A New World

On October 1, a new law in Connecticut will ban discrimination on the basis of gender identity in housing, employment and most public accommodations.

That's four months away, but I feel like I am living in a new world already. (It is not a big world, only 5,544 square miles, but it is where I live most of my life.)

I go out and about en femme with a carefree attitude. I try not to worry about the consequences of being out en femme, but in the back of my mind, there was always some concern.

Will the woman who eyed me in the ladies' room complain to management and raise a ruckus?

Will the restaurant refuse to serve me (and embarrass me)?

None of these things have ever happened to me, but they still weighed on my mind whenever I was out en femme in the past.

Those concerns are fading away. And in four months, they will be gone; I will have the law on my side and I will be completely carefree at last.

Connecticut Trans Anti-Discrimination Bill Passes!!!

Pinch me, I must be dreaming!

Last night, the Connecticut State Senate passed the transgender anti-discrimination bill. Next the bill goes to the Governor; he promised that he would sign the bill, so it is a done deal and will take effect October 1.

The bill outlaws discrimination on the basis of gender identity in housing, employment and most public accommodations (including bathrooms). You can read all about it here: The Connecticut Mirror

I wish I could say I did my part to pass this bill. I lobbied my state representative and state senator, but they are tea baggers and voted against the bill. I will be sending them follow-up letters later today informing them that since they voted against me, I will be voting against them when they run for reelection.

Nevertheless, it is a great day to be transgender in the Constitution State!

Lea T. Struts In Swimwear For Fashion Rio

"Lea T., transsexual model and industry darling, hit Brazil's Fashion Rio runway on Wednesday, strutting in several swimsuits for one of the country's top beachwear brands, Blue Man."

Read and see more at The Huffington Post.

Dazzling Shoes

I love high heels.

En femme, I am usually in heels, seldom flats. I own so many pairs that I can go a month without any repeats on my feet.

I am always looking for something new to add to my collection. So, I joined an online shoe club.

Over a month ago, I received an e-mail inviting me to check out Shoe Dazzle.

The first time I visited their website, they prompted me to complete a short survey to indicate my shoe preferences. Thereafter, I began receiving e-mail recommendations matching my preferences.

I considered purchasing a few, but held off until today when a shoe in a style I had been looking for became available (see photo).

All their shoes cost $39.95 per pair, shipping is free, and they have my size (11). I also received a first purchase discount of $7.99, so my first order cost only $31.96.

It remains to be seen if "my size" fits me. I will find out as soon as my new heels show up on my doorstep, then I will let you know

By the way, after making my first purchase, I became a member of their club and every month, I will receive my "personal stylist" shoe selection for $39.95.

So here is my invitation to check out Shoe Dazzle yourself. If you like heels like I do, I think you will like Shoe Dazzle.

I'm So Tired

I'm so tired tonight; too tired to write anything interesting, so I will leave you with another photo from my Dayton Hamvention trip two weeks ago.

That's me Thursday morning before checking out of my hotel on the Pennsylvania-Ohio state line and driving four hours to Dayton.

8.1

I blame it on the long weekend!

I was invited to Memorial Day picnics Saturday and Sunday en homme.

In between picnics, this girl needed some en femme time. But none was on the horizon in the real world, so I escaped to the virtual world and posted my image on Hot or Not.

I had considered doing this a number of times in the past, but did not for one reason or another.

Anyway, I set up my account as a woman, used this photo as my profile, and sat back as the website tallied the votes.

I received 2054 votes and an average score of 8.1 on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being "not" and 10 being "hot").

I received a few messages, too. One fellow wrote, "Is your age correct? no way you look that hot at 60!"

When I assured him that my age was correct, he wrote back, "wow, amazing, :)"

That was worth the price of admission and I deleted my account.

Trans Teen Crowned Prom Queen

The seniors at McFatter Technical High School in Davie, Florida, have elected Andrew Viveros their 2011 prom queen.

