Your Investment

VOL. VII, NO. 3 An Innvestments Publication FEBRUARY 1999

PAGE INDEX

VALENTINE PARTY & RED DRESS CONTEST

Saturday evening, the 20th of February, Innvestments 7th annual Valentine Party was held at the XXXXXX Inn in Hyannis. The banquet room was all decorated in a Valentine motif and forty-three girls, many with superb red party dresses, had been arriving since noon.

Liz started the evening with a few announcements and Candy gave the invocation. Liz announced that Sara and Beth had gotten engaged then Candy announced that it was Liz's birthday and soon had the entire group singing "Happy Birthday".

After the meal, ample food for all, the annual red dress contest got under way. Each gal in red got up and strutted their stuff for the group while the XXXXXX Inn staff acted as the judges. Every dress imaginable, from flounce satin, to crushed velvet, to light chiffon, to sweater and skirt sets and from brilliant scarlet to fawn pink was on display. And with Denise S., as last year's Queen passing the grand prize, the winner "Maggie Jones" was announce. The prize was again the coveted Barbie Doll dressed in red velvet.

To the strains of "Diamond's Are A Girl's Best Friend," the entertainer for the evening, Marilyn Monroe came through the door. In a sight reminiscent of Marilyn's famous white blowing dress scene, Marilyn performed and sang on stage. In Marilyn's second act, she wore a fancy red dress that everyone said they would die for and performed a duet with Jane Russell. After the performances she mingled with the group. It was only then that some of the girls finally realized the Marilyn was a GG and not an FI. We want to thank "Karen" for a neat job well done!

Between acts, heart shaped candy boxes were raffled off. After the show, most everyone went to the Mallory Dock/Club 477 for dancing. As usual Rachia and Candy worked the registration desk in the lobby and Catherine (formerly Robyn R.-who now has a new name and a bright future) worked the sound system.

PAGE 2 YOUR INNVESTMENT JANUARY 1999

YOUR INNVESTMENT is a publication of Innvestments, P.O. Box 2194, Orleans, MA.02653-2194 / P.O. Box 354, Sagamore, MA 02561-0354. Innvestments is a non-sexual service organization founded to support and to provide a socially acceptable outlet for the crossdressing, transvestite, transsexual, transgendered community located primarily in Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint any article in Your Innvestment is hereby granted to non-profit similar organizations provided that publication and authorship credit be given. Any commercial use of Your Innvestment material is hereby prohibited. Some material may have previously appeared in print. Publication and authorship rights of material reprinted from other sources remain with its originator. The editor/s of Your Innvestment are not under any obligation to accept information and advertisements. Information and advertisements may be published in any form deemed acceptable. Any information about services, products or sympathetic locations published in Your Innvestment is not considered an endorsement of such by the staff of Your Innvestment or the Board of Directors of Innvestments. Innvestments is also know in open source publications on Cape Cod and the Islands as Cape Cod Cross Dressers (Triple C-D).

OFFICERS

Liz W..................................President
Julie W...........................Vice President
Brenda L...............................Treasurer - E-Mail Brrendaa@aol.com

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Candy Scott........... .....................Board - E-Mail Candyscott@capecod.net
Judy Thompson...............................Board

DUES & SUBSCRIPTIONS


Membership (including newsletter) is $30.00 per-year (pro-rated after Jan.) with a $15.00 meeting fee. Meeting fees payable only for those attended. Subscription only rates are $10.00 per-year.

FEBRUARY 1999 YOUR INNVESTMENT PAGE 3

 

NEW TG POSITION BY DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

 

by Lou Chibbaro Jr

The following is an article from the 20 November 1998 issued of the Washington Blade online which has significant relevance to some transgendered employees being harassed by police departments. Those with computer access may find the Blade helpful. You can find it at www.washblade.com. It is posted on Fridays, though sometimes late.

In a significant move, the U.S. Justice Department announced last week that it will use existing federal civil rights laws to take legal action against businesses and state and local governments that engage in employment discrimination against gay and transgendered persons.

