The Wild Rose of the Chesapeake

Vol. 4, No. 9

September, 2001

This Month's Features:

Changes to the December Schedule

Impact of Crossdressing on Wives, Part I,
by Kate Thomas

What Would This World Be Like Without Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transsexuals and Transgendered?

Explaining Ourselves: A Panel Experience, ,
by Julie Maverick

Paradise and More, ,
by Joan and Lucy Stone

Living Your Fantasy ,

The "Bears In Teddies" Had A Picnic, ,
by Rebecca Adams

Kalina's Corner, ,
by Kalina Mirev

Ask Miss Chatelaine


Special Notice: This edition of The Wild Rose of the Chesapeake was prepared with special intentions for Grace Gardener, our First Sister, who is recovering from a stroke she suffered last month. Please keep Grace in your thoughts and prayers as she continues to get stronger and more active every day.

From the Editrix

This newsletter is a labor of love for each of our contributing editrixes. Please join the staff by submitting your own insights into the world of crossdressing. You can send your input to RRBoyd@aol.com, or R. R. Boyd, P.O. Box 2252, Ashburn, VA 20146-9152.

Rachel Rene Boyd
Newsletter Editrix

From the Editrix

Dear CES Sisters,

This is an exciting edition of "The Wild Rose". I'm always excited when we have a new sister contributing. This month our new Contributing Editrix is Julie Maverick, who tells us about her outreach experience, and suggests that we all should be more active in telling our story to the public at large. I'm also excited about being able to run a three-part series taken from Dr. Kate Thomas' presentation to us in September 2000 about how wives are affected by crossdressing. Dr. Thomas brings us some valuable insights into the latest theories about crossdressing, and the real-life experiences women have when they find out their husband/S.O. is a crossdresser. After you read Part I, Theories for Why People Crossdress, you won't want to miss the next issue of "The Wild Rose of the Chesapeake."

Rachel Rene Boyd
Newsletter Editrix


2001-2002 Chi Epsilon Sigma
Executive Committee


Rebecca Adams, Chairperson
beckyxd@hotmail.com

Linda Sullivan, Spouse Representative
linda_sullivan51@hotmail.com

Marsha Edwards, Vice Chairperson
marshaedwards@aol.com

Mary Alice Barrett, Membership*
zoom@paonline.com

Grace Gardener, Secretary/Treasurer
grace-gardener@home.com

Rachel Rene Boyd, Newsletter Editrix*
rrboyd@aol.com

*Non-voting members

Meeting Schedule


November 17

Several sisters are going to Lake Erie Gala, but there will be a meeting at the usual meeting site. Program will be a "Night at the Movies" but we need someone to step forward and coordinate the meeting. Contact Rebecca at beckyxd@hotmail.com

December 1

Holiday Party at a local restaurant en femme with spouses. A room will be available after 3:00 p.m. at the hotel for those who need to change.

January 26

Fashion Show hosted by Rebecca

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Changes to the December Schedule

Please note that the December meeting has been rescheduled to Saturday, December 1. We will have a dinner at a Baltimore area restaurant. Watch your email for details.

October 27 Halloween Party at Williamsburg with Rho Tau or at Rebecca and Anne's or another site to be determined.

November 17 Erie Gala or location TBD

December 1 Holiday Party, at a restaurant

January 26 Fashion Show at the usual site.

February 24 Comportment and Deportment as a Lady

Impact of Crossdressing on Wives


By Kate Thomas, Ph.D.

This is the first of a three-part series taken from a presentation made by Dr. Kate Thomas to Chi Epsilon Sigma September 23, 2000. In this presentation, Dr. Thomas outlines the latest theories on why people crossdress, what impact crossdressing has on wives, and takes questions from the membership. As Dr. Thomas notes, most of the research and literature focuses on the male crossdresser. This forum focuses on the impact crossdressing has on wives, and offers some ideas for couples to use in coping with crossdressing


Kate Thomas holds a Ph.D. from Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, and is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Villa Julie College. She is also adjunct faculty to University of Maryland, University of Senchen (China), and Institute for the Advance Study of Human Sexuality. She is a Licensed Registered Nurse, Clinical Specialist in Psychiatric Nursing, a Licensed Nurse Psychotherapist, and Diplomat of the American Board of Sexology.