“They called my name and I was in total shock,’’ said Andrew, a 17-year-old who was born male but has publicly presented herself as female for the last two years.

Andrew, also known as Andii, plans to someday change her name to Andrea after she transitions. She wanted to run for prom queen in order to show other transgender teens “it gets better.”

Read all about it here and here.

Thank you, Rhonda Williams, for alerting  me about this story.

Yearbook Femulations

Starla has been searching old school yearbooks online and sending me any femulations she discovers. The images below are the results of her searches.

The recent death of a high school classmate moved me to view his image in my high school yearbook. While skimming the yearbook, I was surprised to come across a photo of a very bad femulation by one of the high school jocks at some long-forgotten event.

I have no idea why he was femulating, but I found it interesting that the jock in the photo was one who was particularly nasty to me during my high school years making fun of my femininity and/or my lack of machismo.

How ironic that he is the one wearing a dress for posterity in our high school yearbook.

Lake Dallas, TX 1975

Greenville, SC, 1975

Jackson, TN, 1972

Leonard, TX, 1968

Madison, TN, 1975

Martin, TX, 1972

Nacona, TX, 1976 (click here for more)

For A "Good Cause"

Back when I was femulating in the closet, I was always looking for excuses to femulate outside the closet.

Halloween was a given, but that only occurred once a year, so I dreamed up scenarios that might fulfill my desire for public femulation in between October thirty-firsts.

For example, I took a journalism course in college hoping that I could write a first person account about spending a day or two as a co-ed. (Never happened.)

You get the idea.

Amanda sent me this story about a young man who femulated for charity. (What a great idea! I wish I had thought of that.)

I don't know if the young man is a trans sister looking for an excuse to femulate (you be the judge), but I do like his fashion sense and just love his dress!

Tall Weekend

SoCalSecrets sent me a bunch of tall women to add to my Famous Females of Heights List and I even found a new one myself: Eva Herzigova, whose remarkable photo graces this blog today.

Here they all are from the shortest tall female to the tallest tall female.

5'8" – Taylor Momsen – actress, television Gossip Girl

5'8" – Madeline Zima – actress, television The Nanny

5'9" – Lauren Lane – actress, television The Nanny

5'9" – Kaitlin Olson – actress, television It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

5'10" – Melissa Peterman – actress, television Reba, Working Class

5'10" – Lusia Strus – actress, film 50 First Dates

5'11" – Georgina Chapman – fashion model and designer

5'11" – Eva Herzigova – fashion model and actress

It’s Complicated

Final Fashion Notes

Comfortable heels!

I carried flats to the Hamvention each day, but I never wore them. My black patent mid-heel pumps with white piping were very comfortable. I wore them all day both days, only slipping them off for a few minutes while I took breaks in the back of our booth.

Lasting Nails

Although I took three sets of Kiss brand stick-on nails with me, I only used one pair. I put them on Thursday morning and took them off Saturday night no worse for wear. (I could have kept them on if I had kept on being en femme.) 

In Summary

I had a excellent time attending the Dayton Hamvention en femme last weekend. In addition to enjoying the Hamvention experience, I also received an education and now I understand how men can be "pigs" from a woman's perspective.

I did not have to live as a woman to figure out that men can be pigs. Living as a man amongst men, I discovered that fact a long time ago. Not all men are pigs, of course, but sadly, porkers constitute a lot of the male population.

Being a pig was not a good fit for me. I rejected the pig's life and lived my life my way, that is, the way that came natural to me. Turns out that "my way" was considered a feminine way of life by those who were keeping score. So be it.

During my early explorations out en femme, I avoided encounters with males whenever possible. But as I became more comfortable being out en femme, I began to accept encounters with males whenever they occurred.

Working a booth at an event like the Hamvention where approximately 85% of the attendees are male, it is impossible to avoid encounters with males. (I can count on one hand my encounters with females while working the booth this year and last.) It was a test of fire for this trans booth babe.

