Kate Bornstein vs. Gender Bullies

This is a rare World Series Edition of Femulate because I am writing it while watching the World Series.

Kate Bornstein vs. Gender Bullies

Author, playwright, performance artist and gender theorist Kate Bornstein wrote on "Why the Gender Bullies Can’t Win," an essay that appears in the current issue of Rolling Stone.

She wrote, "It isn’t going to be easy. It may take a while. So we keep resisting. I’m 70 years old, and I’ve been resisting gender bullying from the day I was told I had to be a boy. I’m still alive, and joyously living the gender of my choice. We all can do that if we do it together with the kindness, compassion, and justice we all deserve."

I urge you to read her entire essay. After all the transphobic flak we have been experiencing lately, I felt encouraged after reading her words.

And go Red Sox!

Wearing Boston Proper (Source: Boston Proper)

This is the outfit Kerry plans to wear on Halloween. "I'm to old to trick or treat, but a stroll through the mall would be just as fun. The killer heels I'm wearing killed my feet after two hours. Have fun on Halloween."

(Send me a photo of your all-time favorite Halloween femulation and I will post it here, too.)

Local War on Transgenders

At least one candidate for office in Connecticut is on the wrong side of the War on Transgenders: Rob Sampson who is running for State Senator from my district, Connecticut State Senate District 16, which includes the towns of Prospect, Southington, Wolcott, the north end of Cheshire and the east end of Waterbury (see the map).

Sampson is a four-term State Representative representing the 80th State House District. He is trying to jump to the Senate now that his fellow traveler, Senator Joe Markley, is running for Lieutenant Governor.

Sampson has a long record of introducing legislation and voting for legislation that negatively affects his transgender and LGB constituents.

Vickie Nardello for State Senate

His House Bill (HB) 5193 stated that “health insurance policies delivered, issued for delivery, renewed, amended or continued in this state shall not be required to provide coverage for gender reassignment surgery or related surgical expenses.”

He voted against HB 6695, which banned the controversial practice of using therapy to alter a young person's sexual orientation or gender identity.

He voted against HB 6599, which prohibited discrimination based on gender identity or expression.

Also, Sampson has consistently voted against women's rights legislation.

If you live in Connecticut State Senate District 16, I strongly urge you to vote for Vickie Nardello for State Senate and send Rob Sampson packing.

Wearing Bebe (Source: Bebe)

Despicable Administration Eyes Defining Transgender Out of Existence

According to the Sunday New York Times, The Despicable/Trump Administration "is considering narrowly defining gender as a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth, the most drastic move yet in a governmentwide effort to roll back recognition and protections of transgender people under federal civil rights law."

The Department of Health and Human Services, which is spearheading this effort, argued "that key government agencies needed to adopt an explicit and uniform definition of gender as determined 'on a biological basis that is clear, grounded in science, objective and administrable.'"

That is a laughable argument in light of the anti-scientific, anti-intellectual stance of the Despicables.

Someday Funnies

Wearing Bebe (Source: Bebe)

Marie femulated Wonder Woman at a 2017 Halloween GALA with proceeds going to a Children's Care Foundation. The Amazing Amazon was welcomed and accepted by other women attending the festivities.

(Send me a photo of your all-time favorite Halloween femulation and I will post it here, too.)

Conflict

I have a conflict.

There are a couple of Halloween party opportunities next week, but they conflict with the World Series schedule. Normally, it would not be a problem, but this year my Boston Red Sox are representing the American League in the Series.

This is only the seventh time this has occurred in my lifetime, whereas this will be my 67th Halloween, so I may put my Halloween costume away to wear next Halloween and watch the World Series.

Wearing New York & Company (Source: New York & Company)

Sara Michelle in working woman drag – her favorite Halloween femulation (2003)
(Send me a photo of your all-time favorite Halloween femulation and I will post it here, too.)

New Rule Will Let Federal Contractors Fire Trans Employees for Religious Reasons

The Despicable/Trump Administration is working on a formal religious exemption to rules that ban federal contractors from discriminating against LGBTQ people, according to a several unnamed Labor Department sources who spoke with Buzzfeed News.

According to the sources, the Despicable/Trump Administration is working on a policy that would allow federal contractors to discriminate against workers if the contractor claims that their religion requires them to discriminate against LGBTQ people.

The sources did not know if the exception would be limited to federal contractors that are religious – like a Catholic charity – or if it applies to for-profit businesses. Conservatives favor religious exemptions for for-profit businesses like Hobby Lobby and Masterpiece Cakeshop, claiming that a religious business owner’s beliefs are violated if their business violates them.

(Source: LGBTQ Nation)

Smile, Smile, Smile

When I started femulating in public, I was afraid that people would recognize me as a crossdresser. As a result, I looked and acted as if I had something to hide; I walked with my head down, looked away quickly if I saw someone looking at me and I avoided encounters with teenagers, with males, with anybody!

People who noticed, might wonder why I was acting as if I had something to hide and when they looked closer, they might figure out why ― because I was a guy crossdressing in public.

I was outing myself!

Once I figured out the error of my ways, I was determined not to out myself again. Since then, I have followed three rules that have helped me achieve that goal:

1.  Act as if you belong, so walk tall and strut your stuff.

2.  Don't look away furtively if other people look at you. Do the opposite: look back at them and disarm them with a smile.

3.  You are a beautiful woman and you should be happy about it, so smile, smile, smile.

(Source: Pinterest)

Ms. Sindi's favorite Halloween costume photo
(Send me a photo of your all-time favorite Halloween femulation and I will post it here, too.)

