 

 

 

2014 Paris street style.

 

 

 

Comedian David Walliams (center) femulates in an advertisement
for television’s Britain’s Got Talent (2014).

Another Heroine

My transgender heroines are no-surgery, no-hormone transwoman who identify as either transsexual or transvestite, live full time or part time as women, and more importantly, do not hide their male roots. For example, people like Paul Whitehead, Grayson Perry,  Andrej Pejic, Miqqi Gilbert and Eddie Izzard among others are my heroines.

They are who I want to be.

I recently discovered another: Vladimir Luxuria (photo above) who, according to Wikipedia, "is an Italian actress, writer, politician and television host" and "the first openly transgender member of Parliament in Europe, and the world's second openly transgender MP."

"Although Luxuria lives exclusively as a female, she has not undergone sex change surgery and she remains legally male. She has stated on occasion that she perceives herself as neither male nor female."

Me, too.

 

 

 

Wearing Badgley Mischka.

 

 

 

A womanless beauty pageant contestant (2014).

Reincarnated into the Opposite Gender

Robin referred me to a thread of messages that put forth the theory that transgender people switched genders during reincarnation and that their gender confusion is due to leftovers from their previous life.

Years ago, when I was trying to figure myself out, those same thoughts crossed my mind. They were brought on by a recurring dream in which I was a female performer in the USO during World War II and died in a plane crash during the war (like bandleader Glenn Miller).

This dream occurred many times during my youth (when I was closer in time to my previous incarnation) and I would awake screaming as the plane went down. I have not had that dream in a long time, but I will never forget it.

I am neither a believer or non-believer regarding reincarnation, but if reincarnation is real, then it makes sense that if you switched genders during a reincarnation, there might be residue from the previous gender in your current incarnation.

 

 

 

Wearing Leota.

 

 

 

Singer Daniel Diges femulating Whitney Houston on Spanish television’s
Tu Cara Me Suena (Your Face Sounds Familiar) in 2012.

Paula Goes Abroad – Part 2

By Paula Gaikowski

 

My friend Jenny Turner invited to me join her for dinner if I ever came to England for a visit. After my first outing, I couldn’t wait until Wednesday evening. I worked all day and normally I would be dead tired. In fact, I was but as soon as I started getting dressed and putting on my makeup, I was wide awake and excited as a bride on her wedding day.

Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I remember how hidden and buried Paula was. I never thought in a millions years that I could experience the world as a woman, but here I was going out for dinner in my classic Jones New York suit on the Thames River in the English countryside. A spritz of Channel and I was off like a prom dress, out the door and down the elevator.

With my mind racing in anticipation, I was caught off-guard when the door opened and a middle-aged gentlemen in a business suit stood there. I saw his eyes quickly look me over before he smiled and I smiled back. He motioned with his hand “After you Miss.” That was the first time that I had ever been checked out. I’m sure cisgender woman tire of this objectification, but to me it felt very validating.

Across the plaza I went and saw Jenny’s black Honda parking in front of the hotel. Jenny and I have been flickr friends for awhile and know each other well. We both felt very comfortable with each other as soon as we met and had an immediate rapport.

Jenny has known she was transgender since she was a child and has been expressing her feminine side since then. She has been married to a wonderful accepting women for many years, has three wonderful daughters and served her Queen and country as a member of the Royal Marines for 27 years.

I often find it ironic that so many of us follow careers that are perceived as macho. Nevertheless, she is quite the lady and has an internal ladylike presence that signals a feminine aura and confidence. She wore a pretty flowered dress and I teased her with my feigned resentment about her girlish size 7 shoes. She had on the cutest sassy Mary Jane’s.

What was especially wonderful about this evening is that I forgot I was transgender and found myself out with another woman like myself as we talked about family, careers and hopes for the future.

We navigated an overcrowded parking lot bustling with commuters, stood in line at the parking ticket machine, strolled the shoreline of the Thames, took pictures, and greeted others, all with a unique and magnificent mundaneness.

Dinner was served under a covered porch a few feet from the water’s edge. The waiters and waitresses were polite and attentive.

A few tables away a group of rough-looking men were eating drinking and laughing raucously. I am always wary of be read while in public so I always watch out of the corner of my eye for signs and whispers or sideway glances. These fellows were totally unaware that we were transgender women. It’s nice to be perceived as one perceives one’s self to be.

After dinner, we drove to a scenic old church along the Thames and took some wonderful pictures. Jenny was an ideal hostess and guide as we drove through the English countryside pointing out landmark prep schools, cricket clubs, and Tudor villages with thatched roofs that seemingly came to life out a storybook. England is a beautiful land, rich in history, culture and customs that gave much to our world.

