Clothes Make the "Man"

Today is International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day. My post from last year says it all.

As we prepare to celebrate International Women’s Day, our resolve to keep pushing for gender equality is stronger than ever. And we won’t stop until girls and women are equal everywhere.

That’s because equality is her birthright, enshrined in the UN Charter, but it isn’t her reality. Despite some progress, there is no place or part of life where a girl or woman has the equal rights or opportunities as a boy or man.

As a male woman, I am very sympathetic to these goals. Though some would say that I have “male privilege,” I would argue that male women are treated worse than cisgender women and I yearn to achieve the same equality sought by women.

Even living much of my life disguised as a male, my natural femininity marked me as less than a man and I was treated accordingly by both males and females. 

Living as a male woman is an improvement. Living as my true self, females seem to embrace me as someone who had joined their team. On the other hand, some males treat me even more poorly than they did when I was in my male disguise. I am sure that all male women have had similar experiences and also long for gender equality.

The Good Old Days

One year ago, I posted the following:

    Joe Biden tells trans Americans in his State of the Union address: “I have your back!” 

 What a difference a year makes! It seems more like a century.

Wearing LEAU

Girl and boy on prom date

Not getting any younger

Old age sucks and then you die!

I slipped on the ice and my left side took the brunt of the fall landing on a landscape timber AKA railroad tie. I bruised ribs in the process and have been hurting ever since. 

No femulating for me – I can’t even get seated in the Subaru’s driver’s seat comfortably not to mention squeezing into a panty girdle. 

The healing process has been slow, which I attribute to old age. My housewife chores have been put on the back burner, so I am just sitting around watching the television and browsing the Internet. 

Click here to see a streaming video that I can’t stop watching. 

Enjoy!

Wearing Ann Taylor

Alec Baldwin femulating on television’s Saturday Night Live.

Letter from Lech Walesa

Former President of Poland Lech Walesa wrote the following letter to Trump.

Your Excellency, Mr. President,

We watched the report of your conversation with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, with fear and distaste. We find it insulting that you expect Ukraine to show respect and gratitude for the material assistance provided by the United States in its fight against Russia. Gratitude is owed to the heroic Ukrainian soldiers who shed their blood in defense of the values of the free world. They have been dying on the front lines for more than 11 years in the name of these values and the independence of their homeland, which was attacked by Putin’s Russia.

We do not understand how the leader of a country that symbolizes the free world cannot recognize this.

Our alarm was also heightened by the atmosphere in the Oval Office during this conversation, which reminded us of the interrogations we endured at the hands of the Security Services and the debates in Communist courts. Prosecutors and judges, acting on behalf of the all-powerful communist political police, would explain to us that they held all the power while we held none. They demanded that we cease our activities, arguing that thousands of innocent people suffered because of us. They stripped us of our freedoms and civil rights because we refused to cooperate with the government or express gratitude for our oppression. We are shocked that President Volodymyr Zelensky was treated in the same manner.

The history of the 20th century shows that whenever the United States sought to distance itself from democratic values and its European allies, it ultimately became a threat to itself. President Woodrow Wilson understood this when he decided in 1917 that the United States must join World War I. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt understood this when, after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, he resolved that the war to defend America must be fought not only in the Pacific but also in Europe, in alliance with the nations under attack by the Third Reich.

We remember that without President Ronald Reagan and America’s financial commitment, the collapse of the Soviet empire would not have been possible. President Reagan recognized that millions of enslaved people suffered in Soviet Russia and the countries it had subjugated, including thousands of political prisoners who paid for their defense of democratic values with their freedom. His greatness lay, among other things, in his unwavering decision to call the USSR an “Empire of Evil” and to fight it decisively. We won, and today, the statue of President Ronald Reagan stands in Warsaw, facing the U.S. Embassy.

Mr. President, material aid—military and financial—can never be equated with the blood shed in the name of Ukraine’s independence and the freedom of Europe and the entire free world. Human life is priceless; its value cannot be measured in money. Gratitude is due to those who sacrifice their blood and their freedom. This is self-evident to us, the people of Solidarity, former political prisoners of the communist regime under Soviet Russia.