Part I



Theories for Why People Crossdress



We know that the phenomenon of crossdressing has been around throughout history and in many cultures. But just knowing it is pervasive doesn't explain why it occurs. We are getting a better idea on causal factors because we are beginning to understand better the process of the development of gender identity.

There are probably three areas that determine gender:

· Biological sex – the genes, hormones, and genital sex

· Gender identity - our personal identity, our judgement about how we want to perform in society, who we are, our sense of being male or female

· Gender role - how others see us

These three areas are linked and usually congruent. Most people know that they have genes and hormones appropriate to their biological sex because their body development shows the features characteristic of that sex. They understand that they are male or female in how they feel about themselves, and they seek out and accept gender roles that are characteristic of their biological sex.

But there are those for whom gender is not completely congruent in all three areas. For some reason, clothing seems to be incredibly important to gender identity. In addition, the way we move, walk and our occupational choices are also very important.

The numbers of people in variant gender/sex identity categories is unknown. There are methodological difficulties with designing research to answer the question of how many. As a result, we simply don't know for sure. Some say as many as 10% are gender-variant. This number includes homosexuals, bisexuals, inter-sexed individuals, crossdressers, transsexuals, and all other variations.

Gender identity is probably developed in each individual through genetic pre-disposition, physiological features, and socialization. How important each of these factors is has been the subject of some debate.

From about 1900-1970 we believed gender was probably the result of nurture, that is, early child rearing experiences were dominant. But nurture isn't always consistent. Since the 1970s there has been a greater understanding that biology does play a role.

Cross-gender research has been performed mostly on homosexuals. We can look at that research and draw some inferences.

Kinship Theory

Some people believe there might be a gene that determines gender identification. If so, why would something like homosexuality persist through generations? A homosexual life style is not good for perpetuation of the species. So if a gender gene exists, why is it not extinguished by natural selection? Kinship theory says that homosexual individuals exist in the gene pool to provide more adults in society to care for children. This operates on the basic survival needs in a primitive society. Some individuals could carry the gene, but not exhibit the behavior. Crossdressing is not addressed by the Kinship theory, but why wouldn't crossdressing be selected out for perpetuation of the species? Perhaps for the same reasons homosexuality is not selected out.

There have been a number of studies on homosexuality and transsexuality via twin studies. Twin studies are good for evaluating genetic connections. Usually they look at identical twins, especially those who were reared apart. How many identical twins end up as homosexual or transgender is an indication.

Since 1990 there has been much genetic transmission research on how hormones affect fetal development (eight weeks to birth). Embryos up to eight weeks of gestation have no sex. At eight weeks differentiation starts under the influence of hormones. It's not just the body that differentiates, but the brain as well. Tissues that are exactly the same before eight weeks become sexually differentiated. The scrotum in the male, and large labia in the female, are initially the same tissue. Ovaries and testes are the same. The clitoris and glans penis are also the same. Hormones make them develop their subsequent sexual differentiation. We now know that hormones masculinize and feminize the brain too.

We didn't know that in the 1960s when we bought boys dolls and other feminine toys in the hope that we could develop more sensitive males. We did the same with girls, buying them typically male toys to encourage them to develop their full potential. To a large extent it didn't work. There seems to be typical male/female behaviors that are not totally explained by nurture, but brain differentiation may account for them.

What if a body develops as male, but part of the brain develops as female? Could that explain why transsexuals and homosexuals develop differently from heterosexuals? The brain has large areas that dictate sexual behavior, aggression, and other traits. There may be receptors in the brain that dictate very specific behaviors. Is crossdressing a result of these subtle effects on specific receptors in the brain? Clearly socialization is part of it, but the total causation isn't known.

We know testosterone masculinizes the brain. Mullerian inhibiting hormone shuts off the feminizing hormones. Both normally work together. But if they don't, that could explain some gender variance. Perhaps lesbian women and MTF transsexuals are defeminized, but not totally masculinized. Maybe this occurs because mullerian inhibiting hormone defeminizes the brain, but testosterone has not masculinized it sufficiently. Maybe male homosexuals are unmasculinized, but not defeminized. Could it be crossdressers are masculinized, but not defeminized?

So, perhaps there is something to the hormonal influences on the brain during the process of sexual differentiation. All this just an intriguing possibility, but not confirmed yet. Maybe knowing more about causation could help people better deal with the experience. Nothing changed our treatment of alcoholism like calling it a disease. After we began calling it a disease, people accepted it as something that could be treated. If we knew more about the causes of gender variant behavior, maybe we could do more to help people deal with it.