So many of my business colleagues cynically wait out their time off in the hotel bar and complain about the inconvenience of business travel. Thanks to this fabulous English lady, I not only saw the beauty of the English side, I got to experience it as something and someone special: a woman!

 

 

 

Wearing Warehouse (dress), Massimo Dutti (necklace), Kew (belt),
New Look (bangles), Marks & Spencer (bag) and Russell and Bromley.

 

 

 

Young contestant in an unidentified womanless beauty pageant

Paula Goes Abroad – Part 1

By Paula Gaikowski

I have been to the United Kingdom before and always was inhibited about going out en femme.

Those of you who know me and have read about my adventures understand that I’ve overcome that initial trepidation of going out in public as a woman. However I was reluctant to doing so in an unfamiliar country.

After receiving assurances from my dear sister Jenny Turner that the UK was safe and a most pleasant place to go out en femme. It was probably years ahead in acceptance of transgender people.

With all that taken into account I accepted an invitation to dinner with Jenny. I’ll have to admit I also could not resist the thought of using the witty title “Going (A)broad.”

I arrived in the UK early morning with no problem. Some have asked about customs, and bringing in clothes, makeup, breast forms and wigs. There were no problems and nor would there ever be since half of all the suitcases had women’s accessories like mine. Besides its 2014, not 1914 and being transgender is not a crime. In fact, it’s kind of cool.

I took a quick nap and when I woke couldn’t resist the idea of a shopping trip en femme. Three cheers for the cool English weather as I wore a long print skirt and dark blazer.

In an effort to weigh my surroundings, I decided to walk two blocks to The Oracle shopping center in downtown Reading. I’ve always felt comfortable in shopping malls and this was no exception. However I first had to navigate the cobblestones streets of this charming English city, passing by bus stops busy with people and sidewalk cafés filled with afternoon patrons.

By the time I got to the mall, my butterflies had flown away and I had slipped comfortably into my natural role as a woman. I did need new eyeliner so I made my way over to MAC and spent some time being treated magnificently by two young and beautiful makeup artists. I received an excellent lesson on applying eye liner.

These two young cuties seemed inquisitive and happy by the diversion I provided on this quiet afternoon. I asked them if they had many other transgender customers and they typically had a few each week. Not all were dressed and “not all look as good as you” (blush).

Thank you girls.

I enjoyed hearing the story about one of their customers who they guided through transition. “It was beautiful to see a person come alive, for them to finally be as nature intended.”

I think I started to tear up a bit when she said this. It was cathartic and liberating to share my trans story with them. They were surprised and didn’t realize that when I was their age, transition wasn’t an option.

Transgender people have become part of the landscape with the younger generation. Thankfully this generation has options. In a way I’m sad I missed having those choices, but I’m glad I am here to see them and also benefit from them.

Encouraged by their support I decided to stop at the market to buy groceries for my small apartment. I made my way to Sainsbury’s, grabbed a trolley (that’s a shopping cart, my American sisters) and proceeded to shop my way around the store asking for help twice looking for coffee filters and yogurt.

I checked out and walked home several blocks with groceries and purse blending into the crowd with other women. The groceries started getting heavy, the purse became bothersome, the wind messed up my hair, the pantyhose and bra were beginning to overheat, and those cute pumps were pinching my aching feet. I thought to myself “Why does our society subject woman to such an absurd standard of fashion and beauty! How impractical this all is!”

I was experiencing to a small degree what it was like to be a working woman. There wasn’t any glamour, allure or mystique to this. Would I want to do this every day? Is this who I really was?

Right about then I turned the corner and passed a government building that was emptying out for the day. A few women leaving work joined in behind me. Like me, they were loaded down with purses and bags and they looked tired. The walkway snaked through a cavernous section of office buildings; as we passed each one, more women joined in as we headed toward the train station. There I was in the middle of it all – I was one of them. A wonderful feeling of compatibility, assimilation, integration, solidarity, and togetherness came over me.

Would I want to do this every day? Is this who I really was?

Yes.

 

 

 

 

 

Actor Clark Gregg femulating in the 1998 film The Adventures of Sebastian Cole.

Humor in a Femulator Vein

This is a movie prop from the 2003 film Down With Love depicting Mad cover boy Alfred E. Neuman femulating actress Renée Zellweger, who plays the part of a book author named Barbara Novak in the film. The film takes place in the early 1960s, thus, the 1963 cover date.

Coincidentally, the prop cover above was glued to a real issue of Mad (number 80), which has a back cover (displayed below) depicting a member of the Mad staff femulating a “Lady Clinic” model.

