Bluegrass BelleView | |
Bluegrass Belles, PO Box 20173, Louisville, KY. 40250 | March 1997 |
By Annette Louise Casebeer
So, you think that you are "out"? You've gone out
to dinner in nice restaurants "en femme", you are out
to your family and friends with no repercussions, you belong to
support groups, maybe you have even gone to a convention. Maybe
you believe you have done everything that you can do "en
femme". My question is this: Do you have the transgendered
nerve to board an airplane, fly to Washington D.C., rent a car,
check into a hotel, and then go to Capitol Hill on the MetroRail
and tell U.S. Senators, U.S. Congressmen, and their aides how to
vote on pending legislation? Now, you may say that you don't care
about politics, that they won't take us seriously, that they
won't listen to anyone without money, that they won't even talk
to you, that you don't pass well enough to even try, that you
don't understand the issues well enough, and that it won't change
anything. This attitude is nonsense, and I think we all know
that.
My friends, it's time for all of us to become politically
involved. I hire and fire people in my capacity as a video store
manager, and let me tell you, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky,
you CAN be fired for being TG, with no recourse possible against
your employer. Discrimination is a word that is tossed around
rather loosely in the workplace, but yes, you can be
discriminated against legally as long as race, skin color,
religious affiliation, creed, sex, or country of origin are not
involved. Some states and municipalities offer protections in
addition to Federal law, but these are few and far between. This
is not just an issue for the transsexual who is attempting to
transition on the job; if your boss finds out that you
crossdress, and doesn't like it, you might find yourself in the
unemployment line. Now that would cut into the makeup and dress
budget a little, wouldn't it?
Some of you who are politically interested may be aware that a
remedy is pending before Congress. It is called ENDA, the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and as originally written, it
makes discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sexual
preference or gender identification illegal. There are several
problems with this legislation, the main one being that
transgendered rights were cut out of the bill. Those of you who
think that the Human Rights Commission, the gay/lesbian/bisexual
lobbying group, is on our side, are wrong. HRC does not even
acknowledge the transgendered community in their literature and
press releases, and has asked key Senators and Congressmen to cut
us out of ENDA on the shaky pretense that our presence endangered
the bill's passage. We are all aware of the power held by the
conservatives and the Religious Right, and we must admit that we
don't fit into their vision of a new American Fundamentalist
Christian Republic that will make Iran seem civilized. Add to
this the fact that there are 2 groups involved with lobbying for
TG rights, Phyllis Frye's ICTLEP and Riki Anne Wilchins'
GenderPAC, and then consider that these two honorable ladies
don't see eye to eye, and you can easily see many reasons why we
TG people don't make our points as effectively as we should.
Enough excuses, it's time to take the initiative. You can write
letters and EMail to your Congressman and Senators without
mentioning your transgendered status, although I believe you
would make a more powerful point if you state that you are
transgendered and vote. You can work at the local and state level
to enact ENDA-like legislation in your area. If you have not
already done so, register to vote, and find out which candidates
are open-minded about employment rights for GLBT people. And
that's not all....
by Annette Louise Casebeer
If you are "out", and want to have one of the
great TG experiences of your crossdressed life, then do what I
did on February 23, and go to Capitol Hill. GenderPAC is
organizing another transgendered lobbying effort May 4-6. The
February event that I attended was sponsored by ICTLEP, and,
while we accomplished quite a bit, there is a lot of work yet to
be done before ENDA is reconsidered in early summer. The more
transpeople that attend, the better our chances of inclusion, and
the better our chances are of convincing the occasional
conservative Senator or Congressmanthat granting employment
rights to us does not make them into flaming liberals, and that
we aren't the dangerous amoral freaks that Jerry Falwell and Pat
Robertson think we are.
I left my video store at 1:30 AM the night before, stopped for a
bite, then got to work. My work schedule had left me unable to
pack or do laundry in advance, so I had a long night ahead of me.
I ran the laundry, and did my nails while it agitated, then
packed for the trip. Around 6AM, the laundry was done, and while
Mom slept, I shaved my legs and arms and applied makeup for the
long day ahead without rushing the job. I then chose a nice black
Joan Leslie suit, dark red top and black pumps for the tripTwo
trips upstairs with the luggage and Mom was fully awake and
waiting to see me off. Now, she's seen me "en femme"
before, but you would have to say she isn't comfortable with the
idea. To her credit, she did comment that I looked great, that I
would probably pass, and that I was prettier than she had been at
the same age and would have been a pretty woman. I was quite
happy with those comments, they were much more than I had
expected from her.