I guess I passed the test because now the only males I make a point of avoiding are guys I've known in my past life, who I am not ready to come out to yet. And even then, I probably don't have to avoid them because they will not recognize me as my close encounter with an old friend in the elevator Saturday night proved (I guess I pass in more than one way).

Now that I encounter males without trepidation, I understand how men can be considered "pigs" by the distaff side of the population.

Throughout the weekend, I constantly noticed men checking me out. Some were surreptitious, while most just flat out stared.

At this stage in my life as a woman, I find that flattering and affirming. But I imagine that the ogling can get old after a few encounters like I had with the fellow staring at me nose-to-nose in the elevator Saturday night.

On the other hand, I also encountered "gentlemen" at the Hamvention, who know how to treat a woman with respect --- well at least they treated me with respect. And that works for me!

I Guess I Passed

I attended the Dayton Hamvention this past weekend and I was en femme the whole time. This post describes my weekend picking up where I left off in the previous post.

Saturday Evening

Saturday evening, the Contest Dinner was at the Crowne Plaza Hotel downtown about four miles from my hotel. I drove downtown and parked  in a parking ramp that is connected to the hotel and convention center by skywalks.

There was an "international festival" at the convention center, so after I parked my car, I found myself walking in a throng of people (mostly young adults and children) all dressed casually while I was in my LBD and heels.

As I walked the skywalk, a woman passed by and turned momentarily to check me out. My trans-radar blipped briefly, but I considered it an anomaly.

At the end of the skywalk, the woman held the door open for other people and as I passed by, she said (in a very deep, manly voice), "You have a lot of courage."

I turned back and asked, "What did you say?"

She repeated, "You have a lot of courage."

Huh?

At that point, most of the throng turned left to go to the international festival, while I turned right to enter the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

My trans-radar was correct, but what did she mean by "You must have a lot of courage" statement.

She was dressed casually in a top and khaki slacks. She did not attend the Contest Dinner, so I assumed she went to the international festival. If she assumed I was attending the international festival, too, then her comment made sense because I would have been way overdressed for that event and would have stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb.

Fashion Note: Saturday evening, I wore my Vee-neck empire "little black dress," nude hosiery, black patent 3-inch heel Mary-Janes, and black and silver disc earrings and necklace (see photo).

The Contest Dinner was similar to last year's because like last year, me and my dress were ogled by a lot by men (and a few women). Big difference this year was that I smiled a lot, made eye contact with the oglers, and found myself responding to an occasional "hello" even though I did not know a soul (although I did recognize some call signs).
I found a table with empty seats as close to the dais as possible; asked the five gents already seated there if I could join them. They were ok with my request, so I sat down and they ignored me.

After five or ten minutes, I introduced myself and they introduced themselves and then continued to ignore me.

Turned out that they were a group of expatriates from the same motherland and although they spoke English, they chatted amongst themselves in their native tongue. Two more expatriates joined them and the one who sat next to me was LOUD!

Actually, they were all loud and very rude talking so loudly during the speeches and presentations on the dais that people at other tables looked at our table wondering when they would shut up. They also ignored me the whole time.

I should have moved to another table, but I did not want to be rude! The meal and presentations were excellent, but I did not enjoy the company of that bunch.

The only positive thing related to that bunch was when a woman came over to our table and asked one of the guys where they were from. When he revealed the name of their motherland, she was impressed and wanted to know everyone's call sign. As the guy rattled off each call sign, he eventually got to me and said, "The lady is WA1---; she is not from our country."

Thank you for the "lady."

A Ride In An Elevator

After the Contest Dinner, I decided to check out the lounge on the roof of the hotel.

The elevator was full on the way up. I was standing with my back to the rear wall of the elevator. A man older than me stood right in front of me at a 90 degree angle. He turned his head and stared at me, then turned away and looked straight ahead. Then, he turned his head and stared at me again and again turned away and looked straight ahead. This happened three or four times.