"This reflects a significant response on the part of the Justice Department generally to seriously apply existing laws in ways that can remedy current injustices against gay people and gender-non-conforming people," said lesbian-activist attorney Chai Feidblum, who heads a legislative clinic a Georgetown University Law School. Feidblum said the Justice Department's response was prompted by recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, such as one in a case involving same-sex sexual harassment, and that "the actual impact of this change will depend on the results we get in court."

Justice Department official Aaron Schuham said DOJ believes that existing U.S. civil rights statutes that explicitly ban discrimination based on sex can be applied to cases of anti-gay discrimination in a number of circumstances.

Schuham, an attorney with DOJ's civil rights division, said high-level DOJ officials, including Attorney General Janet Reno and Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Bill Lann Lee, approved the DOJ "initiative" to take on such cases, even though no federal civil rights law explicitly bans discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Helen Norton, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights emphasized, in an interview with the Blade, that the DOJ efforts described by Schuham cannot be used to assist gays or transgendered people who suffer discrimination based solely on their sexual orientation.

"Civil rights laws don't cover gays," [except in RI and a handful of other states] she said. "But all Americans are entitled to protection under existing laws that cover them. If a gay [or transgendered] person is discriminated against for some reason other than their sexual orientation." such as gender no-conformity which could be considered a form of sex discrimination, DOJ "may be able to go after that."

Feldblum, who praised the DOJ for adopting the policy, said it could have the effect of providing more protection for the segment of the gay community that most often faces discrimination - women who are perceived to be masculine and men who are perceived to effeminate.

"There's more protection for gay men, lesbians, and transgender folks who are non-conforming to gender stereotypes," said Feldblum, a professor of law at Georgetown.

Schuham announced the new DOJ policy on Nov. 14, while speaking on a panel at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Creating Change conference in Pittsburgh, PA. More that 1,800 people attended the conference.

Schuham said Lee put the policy into place "several months ago," although neither Lee nor the DOJ formally announced the change.

"It's a very serious commitment that has been directed by everyone from Janet Reno all the way down," Schuham said. "We can really bring our resources to bear on this."

"We intend to work on cases ... (where) an employee fails to hire you, promote you, or fires you or retaliates against you because you don't live up to the employer's expectation of what a male

PAGE 4 YOUR INNVESTMENT FEBRUARY 1999

employee should act like, or how he should hold himself out," Schuham said. He said the department will take similar action against an employer that discriminates against a female because she doesn't conform to "sex stereotyping."

Schuham said DOJ plans to apply the gender stereotyping strategy to a number of other instances where gays and transgendered persons commonly face discrimination or harassment. Among them, he said, are anti-gay harassment of students in public schools and anti-gay discrimination or harassment in prisons. He said DOJ will also consider taking action against local police departments that fail to provide adequate protection for gay and trans-gendered people.

Schuham said that under standard procedures for enforcing civil rights laws, the Justice Department has authority to force employers to end discriminatory practices through civil litigation. He said the department represents the person or persons facing discrimination in such civil litigation free of charge.

Schuham said anyone with information about possible gay or transgender-related discrimination at the workplace can reach him at (202) 514-3878.

Feldblum said the adoption of the Justice Department policy follows several years of discussion on the matter between gay civil rights attorneys and Justice Department officials. Feldblum said groups such as the transgender organization Gender PAC and the legal groups of Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights have worked on the effort over the past year.

"This is an excellent step forward," Feldblum said. However, Feldblum said this policy should not be considered a substitute for a national gay civil rights law, which Congress has so far declined to pass.

Lambda's managing attorney Beatrice Dohrn echoed Feldblum's assessment, characterizing the DOJ action "a very sound interpretation" and "application" of existing laws.

Dohrn said Justice Department officials have indicated they will use Title VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the U.S. Civil rights Act Amendments of 1972 as part of their arsenal of laws to crack down on sex discrimination against gay people. Title VII bans discrimination in employment, and Title IX bans sexual harassment at the work place.

Dohrn said the DOJ is also expected to use provisions in the U.S. Constitution which the Supreme Court has held to ban local, state, and federal government entities from engaging in discrimination based on the same categories as Titles VII and IX. She said the DOJ is expected to buttress its lineage of sexual orientation discrimination and sex discrimination by invoking the 1997 Supreme Court decisions in Oncale v. Sundowner. That decision established that same-sex sexual harassment is illegal under existing law. in addition, Dohrn said, the DOJ is expected to use the 1989 Supreme Court ruling of Hopkins v. Price Waterhouse, which established that gender role discrimination and gender stereotyping is covered under Title VII as a form of sex discrimination.