Part Time

On Monday, Joanna's Musings From My Everyday Life was a breath of fresh air. In that blog post, she refers us to a YouTube video by a twenty- or thirty-something crossdresser who talks about why she chose not to transition and why living as a woman part time is good enough for her. I highly recommend that you go to Joanna's post and follow her link to watch the video.

After viewing the video, I think I was a little hard on myself when I wrote in yesterday's post, "My wife married a man, not a woman, so I pretend I am a man most of the time. I am only a woman when I am not with my wife. Sounds like I am living a lie when I pretend to be a man and I guess I am..."

Wearing Bebe (Source: Bebe)

Nicole wore her favorite costume to a Royal Canadian Legion Halloween party "many moons ago"
(Send me a photo of your all-time favorite Halloween femulation and I will post it here, too.)

Means to an End

In response to my offer to Ask Me Anything, Romney wrote, "How cognizant are you of underclothing, your so-called 'unmentionables,' during the day? Are you constantly aware or are there lapses while you're engaged in activities?"

When I am dressed as a woman, I am seldom cognizant of my unmentionables.

I typically wear a longline bra and a girdle. I like the way that they look on me and I like the shape that they give me, but they are not a turn-on.

Once I put them on, I forget about them unless something causes discomfort, for example, a too-tight bra strap digging into my shoulder. Otherwise, if my unmentionables are doing their job, they become my "invisibles."

Romney also asked, "Are you 'dressed' to some degree each day?"

I am not "dressed" to some degree each day. I only dress when I go out or when I am trying to put together an outfit to wear or when a new garment is delivered and I want to see how it looks and fits. I love wearing women's clothing, but like my unmentionables, they are not a turn on. Rather, they are a means to an end and that end is being a woman.

My wife married a man, not a woman, so I pretend I am a man most of the time. I am only a woman when I am not with my wife. Sounds like I am living a lie when I pretend to be a man and I guess I am, but I am committed to my marriage and so it goes.
 

Wearing Versace

Nancy Ng's Pan Am stewardess Halloween costume was her favorite.
(Send me a photo of your all-time favorite Halloween femulation and I will post it here, too.)

Someday Funnies

Wearing Tory Burch booties (Source: Tory Burch)

Jennifer Tomkins favorite Halloween photo taken in 2010
(Find her on Facebook and flickr)

Calling Halloween Femulators

Andee reminded me that I have not made my annual call for photos of your Halloween femulations, so consider this the "call."

Send me a photo of your favorite Halloween femulation and I will post it here in the blog. Please only send me one Halloween femulation... your all-time favorite. It can be from last year, last week or the last century, but it should be your favorite and please only send me one femulation. Multiple photos of the same femulation are fine, but don't send multiple femulations. Just send me your favorite.

Also, if you wish, write a few words about your favorite Halloween femulation and I will include it with your photo.

The accompanying photo (right) is Andee dressed to the nines to attend the Transgender San Francisco Halloween party circa 2002. Not sure if that is her favorite Halloween femulation, but I have today it is a good one!

By the way, my favorite Halloween costume was the Playboy bunny outfit I put together for Halloween 2004, but my favorite Halloween femulation has to be going to work dressed as an office girl for Halloweens 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Wearing New York & Company (Source: New York & Company)

Damir Kedzo femulates Ariana Grande on Croatian television's version of Your Face Sounds Familiar.

When in Versailles...

Yesterday, I purchased the Kindle edition of A Treasury of Royal Scandals for $1.99. I figured that there had to be a few femulators in the book and sure enough, I hit pay dirt: Philippe, Duc d’Orleans, who was the brother of France's King Louis XIV.

According to the book, Philippe was gay and "was forever dressing like a woman" and "loved putting himself on dazzling display, sashaying his way through the gilded halls of Versailles."

When I read that, I recalled featuring a photo from the French television series Versailles that I featured in the Femulator spot back in October 2016. The photo showed actor Alexander Vlahos in female garb.

At the time, I assumed that Versailles was fiction and the writers included some crossdressing to spicen things up. Little did I know that the actor was portraying an real historical figure, Philippe, Duc d’Orleans.

Live and learn.

Whereas Alexander Vlahos' portrayed Philippe as a tall, thin femulator, the book claims that Philippe was actually "short and pot bellied.”

By the way, the only other femulator I could find in the book was France's King Henri III, but that's another story.

Wearing Cinq A Sept dress and Francesco Russo sandals (Source: Intermix)

Alexander Vlahos (left) portrays Philippe, Duc d’Orleans in the French television series Versailles.

Late Nights

Serena Southerlyn (Elisabeth Röhm)

Since I stopped working last summer, my body clock has shifted.

When I was working, I was up at 5:30 AM and in bed at 10 PM (unless there was an episode of Law & Order that I had not seen that was on at 10).

After leaving the workforce, I began staying up later and later each night reading and writing, while the television blasted in the background (just in case an episode of Law & Order that I had not seen shows up).

So these days, I am in bed between midnight and 1 AM and up and at 'em at 7 or 8 AM depending on when I went to bed. This schedule serves me well when there is a late Red Sox game on the television, for example, like last night, when the Sox ended the Yankees' season at 11:35 PM. Or when there is an episode of Law & Order that I have not seen.

Getting this post back on track, I decided that Serena Southerlyn (played by Elisabeth Röhm) is the Law & Order Assistant District Attorney I would most like to femulate. So now you know!

Wearing Boston Proper (Source: Boston Proper)

Jim Beudin femulates on the "Sweeps" episode of television's Law & Order.