Our faces were probably two feet apart and I was very uncomfortable, so I stared away from him until he got off one floor below the lounge.

I did not know what to make of him.

The lounge was quiet and I sat there about ten minutes without waitstaff coming around to take my order, so I left.

As I waited for the elevator with six other people, a man I know joined us. I go back over 35 years with this fellow. He used to sell ham radios locally and I bought one from him eons ago. We were also officers of the same radio club back then and I even attended a Rochester, NY ham radio convention with him riding in his van with three or four others. That was way back in the mid-1970s.

Since then, I have had one other encounter with him; about ten years ago at another ham radio convention.

We both know a lot of the same people in my neck of the woods and I am not prepared to be outed to them yet, so I worried that he would recognize me.

As the elevator ride began, he asked what floor I wanted and I told him in my best feminine voice, "Mezzanine." A couple of floors down, everyone got off except he and I. He did not say a word the rest of the way, but I could feel his eyes checking me out from head to toe.

He got off one floor above my floor without saying a word. I breathed a sigh of relief because I was sure he had not figured me out. (Knowing him, if he had recognized me, he would have said something, so I guess I passed.)

Best Looking Ham Here

I attended the Dayton Hamvention this past weekend and I was en femme the whole time. This post describes my weekend picking up where I left off in my previous post.

Saturday Daytime

I worked our booth off and on most of the day and made a few forays around the convention floor.

Fashion Note: Saturday daytime, I wore my navy blue and white graphic print shift with a boat neck and spliced short sleeves, black tights, black patent mid-heel pumps with white piping, and black and silver disc earrings and necklace (see photo).

***

While walking around the convention Saturday, a man walked towards me and said, "You are so pretty."

I thought that was very forward of him, so I assumed that I must know the gent. I asked him, "Do I know you?"

Turned out that we were complete strangers, but he was so impressed with my appearance that he had to tell me.

Later, he showed up at our booth and asked if I was trans. I dunno if he suspected that when he made the "pretty" comment or if he figured it out during our conversation. In either case, that was very, very, very forward of him and I should have asked if he was an ass.

When I returned home, I found an e-mail from the fellow and he wrote, "You are very hot."

I wonder if he was a “tranny chaser?”

***

A ham walked by our booth Saturday afternoon, while I was on the front line and said to me, "You're the best looking ham here."

All I could say was “Thank-you!'”

***

While I was working the booth, nine other trans hams stopped by to say hello and chat. (You know who you are!) They are all readers of this blog, so they were looking for me and found me.

By the way, one wore a denim skirt; the rest were en homme.

Accepted And Treated As A Lady

I attended the Dayton Hamvention this past weekend and I was en femme the whole time. This post describes my weekend picking up where I left off in my previous post.

Friday Evening

I attended the TAPR-AMSAT Dinner.

Fashion Note: Friday evening, I wore my black and white print A-line dress, black tights, black patent mid-heel pumps with white piping, and black and silver disc earrings (see photo).

I glammed up my daytime makeup and I thought I looked very nice. The dinner was at a banquet hall about a half hour drive from our hotel and I rode with two fellows from my group. One of the fellows said that I looked "spiffy."

At the banquet hall, I saved some seats at a table for friends and we were joined by others who claimed the empty seats at our table. Two fellows from Long Island sat next to me and we had enjoyable conversations throughout the evening.

The meal and after-dinner presentations were very good and I had a pleasant evening. It was uneventful because it seemed that I was accepted as a lady and treated as one.

Hello, Stana

I attended the Dayton Hamvention this past weekend and I was en femme the whole time.

I began recounting events from the weekend in sequential order with this post  and this post, but then I lost Internet access at my hotel, so summarizing each day became impossible.

Those two posts summarized the highlights of Thursday afternoon and evening. I will attempt to summarize the rest of my Hamvention experiences in this and in following posts.

By the way, I am withholding all names and call signs to protect the innocent.