Dohrn noted that the plaintiff in the Hopkins case was a woman who was denied a partnership in the Price Waterhouse accounting firm because her superiors believed she dressed and acted in a way that was inappropriate for a woman. the woman's sexual orientation was not identified in the case and did not become an over issue.

"No one said she was a lesbian," said Dohrn. "But they accused her of having traits not characteristic of a woman and said that was inappropriate for her work."

"We believe this is well grounded in case law," Priesling {Dana Priesling of Gender PAC) said. "We believe they clearly have the authority to do this."

FEBRUARY 1999 YOUR INNVESTMENT PAGE 5

CANDY'S
CUPBOARD

_
There was an all points bulletin issued this week for one of our very own...Denise S. She was wanted for questioning for being in possession of (wearing) stolen property at/to the Valentine Party. It seems that during Tiffany Club's First Event in January, Denise went to leave...and found that her car had been stolen from the underground garage. If you know Denise, you know that the car wasn't worth much if anything at all...but that fabulous red dress that she owned (along with several other items of clothing) were all in the car when it was stolen. After settling her claim and getting another car, she received a phone call from the police in Salem, NH. Her car had been located 3 weeks prior, but they had neglected to inform her. She drove up, took the clothes from the car and then left it in lieu of paying towing charges. She then wore the red dress to the party (evidently, the dress did not fit whoever stole the car because the dress was the only thing of value). After winning the best red dress contest on two separate occasions with that same dress, no one was going to let her win again. (Stolen: Hmmmmm).

_
We ask that everyone please keep two of our folks in their special prayers. Charlynn from Eastham and Joanna from Brewster are both experiencing serious medical problems. We want them to know that we are here for them should they require any assistance.

_ We also want Vaunessa Vale to know that we are still all hanging in there for her as well. We have heard recently that she is doing better. She is still in Pennsylvania at her family residence. Hang tough girl. You are also in our prayers.

_ Thursday, February 26th thru Sunday, February 29th at the Boston Park Plaza a transgendered writing conference will take place, writers, booksellers, agents, readers, critics, etc., will gather to socialize, kibitz, etc., etc.

_
The Transgender Education Network (TEN) at JRI Health will host the first annual Transgender Film Festival at the Coolidge Corner Theater, May 18th, 19th and 20th. The Festival will entail 3-days of films with transgender subjects, and is open to the public. It's Time Massachusetts (ITMA) (a transgender political action organization striving to changing laws concerning the TG community) is co-sponsoring this event. There should be some good films at this event. Perhaps we can sponsor a film viewing night out on the town. Keep it in mind.

_ In case you hadn't heard, Nancy Cain is now the new Executive Director of IFGE. Congratulations. As Director of Operations, Nancy Cain had already been carrying the load since Nancy Nangeroni left the Executive Director position.

_ Innvestments under OIGS sponsorship has put in for a grant in order to conduct a transgender health and wellness conference for medical and health care professionals on Cape Cod. We will keep you informed on our progress.

_ Did you hear the story about Dawn R.? She was all dressed up except for her hair and ready to go out when her next door neighbor came by just to chat. Upon seeing Dawn, next door neighbor did not bat an eyelash but just sat down and chatted away. As he was getting ready to leave he looked down at Dawn's high spike heels and commented that they must be terrible to walk in. Dawn just agreed and her neighbor left. Dawn just shook her shoulders and said "Hey, what can you do!" and then went out for the evening with Terry. As far as I know, the neighbor has yet to say anything to Dawn about finding her dressed (sans hair) and ready to go out.

_ Thought for the day: "It is the tragedy of the world that no person knows what they do not know - and the less a person knows, the more sure they are that they know everything." - Paraphrased from English author Joyce Carry (1888-1957).