Even though there may be prenatal development and hormonal influences on crossdressing, we also know that culture and socialization have something to do with it. Talamini asked the question, "Why do people crossdress?" Frequent answers to this question by those who do so include relaxation, freedom to express emotions, playfulness, freeing a suppressed side, role-playing, eroticism, and adornment. Typically males aren't allowed to adorn themselves with jewelry and make-up. So crossdressing allows them to express this need.

Next month in Part II, Dr. Thomas discusses what wives say when asked how crossdressing impacts them, from shock, to alienation, to questioning their own sexuality.


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What Would This World Be Like Without Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transsexuals and Transgendered?

At times it seems as if many people would prefer a world where no lesbians, gays, bisexuals, or transgendered people existed. But what would that world really look like? Here is a look at what the world might have been like if it had never included people who were homosexual, bisexual, transsexual or had a significant homosexual relationship in their life.

Ex-president Gerald Ford might have died in 1975 because a gay ex-marine, Oliver "Bill" Sipple would not have been alive to push away the gun of an assassin in San Francisco.

The United States, Britain, and other Allies might have lost World War II because Alan Turing, a gay British mathematician, would never have been born. Turing broke one of the Nazis' most important codes to help shorten the war.

African-Americans might have struggled longer before receiving civil rights because there would have been no Bayard Rustin, the gay man who organized the 1963 march on Washington. This was the march where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., made his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

Religious life would have been lessened without the Christina voices of Malcolm Boyd, Troy Perry, Jane Spahr, or John McNeil. Christians would also have a difficult time conceiving the New Testament without the scholarship skills of Desiderius Erasmus (the basis for the Tyndale and King James Versions).

Our musical world would have been impoverished because gay American composer Aaron Copeland would not have been born. Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky would not have existed, neither would have Leonard Bernstein, English composer Benjamin Britten, or singers Bessie Smith, Melissa Etheridge, or Elton John. Katherine Bates would have never written "America the Beautiful". We would have also missed the folk songs of Stephen Foster or the clever compositions of Cole Porter.

We would never have listened to the "Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" or "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"- both were written by gay men to their lovers (in both cases, publishers demanded that gender pronouns be switched).

Western art would look very different because neither Michelangelo nor Leonardo da Vinci would have been around. And of course, we would have missed Plato and a woman Plato honored with respect as the "tenth muse" – Sappho.

The Disney movie hits "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast" would have been much duller because Howard Ashman would not have been alive to write their Academy Award sinning songs. Or imagine "Star Wars" or "E.T." or "Schindler's List" without the scores of John Williams.

Literature would have been lessened because many authors would never have been born, including Pulitzer Prize winning poet W. H. Auden, Nobel Prize winning author Patrick White of Australia, E. M. Foster, Virginia Woolf, Willa Cather, Gertrude Stein, and Walt Whitman.

Movie theatres would have been duller: no Rock Hudson or Marlene Dietich or Montgomery Cliff. Actually, many of the most important plays of the American stage would never have been written because gay playwright Tennessee Williams would not have existed. We would have also missed the plays of Edward Albee or the brilliant acting of Sir Laurence Olivier.

Who else would have been missing? Sports stars like Martina Navritalova or Greg Louganis would have been gone. The list of people who have had significant same-gender relationships is very long and includes Socrates, King Richard the Lion Hearted, Queen Christina of Sweden, Eleanor Roosevelt, and so many more.

We may never know the cause of homosexual orientation – but one thing is sure, it would be difficult to envision or recognize a civilized world without the contributions of gays, lesbians, transsexuals/transgendered or bisexuals.

Adapted from Diane Silver's "The New Civil War", 1997 in "The Center News", Vol. 37, No. 25, FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center, Atlantic City Airport, New Jersey, June 21, 2001. Provided to "The Rose" by Janet Engerman.

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Explaining Ourselves: A Panel Experience


By Julie Maverick

Recently, a friend of mine asked me to participate in a pair of panel discussions about the gender community. The events were for two very different groups: one was for a Houston Unitarian Church after Sunday services, the other was for first-year students at Baylor College of Medicine. I was free to come en femme or in mufti. She thought that I would enjoy talking to people about my personal experiences as a heterosexual crossdresser.