I had heard a lot of scary stories about "en femme"
flying, about how they scrutinized ID cards. I haven't flown
commercial in about 16 years, and when I last did so, I never saw
my luggage again, so you can imagine my trepidation. Can you
imagine the problem of flying into a city "en femme",
and not have any luggage? In the past weeks, I asked others more
experienced than I am about the pitfalls of flying "en
femme", and found that traveling this way presented few
problems. In addition, I went ahead and "outed" myself
to the clerk at Southwest Airlines when placing my reservation;
she said that crossdressing passengers should carry and show
their legal ID card in their male name, and that airline
personnel would show courtesy towards us as a matter of company
policy; she also stated that any problems we had would come from
other passengers and to do my best to avoid confrontation. I
found that to be an acceptable risk similar to that incurred on a
shopping trip, one calling for nothing more than good common
sense.
So, here I was, parking the Taurus in the long-term garage at
Louisville International Airport, unloading my leather duffle,
garment bag, and laptop computer, shambling sleeplessly into the
terminal, presented myself at the (mercifully) deserted ticket
counter, checked my leather duffle bag, passed through the
security check, and trudged down the long hallway to the gate. I
presented my ticket at the gate, picked up my boarding pass, met
Dawn and Marjorie, boarded the plane, stashed my computer and
garment bag in the overhead, and settled back into my seat. I
took note of the type of plane (Boeing 737), observed every move
made by the pilots and bantered with Dawn and Marjorie.
The remainder of the voyage and the voyage back was totally
uneventful, and the 3 of us were treated as any 3 ladies would
have been treated. Car rental? No problem! Motel check-in? Staff
was a bit dense, but no problems. Metrorail into D.C.? Very
pleasant, but who was going to mess with 20 TG people in a group?
Capitol Hill police? Very helpful, no second glances, no restroom
problems at all. The staff at the restaurants and Senatorial
lunchroom were oblivious to our manner of dress.
Yes, my TG friends, you CAN travel "en femme" if you
use your head and make proper arrangements.
Remember the following tips:
1. Pack as lightly as you can, and if you can carry-on your duffle, do so.
2. When asked for ID, show your state drivers' license; the clerks will not out you publicly; they'll simply ask "Is this you?" and let you through. You may have to recite your license of social security number if your femme persona is very different from your male, as mine is.
3. Credit cards in your male name present no problem when en femme. Once again, the clerks will not out you, they just want to get you through with no hassles.
4. Don't forget to get a map at the rent-a-car desk. Getting lost "en femme" can be a harrowing experience for the inexperienced. Another interesting story that I'll let others tell.....
Join us in May for the GenderPAC event. Lobbying Congress is one of the most meaningful and enjoyable TG activities you will ever try, and you will meet new friends from other places. Believe it or not, you will be taken seriously, and that was my biggest surprise.
Annette Louise Casebeer
SPEAK UP!
Yes, we welcome your letters and comments,
good and bad!
Snailmail: PO BOX 20173, Louisville, KY. 40250
By Marjorie Demaille, Dawn Josephine Wilson,
and Annette Louise Casebeer
These are the draft notes we compiled and turned in to Phyllis Frye at the end of our lobbying sessions. Note that you cannot gauge the chances for ENDA's passage along party lines; we met Republicans who are likely supporters, and at least one unfriendly Democrat.
Anne Meigher Northup, 3 Dist Rep. (Ky)
Spoke to: Meghan Boland
Treated: Curious about TG lifestyle; knew about "The Connection", which is a GLBT owned/friendly club in Louisville.
We believe: Will make some calls to district, particularly regarding the "Coming Together"conference in Louisville, KY. Was not completely certain how Rep. Northup would vote on ENDA, but we feel that a fair assessment will be made. Asked who sponsored the bill, and we told her of Sen. Jeffords' involvement.
Members' attitudes: impossible to gauge other than fact
that she will make a fair informed decision.
Other issues discussed: the Louisville "Coming
Together" conference April 4-6; employment issues, Lori
(first TS EMT in KY, a friend of Dawn's)
Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Delaware
Spoke to: Receptionist
Contact person resp. for ENDA: Matthew Baumgardner 224-5042, 221 Russell Bldg, Wash DC. 20510
Mr. Baumgardner wasn't in office. Sen. Biden is no longer on Judiciary Comm, but the aide is familiar with ENDA.
I would say that Sen. Biden will vote for ENDA again
regardless of TG inclusion.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky
Spoke to :Joe Monaghan (Robin Bowen is actual contact person)
Treated with: Courtesy & respect;
After we left: Probably educated and raised interest. Dawn Wilson was a staff aide for Sen. McConnell, and they were obviously interested in her lifestyle. Quote: Things regarding
ENDA are very hazy right now, and Sen. McConnell does not have enough info to make an informed decision yet.
Other issues: Coming Together (see Northup), invited staff
to Louisville Gender Society, and Bluegrass Belles meeting. Lori
(see Northup). I feel very strongly that this one can be turned
with persistance and plenty of info. We will keep pressure on
from our end.