PAGE 6 YOUR INNVESTMENT FEBRUARY 1999

 

FASHION FRIENDLY FACTS

 

Thank you PS Preferred Customer Newsletter, November 1998

Fashion comes and goes, but "style" is eternal! All the top designers agree that it's style that makes the woman. But how do you create your own personal style on a limited budget? Accessories! Accessorizing is an easy, inexpensive way to create many different looks. A few accessory changes here and there can change the look of an outfit and double or triple its use.

Accessories are an integral part of every wardrobe. They're fun, creative and reflect your personality without having to spend a fortune. Accessories can focus attention where you want it and redirect the eye away from trouble spots.

Proportion is one of the key elements in choosing the right accessories. Full figured women should wear accessories that are scaled up in size, but not so much so that the accessory is all anyone notices Accessories need to be balanced. No one accessory should be so big or bold to detract from your total look. Keep it simple.

Shoes are the most accurate index of taste. The most elegant and costly of outfits can be instantly cheapened by poorly cared for shoes. Don't scrimp on your shoes. Straps across the instep or around the ankle make the leg look shorter and larger. A low heel is best with pants and a 1 ½ - 2 inch heel is best with skirts. If you wear open-toed shoes, make sure your feet are well groomed.

When it comes to purses, think quality over quantity. Make certain that you choose a handbag that suits your needs and your size. A purse that's too small makes a woman look bigger. Pay close attention to where the bag hits you; that where you'll direct the viewer's focus. Your purse and shoes don't have to match but they should blend.

Scarves are a great way to brighten up or tone down an outfit. A colorful scarf at the neckline can make that not too flattering top you bought look great. Fabrics like chiffon are light and easy to work with, and larger scarves tend to be more effective and versatile.

Not all bodies are created equal when it comes to belts. In general, a belt looks best on a body that has a defined waistline. Since belts create a strong horizontal line across the body, it's best to chose a belt that's the same color as the outfit you are wearing.

Hats give a person presence and stand out as a signature piece. The key to wearing a hat is to wear it with confidence. The shape of your hat should compliment the shape of your body and face. Plus size women should be wary of high crowns and large brims can overpower shorter women. The taller you are, the wider the brim can be but never wider than your shoulders. Always look in a full length mirror to judge the proportion of the hat to your body size. Hats command attention, so as someone aptly stated, "If you're not in the mood for comments, you're not in the mood for a hat."
(Continued on next page)

FEBRUARY 1999 YOUR INNVESTMENT PAGE 7

Gloves are a necessary item if you live in a cold climate. Look for silk or cashmere gloves to keep you warm. Coordinate your gloves with your winter coat.

The conservative rule for hosiery is to wear sheer hosiery in a neutral tone that make your legs look slightly tan. Black skirts look great with black hose, and color hose can be a fabulous look if the match is correct. An incorrect color match is a NAGLE (not a good look). White and patterned hose tend to make the leg look larger. The dressier the shoe, the more sheer the hose. The sportier the shoe, the more opaque the hose. For a taller look, match your hose and shoes to the bottom of your hem.

More than any other accessory jewelry expresses your personality. There's no better way to conceal figure flaws. Jewelry can draw attention to or from body areas and dress an outfit up or down. It doesn't need to be real, but it does need to have impact. Those small, genuine pieces may possess sentimental value but they don't create impact. Earrings are the most important accessory that you can buy. When buying earrings consider the size of your earlobe, and the length of your neck. If you can only afford one pair of earrings, a pearly and gold button or oval style are the most versatile. A pin brings the focus to the face without visually cutting off the body. It adds pizzazz without a lot of hassle and should be worn high on the shoulder. Necklaces can be great if you choose the right length. For understated elegance, pearls are a must! If you have a double chin or a short neck, stay away from chokers. And if you're well-endowed, choose necklaces that stop above the cleavage. Choose rings as an accessory if your nails are well groomed. Nails can even become an accessory if they are painted. The fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld said, "The nineties are about doing what you want to do." Accessorizing is a simple, easy, fun way to do just that._

DOWN SIZING

If you have a yellow address label attached to the front of the envelope in which you receive this newsletter, this will be your last newsletter.