Was SHE ever RIGHT!! I had a ball. In fact, I'm so amazed by the experience that I don't know where to start. Immense satisfaction! Loads of fun! An opportunity to dress! An opportunity to talk to everyday folk in a safe and supporting context! My own podium and pulpit!

I can't recommend the experience enough. I hope the information below inspires you, gentle reader, to take part in similar opportunities when and where you are able. In particular, I recommend pursuing opportunities in churches, since it helps immediately to dispel negative stereotypes of our community. For the record, I am not "out" to my neighbor, my co-workers, and to most of my friends. One of the joys of this experience is that I was talking to total strangers who would never see me again. This was part of the joy and liberation in the experience for me.

The Format

Each panel had a similar set-up. I represented heterosexual crossdressers. My friend, Vanessa Edwards-Foster, represented MTF transsexuals. A third panelist represented intersexed individuals, those born with both male and female genitalia (I was surprised at just how many intersexed people there were in Houston). Desiree Walton was the intersexed representative at the church and Jessica Redman filled that role at the college. One panel also had the ex-wife of the intersexed girl, Paula Parker. We were unable, unfortunately, to have any of our FTM brothers on the panel, but not from lack of trying.

We each gave a 5-10 minute talk on who we were, our experiences, and how we thought about ourselves and our representative groups. This was followed by extensive question and answer periods. I can't overemphasize what a great format this is. First, we all learned about each other, and helped cement our bonds within the Houston gender community. Second, it allowed the audience to instantly recognize how different we were from each other. This clears up a LOT of confusion early on, and also demonstrates how different issues and needs of the gender community and the gay/lesbian community are. Many people were surprised to discover that I had been happily married for years, and that my wife knew about Julie before we were married. It felt nice to make that point clear.

The long Q&A period was critical in this regard. Both panels ran overtime, and dozens of people came up to the panel afterwards to ask even more questions. This kind of interest and enthusiasm is terrifically rewarding. Even better, it handled the most important questions up front, and each of the panelists could respond to the question in their own way.

The Church

Since this gig was Sunday at noon, I had plenty of time to prepare. I wore a conservative black top and pistachio stirrup pants. However, I DID bring a few large-format photos (11x17 color enlargements of snap-shots) of my male-self.

The group we spoke to was very warm and varied, including gays and lesbians, parents of gays and lesbians, and the full range of age, race, and experience. There were black, Asian, and Latino members of the church, plus teen-agers, single moms, doctors and professionals, and retired couples. The panel was organized Lindley Doran and Stewart Chatnik of the church's rainbow committee, as well as two members of PFLAG. They also took pictures and recorded us. It is important to say that they ASKED all members of the panel before taking any photos or tapes. This was important from a security standpoint; I felt that I was always treated with the utmost courtesy, concern, and respect.

The questions were wonderful. One question was about spousal support. I was able to proudly say that Tri-Ess had a long history of supporting spouses of CD's, and that we've learned over the years how to improve that help. My experience CERTAINLY contrasted with the ex-wife of the intersexed girl. She had absolutely no one to talk to who could relate to her experience. Her sense of loss was keen, and although she was still good friends with her ex-husband, there was a great deal of difficulty and pain in her response.

Another question concerned the sexual aspects of crossdressing. I told the questioner that, although I wasn't certain, I was pretty sure that right then I wasn't having sex.

This is part of the joy of talking to a group. I went on to explain that while there are individuals who crossdress chiefly for fetishistic reasons, many did not. For me, crossdressing was about identity, self-perception, and expressing myself. After all, what's between your ears is more germane than what's between your legs.

After the panel, a psychologist in the audience approached us and thanked us deeply. For her, we had really clarified this issue, and that she had finally, after 20 years of counseling, "gotten it." For me, mission accomplished, and off to the shops.

The Medical Students

What a change an audience makes! Almost everyone in this audience was highly educated and driven, interested in learning, and between 20 and 23 years old. WOW! That meant all the difference in the panel, both in the kind of questions we got and in the level of interest. I had come straight from work, so I spoke to the audience as my male self. I brought large-format images of both my male and female selves, so that the audience could relate a bit with how I sometimes choose to present myself. While there were certainly differences in my presentation, this made a lot less difference than the people to which we spoke.

The doctor who organized this course said that we were always his highest-rated class (no surprise there-Jerry Springer, move over!). He started the course a few years back when a student confided something important-she was very uncomfortable talking about certain things with patients. She realized that her own limited background kept her from being the best doctor she could. The class, as a result, was aimed at both educating the students and at making them more comfortable with the range of problems they might encounter in their work.

