Yesterday, I wrote about my Wednesday morning out en femme. Today, I pick up where I left off, that is, going to Southern Connecticut State University to participate in Q&A in two Human Sexuality classes.
Each class had approximately 35 students with a 10-to-1 female-to-male ratio. In addition to myself, three transsexuals, two male-to-female and one female-to-male, joined me in the Q&A. In the second class, a female-to-male transsexual, who is a student at the University, joined us.
At the beginning of each class, we each presented a short (5-minute or so) biography.
After the bios, Professor Schildroth usually sends half the class to another classroom and divides us speakers in a logical way so that half the class concentrates on, for example, the transitioned/transitioning transsexuals, while the other half concentrates on the non-transitioning transsexuals. Half way through the period, the speakers switch classrooms so that all the students get a chance to quiz all the speakers.
Yesterday, a second classroom was not available, so all the students quizzed all the speakers simultaneously.
Most of the questions were oriented at the transitioned/transitioning transsexuals, that is, all the other speakers except me. I was a little bored, but I did get asked one question that I was never asked before, that is, what is my nationality?
My answer was "Polish." After the class, I asked the woman who asked that question why she asked. Her reason was that she was curious about my accent. I realized then that my "Polish" answer was not very helpful because I was born and raised 20 miles from New Haven, not 20 kilometers from Warsaw.
During the first class, we were asked about aging and I mentioned that I was 60 years old. That revelation was met with gasps from a number of students, who I guess thought I was younger or older than 60. After the class, about a half dozen students came up to me and gushed over the way I looked. One comment that stuck in my mind was "stunning."
Professor Schildroth informed us that the second class was shyer than the first class and that we were likely to get fewer questions in the second class. Her prediction came true and I received even fewer questions in the second class than the first class.
By the way, I think Professor Schildroth sympathized with my lack of questioning because in each class, she specifically asked me a question during lulls in the Q&A. Thanks, Anna!
After class, we went to a nearby diner. It was nearly empty --- two other tables had customers. I guess diners don't get a lot of traffic at 4 PM on Tuesdays. I ordered breakfast food (an omelette, toast, home fries, and coffee) because I like diner breakfast food, but seldom eat at a diner for breakfast.
Most of the conversation revolved around the classes and the students' written comments, which are always revealing.
We broke up after 5 PM and I had a miserable drive home. Rain began early in the afternoon and it was pouring the proverbial cats and dogs most of my way home.
Despite the weather and the dearth of questions, it was a very good day because (1) I had an opportunity to go out en femme and (2) I had an opportunity to participate in the education of some civilians about us trans-folks. However, in retrospect, I need to change my biography.
When I started doing outreach nearly six years ago, I billed myself as a "plain vanilla crossdresser." I stopped using that term over two years ago and changed my biography to better reflect myself as a "woman who found herself in a male body."
But not all the students get it. Reading their comments, many still classify me as a a "plain vanilla crossdresser."
Why?
When they compare me with the other presenters like the ones I presented with on Tuesday, all who take hormones and two out of three who had surgery, maybe they figure I am not in their league because I don't desire hormones or surgery. Or because I don't live 24/7 as a women --- although I always mention that I would if I could.
Anyways, I'm working on it.
Two Outfits
I tried on two outfits (photo above) Wednesday morning before going out: (1) the one-third houndstooth two-thirds black dress with black patent open-toe slingback heels and (2) the all houndstooth dress with off-white quilted high heel pumps.
I had a difficult time deciding which outfit to wear.
I chose the first outfit mainly because of the longer hemline.
Viewing the photos now, maybe I should have selected the dress with the shorter hemline.
Yankee magazine's website has a beautifully photographed article titled “Getting to Know Provincetown,” which is the site of Fantasia Fair, the annual weeklong trans get-together on Cape Cod.