In our changeover from the XXXXXXX Inn to the XXXXXXX Inn we had an increase in expenses. There was also an increase in printing costs as well as an increase in postage rates. All in all, our costs have increased.
Also this year we went into the low portion of the curve as far as our membership is concerned. It seems that every 3 to 4 years we lose a group of our members who move on to other pursuits. They are generally replaced by a new group, but it takes a year or two to build back up to where we were when folks moved on. Over time we had increased our membership to 52 individuals. We then dropped down to 32 members and then start to build back up again. This season is our down time where we are back to 32 members.

With our increased expenses, and without at least a 50 member base, we have a hard time maintaining our member services and programs. Additionally, both of our parties this winter (Christmas and Valentine's Day) went into arrears. Consequently we have had to review our expenses and cut costs accordingly.

We do not want to loose you. Our membership rate is still $30.00 per year which includes the newsletter (plus $15.00 for each regular meeting attended). Our subscription only rate is still the lowest of any group within the community, just $10.00 per year. We urge you to rejoin and/or re-subscribe before we have to increase our newsletter prices. We also have had to cut our complimentary copies. If you receive a complimentary copy (it is annotated with (CMP) on the label) we ask that you consider supporting us by subscribing to our newsletter. Thank you!

PAGE 8 YOUR INNVESTMENT FEBRUARY 1999

 

Panty Hose Woes........

 

by Carrie St. Michel

I have a new hero. I used to worship the Pillsbury Doughboy -- you know that cute, chubby, hot from the oven little guy -- but then it occurred to me that it's not quite normal to idolize someone who, if he were baked into a gooey cinnamon bun and frosted, I'd seriously consider eating. So my new hero is an inventor by the name of Robert D. Shomo.

Please understand that I normally don't pay much attention to inventors. After all, they never seem to create any thing that really makes my life any easier. You know, like a microwave oven that can also make the beds, fold the laundry, walk the dog, prepare dinner, pay the bills and periodically remind the kids that your mother is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. But Mr. Shomo has my undivided attention because he's currently trying to perfect what he calls "waist less panty hose."

Mind you, I'm not exactly sure what waist less panty hose are, but I'm more than willing to bet they're a whole lot better than panty hose with waists. In fact, I'm convinced that just about anything would be an improvement. With the possible exception of those faded blue jeans that I can zip up only with the assistance of my husband's power tools, there's no article of clothing I hate more than panty hose.

For starters, there's absolutely, positively, no graceful way to put them on. You have to tug, yank, squat, pull and do a good dozen deep knee bends just to get the darn things over your ankles, up your calves and thighs, and then over your rear. A word to the wise: The panty hose struggle is one that your children are better off not seeing. My kids once saw me struggling with mine and immediately told their father to "call 911, Mommy is in her room fighting some kind of scary monster."

And once you have your panty hose on, you're consumed with a single thought: "Oh please, God! When can I take them off?" That's because panty hose are just plain uncomfortable. After just one hand washing, this infernal garment resembles a misshapen Ping-Pong or golf ball that could easily fit into your change purse. Now I ask you, how can anyone possibly expect this wadlike piece of washed-up nylon to easily and comfortably stretch from toes to knees to waist? Impossible!

When I finally am able to take off my panty hose (yes), my decision looks like a relief map of all the major U.S. highways and byways. One summer my husband actually mapped out our entire family vacation directly on my wrinkled and indented stomach.

Not only do panty hose pretty much take away your ability to breathe and think effectively, they often run in less time than it takes the typical active toddler to destroy whatever room you just spent the better part of the day cleaning.

Speaking of which, nylons always run at the most inopportune moments. I remember one time, right before an important job interview, I noticed a run the length of the Amazon River. Yikes! I didn't have nail polish, hair spray, gum or anything else one might use to contain an out-of-control run. All I could find was a really old tube of SuperGlue.

The glue stopped the run just fine, thank you. Unfortunately, once I returned home I had to call the paramedics--who had to bring the Jaws of Life--to help me remove the dreaded hose.

Perhaps all of these horrible nightmares will be a distant memory once Mr. Robert Shomo perfects his waist less panty hose. I sure hope my hero hurries. I really need a new pair.


Carrie St. Michel writes a humor column for the "Los Angeles Times".
Submitted by Dawn and Terry.
Isn't it the truth!!!

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