If you can, you've got to do this. It felt so good to talk to the doctors of tomorrow, all of whom were eager to hear what I had to say. It felt good to think that future crossdressers and gender benders of all sorts might benefit from my talking to these kids over my lunch hour. Talk about your high side-this was nothing but net.

I found that talking to a group en femme or as a male made only a small difference. This was a surprise for me, since I believe that I act rather differently given my current role. Nonetheless, I found that I was just as aggressive about fielding questions, just as forceful in my answers and told about the same number of jokes and stories. The content really didn't vary at all. One difference, though, was clear to me--I found that men in the audience had a harder time relating to my female self, in terms of both tone and content of questions. Well, I suppose I'm not surprised.

The statement that most intrigued the group was something I said about the mechanics of dressing. In order to keep a smooth front, we often tuck our testes up into our abdominal cavity before tucking our members. This mystified the crowd. Apparently, most men don't try this, and never think to try. Many men didn't realize that there was even a place to put our penises, much less how or why.

One of the most rewarding questions for me came after the main event. A woman walked up to me and asked where I got my clothes. She had a friend who was a large, tall girl and had trouble finding clothes that fit. I'm 6'2" and 195 pounds, so getting clothes for me is not easy. It was very rewarding to share my years of hunting around Houston for nice shops and bargain stores with a woman who was a bit shy and inexperienced. Helping real people-what fun!

Other Items For Consideration

SECURITY: I have already mentioned a few points regarding security. I firmly believe that anyone who organizes a panel discussion really wants the panelists to feel comfortable and open. Security plays a big part in this. I never felt that any member of the audience was threatening or rude. I also never felt that my identity was at risk to anyone I knew. Obviously, if you worried about security, don't attend a panel discussion in your OWN church, or in a small town where everyone knows everyone. By the same token, I know girls who take part in panel discussions in towns nearby or not-so-nearby. Speaking at a university is particularly good since, as long as you're not a professor there, there's little chance of encountering any of these people again.

HOW TO ORGANIZE A PANEL: I was surprised at how hungry the audiences for my panels were to know about our community. This is great news. It demonstrates a high degree of acceptance in this modern world, and it made it much easier for me to talk.

I am confident that one could call any psychology department at any college in the country to arrange a panel. Vanessa has organized panels for the law enforcement students, for clergy and counselors, for doctors, and for everyday people. I know others who have talked to police officers and legal groups. In short, the sky's the limit.

WHY BOTHER? This one's easy. The more people we educate, the better off we are. The safer we are from hate crimes, the more secure we will be in our jobs and the more the laws in this country will reflect our needs. Vanessa started arranging panels in order to help increase voter confidence in transgender issues. She wanted to affect the people who lobby the government.

I want to affect everyone. I want to talk to schoolteachers and parents. I want to talk to professionals of every stripe, including dentists and paramedics. I want to talk to elected officials and journalists. Why? That's easy - because it's really fun. These are people who do things in the world, from fix your teeth to make your laws. These are the parents of future bullies and future voters. And I am pleased and proud to de-stigmatize our community before the world. I also can show that the "nuts and sluts" of daytime talk shows are only the most obvious beginning of a huge range of people who wish to express their feminine sides.

Cross your fingers!


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Paradise and More




By Joan and Lucy Stone


Is it possible for a couple (a CD dressed en femme and spouse) to travel over 14,000 miles in two weeks and have an absolutely fabulous time? The answer is an unqualified yes. This past June, we flew as two ladies from Richmond, Virginia to Los Angeles, California where we met Peggy and Melanie Rudd and the others who were going on the Dignity Cruise to Tahiti. That evening, we all got acquainted over dinner and had a wonderful time. The next morning we boarded Hawaiian Airlines DC-10 and were on our way to Tahiti and what was to be seven wonderful days touring French Polynesia.

When we arrived at the airport in Papeete, government officials handled our entry into French Polynesia efficiently and courteously, and we were immediately transported to our Renaissance Cruise Ship. On the pier, Renaissance personnel also were efficient and courteous, and within 15 minutes we were shown to our stateroom. We stopped there only briefly and then were off to tour the ship. What a beautiful ship it was, and the week only got better from there.