Sen. Wendell Ford, D-Kentucky
Spoke to: James Low.
Treated: Correctly but no better than that. Receptionist seemed contemptuous.
After: Probably found us more amusing or entertaining than
a serious source of info. He came out and said that Sen Ford did
not feel that ENDA was a proper remedy for job discrimination and
when pressed, the aide could not comeup with a better idea. I
feel that they won't support us no matter what we do, and that
the aide was probably not TG friendly. Other issues: "Coming
Together"
Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun, D-Illinois
Treated; Like old friends
Spoke to: Receptionist. Anne Ruhle was contact person, and
was ill. After: Receptionist said that Sen. was fully aware of
ENDA, as well as problems with TG inclusion and problems with HRC
They will support no question. Sen is out of town
Sen. Max Baucus, R-Montana
Spoke to: Jim Messina
Treated: like old friends
After: I KNOW that they found us very interesting. The aide
was well informed already about many issues. Was able to say that
Sen Baucus would support. Was made aware and would support TG
inclusion. Discussed and compared our battle with the battle over
repeal of sodomy laws in Montana.
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa
Spoke to: Kimberly Zimmerman
Treated: Friendly, professional courtesy.
After: This one was a foregone conclusion. Harkin is on our
side, original cosponsor. Note: HRC had already been there
recently and the Senator was unimpressed with HRC's reasons for
excluding us. Will definitely support ENDA again regardless;
Statement: Sen. Harkin supports all human rights legislation.
Mentioned that they would be contacting Sen Jefford's office.
Sen. Byron Dorgan, R-North Dakota
Spoke to: Becky Donovan
Treated: We would not have had a meeting, except that Anne Casebeer mentioned that she was born in Fargo, ND. Once we were granted a meeting, we were treated with respect and professionalism.
After: It was very clear that we were preaching to the
choir. Will support ENDA. Will be checking in with Sen. Jefford's
office for particulars on ther language to be used to include
transpeople.
Sen. Richard Durbin, R-Illinois
Spoke to: receptionist
Treated: OK, but contact person not available. Was aware of TG exclusion and said Sen. was out of town for 2 weeks.
Unable to see us due to being too busy: Sens. Tom Daschle, John Glenn, Kent Conrad. All three are expected to support ENDA again.
At the next Belles meetings;
March 15; Wendy Paulley, a Lexington beauty consultant, will discuss fashion and image. We will discuss group dues and organization.
March 22, a shopping trip will be held in Louisville. We will be visiting a number of TG-friendly stores, plus some of the more experienced hands among us may visit a mall or two. Femme or drab is OK.
March 24, Board Meeting at Dawn's Place.
By Dawn Josephine Wilson
My mama always said you can't eat everybodys home cooking,
and you know, she was right. In our last newsletter some of my
" Home Cooking " gave some people a bit of indigestion.
One group insisted that it was aimed at them, but the truth is,
it was not aimed at anyone. In the past I would have caved into
the demands of a few and printed a retraction, but after speaking
with family and friends about the article, I have decided not to.
I will not be made to retract something that was not aimed at
anyone. I am sorry that some people feel that they were a target
and feel hurt by it. I am sorry that they feel the need to be
this negative in their outlook.
We at the Belles have a positive outlook and will continue to
work with all in the community, regardless of opinions and
critisms, BECAUSE THIS COMMUNITY IS TOO SMALL FOR NEGATIVISM!
There is a big difference between leaders and leadership, one
should possess one before becoming the other. Contary to popular
belief, leaders are made,
We all have a shared responsibility to make our community work,
whether you are out or not. We all need each other as a integral
part of this microcosm of this or any other community. It is the
task of a leader to see that these things are done. I am proud of
the Belles, because they have made this their group, not mine.
Their ideas are the fuel for projects like the BE- ALL, Southern
Comfort, guest speakers, and Congressional lobbying. If you would
like to be a part of this new way of doing business as a group,
then join us - we would love to have you!
"Images of Blackness" went off without a hitch to two
packed houses February 19th. We raised a
lot of money for charity. I will get a copy of the video.
Dawn is writing and compiling a series of articles that will shine a spotlight on a too-long ignored subject: The great contributions to American culture of African-American GLBT people. She'll have a new article each month. This is her introduction:
" We all manufacture. Some make good, some make
trouble , but most make excuses."
Before Madonna, there was Josephine. Before Micheal Stripe, there
was Johnny. Before many of of today's GLBT icons, there were
others, but they were black!Did you know that the head of Winslow
clan, Carl,in the hit T.V. show "Family Matters" is
portrayed by an open gay black male, Reginald Vel Johnson? Did
you know that one of the hottest tickets on Broadway, "
Bring Da Noise, Bring Da Funk" was written and produced by a
gay African American from Kentucky named George C. Wolfe?