We call on the United States to uphold the guarantees made alongside Great Britain in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which established a direct obligation to defend Ukraine’s territorial integrity in exchange for its relinquishment of nuclear weapons. These guarantees are unconditional—there is no mention of treating such assistance as an economic transaction.

Signed,

Lech Wałęsa, former political prisoner, President of Poland

Friends of a Feather

In the past, I wrote here about my grammar school friend who I suspected was trans (click here to read “Where's Billy”). But I never wrote about my high school friend who I also suspected was trans.

I went to a public grammar school and to a Catholic high school. A couple of girls from grammar school made the switch to my Catholic high school (Hi, Deborah and Susan), but not one of the guys did so from the get-go, I had no male friends as a freshman in high school.

How do you make friends in high school? I don’t recall how I did it, but I made a lot of friends and a few are still friends today. One friend, Mike, was a tall, good-looking guy with a great sense of humor. I figured him for a girl-magnet, but I think he was as shy of girls as I was.

By high school, I was aware of transvestites and I was pretty sure I was a member of that club. The terms “crossdresser” and “transgender” were not in use back then. It was either “transvestite” or “transsexual” and I was pretty sure I wasn’t transsexual – at least, I convinced myself that I wasn’t a transsexual.

Anyway, by high school I was very aware of transvestites and always had my trans-radar powered-up in case I had any encounters of the trans-kind. And more than once, my trans-radar switched to full alert by things my friend Mike said – innocent comments, but revealing that like me, Mike was familiar with the territory.

After school, we parted ways, but since we lived in the same town, I would run into him occasionally. One time was a pulling-the-cat-out-of-the-bag moment. 

I was in a check-out line at a local discount department store and I noticed Mike and his wife in the next check-out line. As I was about to call out his name and say hello, I noticed what he was purchasing – four or five woman’s dresses. His wife looked unhappy and disinterested and just stood in line watching him unload the dresses from the shopping cart, put them on the check-out conveyor belt and pay for the dresses. She. I did not attempt to speak to him because I did not want to embarrass him in case my trans-radar was correct. And I don’t know if he saw me in the next check-out line.

Since then, I only ran into him at wakes for the passing of mutual acquaintances. And each time, we talked about the good old days, but not a hint about the topic of trans.

And so it goes.

Wearing Shein

David L Lander and Michael McKean femulating on television’s Laverne & Shirley.

Stuff 61: Living on a Blue Island in a Red Sea

By J.J. Atwell

Caution, Politics Ahead!

I try to stay away from politics when I write my posts for Stuff, but I’m afraid I can’t write around it for today’s comments. From the title you can probably tell that I live in what’s known as a “red state.” The state’s electoral votes went to the republicans. Our governor ran against the new guy in the primaries at times attempting to be even more extreme than the rest of them. He even picked a fight with Disney. So the general atmosphere of this state is very “conservative.”

But I live in the central part of the state and there are a lot of residents that are from more progressive parts of the country. In addition, there is a huge theme park industry that drives the tourism business in this state. The theme parks employ a lot of people in the area with estimates of over 100,000 currently. And that doesn’t count the ancillary businesses that exist to service the theme parks and the people who come to visit them. So you would expect this would be a welcoming space. 

How Welcoming?

Good question. I know a lot of “T” people who are afraid to come to my state because of what they perceive as a hostile environment. I certainly understand their concern. But I’m not sure that’s true of my blue island. The theme parks actively encourage those in the LGBTQ+ to work for them. They don’t discriminate against those of us who are part of that universe. Additionally, the municipalities in the area post on social media regularly about their outreach programs and how they educate their people to deal respectfully with our community. 

Having said that, let me turn to a more personal perspective. Readers of Femulate have had the benefit (?) of following my Stuff since July 2023 and this is installment number 61 of Stuff. Over the course of that time, you may have read about my joining a local CD group. My first scary steps out of the house. Making friends with others and becoming more active in the club. This year, I’m vice president of my CD group. I tell you all of this so you’ll understand why I’m writing today. 