Our first day was spent docked in Tahiti where we could leave the ship and do some shopping in the open-air market place. In subsequent days we visited four other islands, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea and Bora Bora. On each island, we took a guided tour around the island. What wonderful experiences we had meeting the hospitable French Polynesians and viewing the beautiful scenery. Touring the Islands was a delightful and relaxing experience, and our private balcony on board the ship made cruising the islands especially delightful.

On Moorea, Lucy fell while walking down an incline to a botanical garden, and as a result experienced a wonderful outpouring of concern both from fellow passengers who rushed to her aid and the Polynesian tour guide who administered first aid in a very caring manner. Later to her chagrin, Lucy learned that an Australian tourist had videotaped the whole incident as it took place and had narrated it with comments such as, "The lady just fell . . .she is getting up . . . I don't believe she is hurt." Fortunately, other than her dignity and a skinned hand Lucy was uninjured.

The ship's crew all knew our cross dressing group was on board, but they also knew there were heterosexuals and homosexuals, married and unmarried couples, swinging singles, friends of Bill and perhaps a few categories of people we have forgotten. However, we all were paying customers, and no one made the slightest distinction. Our cabin stewardess knew that Lucy was a crossdressed male, but she always addressed her as madam and treated her with the utmost courtesy.

When we returned to LA, we spent four days in Southern California with Kim and Anya who were on the Dignity Cruise with us, and we continued to have a wonderful time. We rented a car and drove to Vista, near San Diego, where we stayed with Kim's mother. Her mother had agreed for Lucy to come crossdressed, if she would dress as Don when we went out to dinner with her. While we were there we toured Wild Animal Kingdom and old San Diego. The first night Kim's mother, decided that she really like Lucy and didn't care if she ever met Don. As a result Don never emerged from our suitcases.

It was a great trip, especially for Lucy because she got to remain dressed en femme from the time we left our home in Williamsburg until we returned. During the trip, we boarded six airplanes and a ship, we rented a car, and we stayed in three hotel rooms. During our travel, each time it was necessary for Lucy to reveal that she was actually a crossdressed male and she showed her Transgender ID, we were impressed that everyone, with one exception, acted as if crossdressed travelers are an ordinary occurrence.

The only incident even worth mentioning occurred when we checked in for our flight to Tahiti. The ticket agent got very flustered when she saw that Lucy's passport was for a male whose appearance is somewhat different. Lucy told her she was crossdressed and showed the agent her transgender ID, but the agent refused to even consider the possibility. Instead, she took Lucy's passport and ID over to another agent. While we couldn't hear what they were saying, we could tell from the other agent's demeanor that he was trying to tell her everything was all right. However, she still was not convinced and went to a second agent who appeared to respond the same way as the first. Then, she came back and reluctantly gave Lucy a boarding pass. For our ticket agent, meeting Lucy was just the beginning of her exposure to crossdressers that morning because several other crossdressed members of our Dignity Cruise group were in line behind us. Checking later with them, we learned that by the time she got to the third crossdressed member of our party she acted as if boarding someone crossdressed was a very routine matter.

As the result of our wonderful trip, we can truthfully say that it is possible for a couple (CD and spouse) to travel over 14,000 miles as two ladies and for both of them to have a wonderful time.

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Living Your Fantasy

By Becky Adams

A cab driver picks up a nun. She gets into the cab, and the cab driver won't stop staring at her. She asks him why he is staring and he replies, "I have a question to ask you but I don't want to offend you. She answers: "My dear son, you cannot offend me. When you're as old as I am and have been a nun as long as I have, you get a chance to see and hear just about everything. I'm sure that there's nothing you could say or ask that I would find offensive." "Well, I've always had a fantasy to have a nun kiss me." She responds, "Well, let's see what we can do about that: #1, you have to be single and #2 you must be a Catholic." The cab driver is very excited and says, "Yes, I am single and I'm Catholic too!" The nun says, "Okay, pull into the next alley." He does and the nun fulfills his fantasy. But when they get back on the road, the cab driver starts crying. "My dear child." said the nun, "Why are you crying?" "Forgive me sister, but I have sinned. I lied, I must confess, I'm married and I'm a Baptist." The nun says, "That's okay. I'm on the way to a Halloween party, and my name is Bruce.