 

 

 

Not David Bowie.

 

 

 

Three muxes

Happy Independence Day!

The Journey Home

By Michelle

The conclusion of Michelle’s Royal Ascot outing en femme.

We joined the throng of people leaving the event and moved through the Grandstand, while I held my hat firmly on my head, a now regular event as a sudden draft blew through the now open doors as we headed for the exit. Before we left, I got some more photos at the racecourse and then we looked for the footpath back to the train. This was easier said than done as the crowds were being directed to a particular crossing in the road, but eventually we found the way back to the footpath.

As I mentioned before, this is a relatively short walk which caused no problems this morning, but now to my horror, I found that the return journey was downhill all the way as far as I could see – not the easiest thing to tackle after being on 4-inch heels all day and walking for a good part of it. In fact, this was the most difficult thing I had to do all day. Add to that the surface was uneven. Help!

Taking very small steps, I walked as fast as I dared, which was not very fast. Everyone was overtaking me and my friend was always a few steps ahead. I think I can boast a little here; despite my inability to walk at more than a snail’s pace, I had no muscle ache in the following days after wearing these shoes all day and only the most insignificant of blisters (well done Graceland shoes and charity shops and me!)

Eventually the train station came into view and after checking which train we were to get on, we waited in the crowd until we were let onto the platform. We then walked onto the waiting train and managed to get a seat immediately. I felt there was one person who was watching me closely, but she soon lost interest. I must develop the art of looking at the person and smiling in these situations, as I understand this usually results in them looking away. The group of lads who were quite noisy took no notice of me at all, however.

What a day! Perfect in so many ways. If I’d been asked did I want to go again the next day, my answer would have been “where do I sign?”

To go to Ascot had always been a dream of mine (as I suspect it is for many of us), but I never really thought it was within my capabilities. This year a number of things happened which made it all more possible; some of these factors may not be there next year.

Added to that, I have heard of a number of people who have become seriously ill or even worse recently – some of a similar age to me. My thoughts were if this happened to me in the next few months making such outings impossible (and who knows if it will?) it would be a dreadful thing to think I could have gone to Ascot this year, but decided I could do it at some other time. I guessed it would be highly unlikely I would think “I wish I hadn’t gone to Ascot.” So I went. I might still regret it, but I have gotten to an age where sometimes you have to take a risk, otherwise the chance will pass you by.

As you may know if you saw my article last year that the idea that Ascot was possible was sown after reading regular Ascot-goer Carolyn’s article on Femulate, so my thanks must go to her and I hope if she went this year, she enjoyed it as much as I did. I’m not sure if I’ll go again, but if a good opportunity arises I would say “Yes!”

Also, I’m especially grateful to my friend who offered to accompany me on the big day and was great company throughout it. If he had dropped out at the last moment, would I still have gone? The answer is probably “yes,” but it would have been a lot more difficult.

When I returned I wanted to tell the world about the experience and show my  photos; fortunately there aretwo people who I could. Firstly my wife, who asked about it and a work colleague who couldn’t wait to see them and again asked me all about the day and said she was so chuffed for me

A week later, the thoughts on my big day are that at times, it was stressful beforehand, but I would now be feeling very deflated if I hadn’t taken the plunge. If you are thinking of doing the same, you’d better plan it well and most of all, make sure you are confident and will “pass” for the most part. Otherwise, as the drink flows there could be some direct and perhaps unpleasant comments.

Having said that I experienced nothing of the sort and I exchanged many smiles with people who were also having a great time. I like my sport, but really cannot see myself ever following horse racing seriously, so this is unlikely to be a regular outing. As regards being en femme, however, there is not a better event. Not only do you get the chance to overdress (in fact, it is a requirement of entry), but you can move around freely and anonymously in a big crowd. Add to that, you are under a big hat and dressed to the nines, as is every woman – perfect!

As I look through the photos once again, I realize I enjoyed every high-heeled, posh-frocked and big-hatted moment of it!

 

 

 

Wearing Bebe.

 

 

 

Playboy bunny femulators at Baltimore Pride

4 Reasons President Obama's New Trans Rights Policy Is a Big Deal

By protecting transgender federal employees, the president makes a powerful statement of equality

Earlier today, Parker Marie Molloy wrote the following on RollingStone.com:

At the White House Pride reception on June 30th, President Barack Obama expressed his intent to issue an executive order that would extend employment protections to federal employees on the basis of gender identity – making it illegal for federal agencies to discriminate against transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. This follows a 2009 executive order that extended these same protections to employees on the basis of their sexual orientation. This is big news for trans individuals, both current and aspiring federal employees.

Here are four reasons why.