When you see a transvestite in drag in a perfectly ordinary public venue

[KillerMuffin]

What do you think? What do you feel? What sorts of images or labels do you assign to the man in a dress and makeup? Do you assume he is gay? Do you feel uncomfortable?

Would you look him in the face if he asked you for directions? Would you smile if he offered a friendly hello?

 

[Mia62]

We have one that goes to one of our local Catholic Churches. Appears to be a nice enough man...even he does have bad taste in clothes.

 

[Ms_Lilith]

Hell, I'd probably go flirt! All the transvestites I know are strong characters, and are interesting people. Maybe living a 'taboo' lifestyle has taught them self-confidence and courage. I'm not bothered by transvestites.. they dress how they like, I choose not to wear stilleto heals, cus I'll fall over. As for sexuality, I don't make assumptions like that.

 

[zipman]

What do you think? What do you feel? What sorts of images or labels do you assign to the man in a dress and makeup? Do you assume he is gay? Do you feel uncomfortable?

Would you look him in the face if he asked you for directions? Would you smile if he offered a friendly hello?

Funny that you post this. I was looking for a New Year's gift for my girlfriend yesterday when all of a sudden, a transvestite that was shopping next to me offered her opinion on the Jewelry I was looking at. We had long a extremely pleasant conversation about women's Jewelry for about 15 minutes.

I remember thinking about how great it was that she felt comfortable enough with her sexuality to live the life she desired.

 

[RosevilleCAguy]

What do you think? What do you feel? What sorts of images or labels do you assign to the man in a dress and makeup? Do you assume he is gay? Do you feel uncomfortable?

Would you look him in the face if he asked you for directions? Would you smile if he offered a friendly hello?

People are people. Bottom line.

 

[curious2c]

Grew up in a small town. Was a man there who crossdressed, and the women in town were a bit jealous because he could on occasion, look better than some of them. Anyway, it caused his family, especially his kids to get a lot of grief. Imagine your father crossdressing in public in a very small town. How would you handle the teasing and out and out hate that shows up?

He had balls, but his sense was lacking. He put his kids through hell in school due to his choice. I feel that he should have been more circumspect until his kids were grown and gone.

I never questioned his sexuality, since he had kids. My parents would talk to him and we even had the whole family over for dinner a couple of times. (I think my father was trying to show that the crossdresser was or had a human side too. It caused dad to catch some grief for a bit, but it soon passed.)

Since i have been exposed to it on the 'human' side I can understand it somewhat. I do have a certain...negative reaction towards it, only because I saw what it did to his kids in school, and have to wonder about how their choice is affecting someone in their lives.

 

[*Eve*]

Me and a girlfriend were in the ladies room after a movie when two transvestites came into the bathroom to do their make-up. They didn't really even look like women, and all we could really do was stare. I know it wasn't polite, and I kind of felt bad afterwards because I'm sure it was as uncomfortable for them as it was for the other women in the ladies room.

 

[SilvaTungDevil]

The last time I went to Sears on a Monday afternoon, it was like a transvestite convention. Gawd, who thinks clothes from Sears are sexy?

 

[carrie-on]

I grew up in a big city and ran into all kinds of different people there.
My Mom was a bartender and the bar that she worked in for many years, was bought by a man who was a transvestite and turned it into a "gay bar". He looked better in some things than some ladies I knew. lol I learned a lot about clothes in the few months before we moved.
My family lived in the big apartment over the bar until he bought the building. My parents decided to move because they didn't want my brothers around "them". I enjoyed watching the show out the window upstairs looking down onto the main street. I even saw Paul Lynde go in there once. When I told my Mom (at 1 in the morning),she said she wasn't surprised.
Since then,I have moved to a less populated place and while I am more tolerant of others,I can see that some others aren't.

 

[lost]

What do you think? What do you feel? What sorts of images or labels do you assign to the man in a dress and makeup? Do you assume he is gay? Do you feel uncomfortable?

Would you look him in the face if he asked you for directions? Would you smile if he offered a friendly hello?

Usually I'm thinking something along the lines of "I wish my son would stop yanking my son off." Or "I wonder if I picked up everything I needed." In essence it's not something I dwell on.


As the last two questions yes, but often my friendly smile is mistaken for snarling.

 

[Lancecastor]

What do you think? What do you feel? What sorts of images or labels do you assign to the man in a dress and makeup? Do you assume he is gay? Do you feel uncomfortable?