Are We Changing?

Part of my duties as VP is to grow the club. No, not to convince other guys to try dressing as women. To attract new members to come out of their closet even in a scary environment. For our members, we want to encourage participation in events that get us out of the house. 

How do I do that and what changes should we make in light of a changing environment? A really good question that I don’t know the answer to. For now, we are continuing our usual schedule of monthly meetings. We’re meeting in our private, secure clubhouse location four times a year. We don’t think we need to change that. 

But what about the other eight times? We schedule those as Girls’ Nights Out (GNO), which are held at local restaurants. We know from experience that certain restaurants welcome us, so we revisit them. But we also want to expand our options, not retreat to the safety of our known world – a delicate proposition, even in this blue island these days. 

How Are You Coping?

I’d love to hear how people are dealing with changing conditions in their area. Looking for new ideas as well as those tried and true ones. I also wonder how many of us are increasing our contributions to organizations that fight for the freedom of everybody. 

I’ll Be Back

There will be more Stuff from the blue island. As always comments are welcome either here on the blog or by email to Jenn6nov at-sign gmail dot com. JJ is always looking for more stuff so if there is something you would like to read about please let me know! 

Wearing Cynthia Rowley

Gene Hackman femulating in the film The Birdcage.

Mr. Hackman was one of my favorite actors and I was sad to learn of his recent death. God bless you, Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle.

Someday Funnies - 3/2/25

 

Someday Funnies - 3/1/25

Boys or Girls?

Love is not always a two-way street!

I love wearing high heels, but some high heels don’t love me. So I asked Google AI how to prepare my feet for my next pair of pumps. Here is what Google offered on the subject.

To prepare your feet for high heels, ensure your toenails are trimmed properly, address any foot issues like bunions or callouses, wear comfortable flat shoes beforehand, stretch your feet regularly, consider using shoe stretchers to widen the fit, opt for heels with a thicker base for stability and always break in new heels before wearing them for extended periods. 

Key steps:

Foot care: Trim toenails, treat any ingrown nails and remove calluses or corns. 

Pre-wearing routine: Wear comfortable flat shoes for a while before putting on heels. 

Stretching exercises: Perform foot stretches to improve flexibility and range of motion. 

Choose the right heels: Opt for heels with a thicker base for better balance and stability. 

Shoe fitting: Ensure the heels fit properly and aren’t too tight. 

Shoe stretchers: Use shoe stretchers to widen the shoe if necessary. 

Break-in period: Wear new heels for short periods at first to gradually adjust your feet. 

Insoles and cushions: Consider adding insoles or heel cushions for extra comfort.

Having worn high heels for over 60 years, I knew most of what the AI recommended, but I did learn a thing or two, too. 

Wearing Sachin & Babi

Suzy née Eddie Izzard

Jueves en la Casa

Kandi Robbins’ boudoir photoshoot will run Mondays for the next few weeks on her blog Kandis Land, so be sure to check it out. It should be fabulous!

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Suzanne asked how do I remove arm hair? 

Mechanically or chemically was my response. 

Mechanically, I use Philips Norelco Bodygroom electric trimmer. It does a good job on my arms, as well as my armpits, back, breasts, legs and even my nether reaches. However, it is not intended for the face or neck. (I took Philips word for it and never tried using it on my face or neck).

Chemically, I use Nair or Veet, but prefer the electric razor because there are certain body parts, my armpits for example, that Nair/Veet will burn. And if I am using Nair/Veet on my arms, it is easy to mistakenly slop some chemical on my pits and it will burn if I don't remove it fas enough. But everybody’s different, so your mileage may vary.

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“We can all fight back against Donald Trump’s anti-trans onslaught in our own ways” is an excellent article by Faefyx Collington that appeared at LBGTQNation earlier this week. Subtitled “People are fighting back in major ways already, but trans people don't all have to be activists to justify their existence,” I highly recommend Collington’s piece for all Femulate readers. Click here to read it.

Wearing Bebe

Out and about, the always lovely Hannah McKnight.