One Regret

One regret I have is that I did not come out of the closet sooner.

For about 60 years, I have explored the other side of the gender divide, but I have only been out of the closet for about 15 years.

During the first 40 years, my female presentation was limited to home, support group meetings and transgender conventions, which were all closets in one way or another. In my mind, I stepped out of the closet when I began doing outreach and flying solo in public as a woman. 

Once I was out of the closet, I realized that I should have gotten out sooner... much sooner. It was so wonderful to live as a woman and it was so much easier than I ever imagined. 

That's what kept me in the closet ― I thought it would be too hard, if not impossible to navigate society as a woman because I was too tall and that would give me away. But I was so wrong. Either I passed successfully as a woman or our society has become so nonchalant about dudes who dress like ladies, that no one minded me being their presence. Ether way, it was a win-win situation.

“Youth is wasted on the young” was so apropos in my case. I should have exited the closet and experienced the world as a woman much sooner. 

So I urge anyone who is on the fence to get off the fence. Sitting on the fence is not very comfortable, whereas living as a woman is the most comfortable place in the world to be.

Wearing Elbis NY

Femulators celebrating Carnival in Rio de Janeiro in 1913.

Someday Funnies

Wearing Chicwish

A bride femulation, circa 1935. This photo along with the Femulator photo, “Femulating in 1930,” that appeared here Saturday came from an auction house offering, described as follows: A rare album with more than 150 exceptional photographs, all featuring highly stylized and elegant men crossdressing. The album primarily features a male couple, who are dressed in exquisite outfits, including evening gowns with elaborate accessories, a wedding gown (including a marriage scene with one figure in a suit), and fanciful costumes, and are posing in front of cleverly designed backdrops (such as shimmering hanging textiles, artfully arranged corners of rooms, and a screen decorated in stars). The album features a number of sittings and combinations of figures, hinting at the both the delight and seriousness with which each tableaux was designed and executed. The resulting photographs are well composed and printed. Both the scope and early date (1930-41) of this album add to its rarity--our research has not uncovered an early body of work that similarly documents a committed investigation of form and identity.

Worshipping as Women

Responding to my Whose Saree Now? post, Priya reminded me of the Kottankulangara Festival, an annual Hindu festival in Kerala, India, where over 5,000 men and boys irrespective of their religious faith dress as women and girls. The festival takes place at the Kottankulangara Devi temple at Chavara, Kerala, which is sacred to the goddess Bhagavathy. 

Every year this festival is celebrated on the 10th and 11th day of Meenam (mid-March). On the festival day, thousand of devotees visit the Temple to seek the blessings of the Goddess Bhagavathy. The men dress up in the female attire of their choice. Some wear Set sari, Pattu sari, half sari or even dance costumes.

While some of the devotees are dressed up by their female family members, there are a number of beauticians, makeup artists and clothiers around the temple, who charge between $6 and $26 for decking out the faithful. 

Priya sent me links to the following articles about the festival:

• The Kerala temple where thousands of men dress up like women every year
  
  
• At this Kerala temple, thousands of men dress up as women to get deity's blessings
  
  
• Worshipping as women: Check out this unique Kerala festival for men

And YouTube has a slew of videos related to the festival. This video, in particular, provides a sample of the excellent quality of the femulations by the festival attendees.

In India, the general public’s tolerance (or lack thereof) of crossdressing is about the same as in the USA. So I found it interesting that attendance at this festival en femme is so acceptable among the civilians. I guess the festival’s acceptance is due to its religious aspect. Even young boys are encouraged to crossdress when religion is involved!

And so it goes!

Wearing Mayloz

Men worshipping as women at India’s Kottankulangara Festival

Someday Funnies

Wearing StyleWe

Femulating in 1930

Someday Funnies

Wearing Bebe

Femulators flaunting femininity in a Paris bar in 1927.

Throwback Thursday: First Holy Communion

(Originally posted on September 2011)

Molly and Desmond were elated that they were able to pull it off.

Their son Clarissa was about to make his first holy communion, but he could not wear a dress to the ceremonies. The archdiocese insisted that boys had to wear blue suits (jackets and trousers) despite the fact that in this day and age, most parents raised their sons to be sissies.