Would you look him in the face if he asked you for directions? Would you smile if he offered a friendly hello?

Well if that wasn't a cheap shot, I don't know what was. Perhaps you could start a similar thread for negroes, Muff...or Mormons...or people who stammer.

 

[ksmybuttons]

Transvestite in drag? Does that mean the person dresses as their own gentilia dictates?

I find most men dress as caricatures of women.

With women, it is much harder to diferentiate. Is it cross dressing or comfort or style?

I have a gay friend who calls it being a "Female Illusionist."

To each their own. I smile and say hi just like I do with other people.

I also talk on elevators and waiting at the women's room and any other line or standing still with other people experiences that I encounter.

I like drag queen's the best because they are the most fun.

 

[Freya]

I'm such an oblivious dork, I probably wouldn't even notice.

 

[KillerMuffin]

Re: Re: When you see a transvestite in drag in a perfectly ordinary public venue

Well if that wasn't a cheap shot, I don't know what was.

I'm sorry Lance. I had no idea you were that sensitive about your choice of wardrobe. I didn't mean to make fun of or belittle your crossdressing. I was merely trying to explore the general Lit reaction to something that is out of place and generally looked down upon by the mainstream western civilization.

 

[Sillyman]

Normally I think 'Hi, Dad!'.

 

[KillerMuffin]

The first time I ever saw one, I reacted badly. I'm sure he was used to it and my apologies--once I came back to reality--weren't taken very well.

I learned something valuable though. I can think that I'm open minded and progressive, but when I'm confronted with something out of the ordinary, I'm not always well prepared to handle it.

I've met a few since then and the last one was an ex-marine at the VA hospital. He tried to teach me how to apply lipstick gracefully and failed miserably. I'm not the makeup sort. However, he's been a good friend.

I think I take it more in stride now and while some things still throw me, I'm able to look at a person for who they are, not what I think they should look like.

 

[Lancecastor]

Re: Re: Re: When you see a transvestite in drag in a perfectly ordinary public venue

I'm sorry Lance. I had no idea you were that sensitive about your choice of wardrobe. I didn't mean to make fun of or belittle your crossdressing. I was merely trying to explore the general Lit reaction to something that is out of place and generally looked down upon by the mainstream western civilization.

I assumed you'd go for another cheap shot.

The point was and is you should have considered that there are likely lots of TV's here that come here hoping to find some of the acceptance they perhaps don't get IRL before using your reputation here as a Moderator and heavy poster to sway threads in such a callous way.

 

[KillerMuffin]

I forgot. I'm the lead borg in the entire enslave the boards conspiracy. Thanks for reminding me of my exalted position, the lovely one you created all by yourself just for me. As the Borg Queen, I order you to take off your pants and jump butt first into a snowbank. The rest of us will continue posting on the boards as normal, Mr. Weaver.

Unless, of course, you're inclined to answer the questions honestly.

 

[Ishmael]

Re: Re: Re: Re: When you see a transvestite in drag in a perfectly ordinary public venue

I assumed you'd go for another cheap shot.

The point was and is you should have considered that there are likely lots of TV's here that come here hoping to find some of the acceptance they perhaps don't get IRL before using your reputation here as a Moderator and heavy poster to sway threads in such a callous way.

How you can go from obnoxious and unfeeling to politically correct in 1 post flat still baffles me. Have you gone back and looked at your inconsistancies?

Really, some one shows a little honesty and you are on the attack if it suits your purposes.

Me? The "Hooter's Guy" makes me laugh my ass off. But I've met some tansvestites that I would give directions to in a heart beat and never know they weren't women. It all comes down to the fact that if you're going to be anything, be the best you can be.

Ishmael

 

[Guest]

I'm such an oblivious dork, I probably wouldn't even notice.

The hands usually give them away, no matter how great they look......and some do look really beautiful.

 

[Ishmael]

The hands usually give them away, no matter how great they look......and some do look really beautiful.

Only men have a prominent "Adam's Apple". That's how it got it's name.

Ishmael

 

[KillerMuffin]

You're right, GP. I wish I had half of some of their fashion sense.

I watched Too Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar a few weeks ago. Watching Patrick Swayze's character deal with his familial derision was heartbreaking.

I still feel bad about the first transvestite I ever met because I know I hurt him and I can't change that.