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The "Bears In Teddies" Had A Picnic


By Rebecca Adams
Actually no one wore a "teddy" (at least I don't think any one did) to the picnic at Doneene and Marsha's, but most everyone was dressed in either contemporary feminine attire (our spouses) or traditional feminine attire (us). But everyone had a great time--the weather was cooperative, the food was delicious, and the conversation stimulating. We wandered all over the map from "why are we sitting here like we are" to comparing notes from orthopedic surgeons…which accounted for one member who was with a sling as well as a leg cast…to the well being of our past president and Charter Member, Grace, who was hospitalized with a stroke the previous week.
Participating were Emily and Laurie, Rebecca, Mary Alice, Doneene and Marsha, Yvonne and Linda, Leslie and Martha, and Susie and Rita. And since most of us were attired in long, flowing, feminine summer dresses, the slinging of horseshoes that dominated the last picnic was replaced by the clink of ice in glasses as we enjoyed the variety of offerings presented to us.

Those of us who had visited Grace reported back on her condition and on the legion service her SO, Mary Jo, was providing her during this hour of need. Prayers and thoughts of both are requested.

We would like to thanks Doneene and Marsha again for their hospitality and friendship and for making these outings the successes that they are.

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Kalina's Corner

By Kalina Mirev

BETWEEN

I was born between
Between two countries
A binational baby
Constantly crossing the borders
So I grew between
Between the two languages
Of my mom and my dad
Trying to speak them both
Childhood and teenage
In planes and trains
Flying and running between
To and fro...
And growing older I found
I live between two genders
'tween the Boy and the Girl
Between pants and dresses
Between shorts and little skirts
Between socks and nylons
Between Her and Him
Between the evil and goodness
Between the romance and rage
Between the hammer and anvil
Between the freedom and the cage
And now when I reached the Christ's age
I am between again
I'm a betweener forever
But life shorter becomes every day


Kalina lives in Bulgaria and is separated from her wife and son. She can be reached at moskvich408@yandex.ru.

Ask Miss Chatelaine


In horseshoes and surgery, inches count


Dear Miss Chatelaine:

Q: I'm curious about a new movie out, Hedwig and the Angry Inch. I'd like to take my girlfriend to see it, but I want to learn a little more about it first. Do you happen to know what the angry inch is?

R. Newman, L.A.

Dear Randy:

Hedwig is a transsexual who underwent sexual reassignment surgery where the doctor failed to remove the whole nine yards, so to speak. Miss Chatelaine isn't sure to what length she should try to explain the premise of the movie. My answers are sometimes cut a tad short.

Q: Is America becoming more tolerant of us transgendered folk?

R. Paul, New York

Dear Ru:

Miss Chatelaine thinks we've got a long way to go, but there are encouraging signs. While visiting a Borders Bookstore in Florida this summer, your ever-observant columnist was pleasantly surprised to see Transformation Magazine on display behind the main counter. A small victory for sure, but a positive sign some communities are learning how to be more open towards us. On the other hand, a male soccer player recently poked fun at crossdressers when he lampooned Brandi Chastaine, the U.S. Women's Team soccer player who stripped off her shirt (revealing a Nike bra) during the World Cup. The male player, as you might guess, ripped off his shirt revealing a black sports bra. If U.S. men's soccer wasn't so desperate for attention, Miss Chatelaine might have taken offense.

Q: I've detected a nauseating liberal leaning media bias in your columns. Come clean, Miss Chatelaine. There must be something the TG community likes about President George W. Bush?

R. Limbaugh, D.C.

Dear Rush:

To be honest, I adore the fact he's only working part time. The way Miss Chatelaine sees it, the fewer hours George puts in on the job, the less chance he'll get to plunge us into nuclear oblivion. A month-long vacation? Sounds great. Miss Chatelaine's advice? Take two more, W.

.Q: What's this summer's hottest color?

H. Klum, Big Apple

Dear Heidi:

Think pink, girl. According to Kay Krill, president of Ann Taylor Loft (a women's retail chain), pink has become this summer's classic color. On a woman, pink is girlish, flirtatious and sweet. By the way, 100 years ago pink was the preferred color that mothers chose to clothe their sons in (it was considered stronger and bolder than the color blue). My, my. What a difference a century can make.

Miss Chatelaine is a feature of Mirror Images, the newsletter of Erie Sisters Transgender Support Group. Visit them at www.geocities.com/eriesisters, or email your own questions to Miss Chatelaine at eriesisters@yahoo.com

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