Molly and Desmond pleaded Clarissa’s case to their parish’s pastor, Father Maxine, and to the parish nun who organized the first holy communion, Sister Bernard. There they found sympathy, but not much hope for their cause.

Then there was a miracle!

The archbishop of the diocese retired and Pope Raylene II appointed a woman, Archbishop Rhonda, as the new archbishop.

With this turn of events, Father Maxine and Sister Bernard contacted the archbishop about the dress requirements and in response, she decreed that both boys and girls could wear dresses to their first holy communion ceremonies.

So it came to pass that on the Sunday of Clarissa’s first holy communion, Clarissa shed tears of joy when he paraded down the church aisle with the other sissies wearing adorable first holy communion dresses, while Molly and Desmond proudly looked on wearing his and her skirt suits, (Molly’s in baby blue and Desmond’s in dusty pink); a complete feminine family just as Goddess intended.

Wearing Boston Proper

Someday Funnies: Whose Saree Now?

Wearing Sanya Gulati

Femulating in Mumbai

Today is International Women’s Day

Today is International Women’s Day... a global holiday celebrated annually to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women. It is also a focal point in the women’s rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights and violence and abuse against women (source: Wikipedia).

Doing my darndest to promote gender equality, admittedly from a different direction, how appropriate that today is also my birthday.  

Seventy-one years and counting. Lately, I have been feeling my age. My osteoarthritis has been a game changer. After five sessions of physical therapy, I see some improvement, but not enough to dare to go out en femme. 

At least, I still look a year or two younger than 71, so that thought improves my attitude. But I sure would like to be physically fit enough to go out en femme and flaunt those good looks! LOL

Although I am a little depressed, I am optimistic. So much so that I bought a new dress from Avon (see the Femulate Her slot below) that I plan to wear out real soon now.

Wish me luck!

Wearing Avon

Femulating in the 1943 film This Is The Army.
You can view this film containing femulators galore on YouTube.

Someday Funnies: She’s the Boss

Wearing Temperley London

Femulate reader Brenda shopping in Montreal.

Today is National Dress Day!

National Dress Day:
Don’t leave home without wearing one!

On National Dress Day March 6, we celebrate the most versatile and fun article of clothing there is — the dress! 

Fashion designer Ashley Lauren founded the day to help pay homage to dresses and the magical moments that happen when we wear them. “I remember the dresses I wore to my prom, first job interview, first date, competing in a pageant, my first red carpet event, the list goes on,” she says. “This is a fun day to cherish and celebrate those memories.”

Superficially Yours

In her post on Friday, Hannah McKnight wrote, “I would love to hear something you love about yourself, something that you love about who you are. I want to hear your shallowest, most superficial thoughts.”

Naturally, I could not resist such an invitation and I submitted the following as a comment to Hannah’s post.

I love carrying a designer handbag. Any thoughts about me being a guy are swept away by a bag hanging from my limp wrist.

Don’t know if I have Gynecomastia or not, but I do know that I have breasts that are large enough to fill a size 42B bra without inserts, pads or any other assistance. And when I slip on my bra, I love finding those two perky mounds on my chest (it never gets old).

Mom had shapely legs. When she worked in an office before she married, her nickname was “Legs.” Like mother, like daughter, I inherited my mother legs and a transman once dubbed me “Leggy.” I love being my mother’s daughter.

Of course, “Legs” loved high heels, always wore them when she went out and she owned a closet full. Again like mother, like daughter, I love high heels, always wear them when I go out and I own a closet full (over 100 pairs).

I love being a feminine man. When I am en homme, it can be a hindrance, but it works so well for me when I am en femme that I would not have it any other way.

Making up my face is something I always look forward to. I love the process, the tricks, the shortcuts and especially the results. After I do my makeup, slip on my wig and look in the mirror, it is always an aha moment! (Yes, I am a woman.)

Wearing Rene Ruiz

The always lovely Hannah McKnight

Someday Funnies

Wearing Cynthia Rowley

Erica, a long-time Femulate reader and femulator