Friday Daytime

I worked our booth most of the day, but I did attend a forum late in the morning. This was a forum related to a niche in ham radio in which I am active. In fact, I wrote three books about that niche and actually moderated the same forum at past Hamventions.

One reason I attended this forum was to reintroduce myself to any old friends that showed up. I did see a few in the crowd of over 400 people, but managed to only talk to one fellow I have known for years. The others got lost as the crowd dispersed when the forum ended.

Fashion Note: Friday daytime, I wore my black jacquard sheath, black tights, black patent mid-heel pumps with white piping, and pearl jewelry (see photo).

Whereas, last year, I was shy about introducing the "new" me to old friends and acquaintances, this year, I made a point of reintroducing myself especially since my editor revealed that most people at ARRL Headquarters knew about me even though I only came out to three people there.

The fact that the word got out did not bother me in the least. It just felt odd that I have been dealing with a lot of these people for the past year assuming that they did not know; not that I would have done anything different if I knew they knew, but it would have been nice to know that they knew (know what I mean?).

So, I made the rounds looking for people I avoided last year.

Almost everyone I met up with was fine with my reintroduction. Only one person had a different reaction; he worked at ARRL Headquarters and I assumed he knew, but it turned out that he did not know.

When I met up with him, he was very, very surprised and I left him unsure what his reaction was beyond the initial shock. (I e-mailed him and apologized for the ambush, but so far, I have not received a response.)

I go back a very long time with the head man at the ARRL, so I wanted to meet up with him, too. Being the head man, every time I saw him during the Hamvention, he was surrounded by people. So, I waited for a better opportunity.

Saturday morning, before the doors opened, he came walking down the aisle where our booth was located and I waved him over to our booth. Without saying a word, he stuck out his hand to shake mine and said, "Hello, Stana."

What a classy guy! And he even pronounced Stana correctly!

Is This Picture Worth A Thousand Words?

The words will take awhile to compose, but cropping and resizing photos is easy. So, while I compose the words about my trip to the Hamvention, I leave you with this photo. (That's me wearing my new LBD before going out to the Contest Dinner on Saturday evening.)

Back Home

After 12 hours on the road today, I am back home with lots of stories and lot of photos to share with you in the next few days.

For now, I am going to get some sleep.

A Woman's Gotta Know Her Limitations

A woman's got to know her limitations; free time and Internet access this weekend are definitely limitations!

I have lots to say, but it will have to wait until I have time to key it all into my Mac and have reliable Internet access to post it on the blog.

But, in a nutshell, it has been a very positive experience.

Internet Access and Lack Thereof

(I wrote the following this morning. I finally got Internet access this afternoon --- thank you ARRL.)

Internet access from my hotel in Dayton was brief --- about an hour Thursday afternoon.

I hoped to get access at the Hara Arena, but no luck so far.

Last night went well. The spouse of one of the other board members was present. I have known her for years having met her at other ham radio events, but she had not met the new version of me. I am sure her husband had prepared her, but I did not know what to expect.

When she saw me, she greeted me with a big hug and we chatted throughout the evening, so I guess she is ok with the new me.

By the way, here is the requisite fashion "news:" Yesterday, I wore my gray sleeveless sweater dress, gold scarf, black tights, and flats. Today, I wore my black jacquard sheath, black tights, pearls, and black patent mid-heel pumps with white piping. I also brought a pair of flats, but have not switched footwear, yet.

Chivalry Lives!

I arrived in Dayton at 1:30 PM after four hours on the road. Checked into my hotel and found that the Internet was initially off, but it finally came up about 15 minutes ago and it is very slow.

The wifi signal was so weak in my room that I thought that might be the problem, so I took my iBook down to the lobby. The signal was not much better there, but the Internet was accessible.

Two gents (guests, not hotel employees) came by to ask if I was having trouble; they were happy to inform me that the Internet had just come up. So, chivalry is not dead --- you just have to dress en femme to find it!

I think I am going to crash for awhile before dinner and the board of directors meeting.