This seasons's spring fashions are soft, feminine and alluring. Sandals are back with heels, as are long shin length dresses of silk and satin. Spring colors this year are brighter, and for the African American, brown is a hot spring color. Pedicures and manicures are a must for any Belle this year. Deep Tans are in and that makes white fashions even brighter.
Dawn Josephine Wilson
by Jamie Wesson
Without a doubt, the right pair of shoes can make or break
an outfit. It
doesn't matter whether the person is GG or TG, the wrong shoes
can completely destroy a look that might have taken hours to put
together. This realization came to me many years ago when I
observed a lovely young blonde woman wearing a perfectly fitted
white pants suit.....and a pair of black, clunky-heeled mules! It
looked like she had ski boots on! Her outfit was very stylish and
suited her slim bulid, but those shoes just ruined the line. Too
heavy and the wrong color completely.
Now that I've experienced more within the TG world, I see
lots of other people making the same kind of mistakes. White
spike heels with a black skirt and hose seems to be a fairly
common faux pas. Read on, and I'll help you learn how to shop for
shoes without suffering a heart attack in the process!
Getting Shoes That Fit:
Sometimes this is the hardest step for a lot of TGs, even
though it's really simple. If you're not out enough or
comfortable enough to shop "en femme" or try shoes on
in the store "en homme", you need to know what size you
are first. This is actually a rather easy hurdle to over come.
Take your male shoe size and add exactly 1 and a half sizes to
it. For instance, I wear an 8 mens, which means I take a 9.5
womens. That covers the length of the shoe. The next step is the
width. Female feet tend to be a bit narrower than male, but this
does vary. If a male medium width (D) is fairly tight on you, be
prepared to find a wide width female shoe - you may need it. If
you wear a wide width male shoe, then you'll definately have to
go wide with female shoes.
A couple of notes here: shoes are made based upon rather basic molds of human feet, and it's hard for everyone to find the perfect fitting shoe off the racks. However, there are ways of customizing a shoe one you've bought it. There are inserts and pads that will prevent slippage if the shoe is loose in areas (heel slippage is common) where your foot is narrower. Also, if the shoe is tight in areas, it is possible to stretch them out if the shoe is all leather. There are products you can put on yourself that will help leather stretch.
Now, on to the fun stuff - shopping! I recommend you choose
a store that has their stock out on the sales floor, where the
customer picks up the shoes, for your first shopping trip. It's
easier to do than asking a salesperson to bring the right size
out from the back room. Payless and Shoe Carnival are two large
retailers that keep a wide selection out and available. Have some
idea what you're looking for when you go in - dress heel? casual
flat? pump? If a salesperson asks, tell them what you're looking
for and they'll show you where those shoes are and then let you
find the size you need. Don't climb out of your socks if they
approach you - it's their job. The staff really doesn't care what
you do with the shoes. They'll deal with so many people in one
day that you'll just fade into the crowd. Besides, the staff has
probably already dealt with males buying womens shoes before, and
by this point it won't be any big deal to them.
Now then, you've gone in and found a nice pair of shoes on
the shelves, found your size, and now you've got to go up front
and actually pay for them! Relax. Just like the sales staff, the
cashiers don't care. They're too busy ringing customers up to
worry about who's buying what and they've had men come through
the line before. Don't start babbling out some story about who
you're buying them for, all you're doing then is drawing more
attention to yourself, and the store staff doesn't care why
you're buying a pair of shoes - as a shoe salesperson myself, I
can assure you that we just want your money! tightness is across
the ball of the foot, and as long as it's a leather shoe, this is
a problem that can be fixed. Also, shoe repair stores are
sometimes a good source for inexpensive shoes. Used, yes, but
professionally restored.
Now, if you're a particularly large girl, you may have
difficulty finding shoes in your size. The average shoe store
doesn't keep shoes over size 12 for women, although Payless does
keep shoes up to size 13. What do you do if you need a 14? Well,
you've got two choices. One is mailorder, which is very
expensive. The second is to build up a relationship with a small
local shop. They can then special order larger sizes for you. It
will cost a little more, but the small store will appreciate the
business.
Buying and Returning:
Yes, I said returning. If after you get the shoe home and
it doesn't fit, you need to return it and get the right size!
What a hideous waste of money if you don't. Even though you
should have good luck using the sizing equation (+1.5), the sizes
do vary between shoe companys. One company's size 10 may fit
perfectly, but be excrutiatingly tight in another's. Be prepared
to have to make an exchange if they don't fit.
One note before I talk about actually shopping and buying
shoes: Don't try and steal anything. You may be incredibly
nervous about purchasing women's shoes, but don't let nerves make
you stupid. You will get caught, as simple as that, and that will
look a lot worse if you get arrested for stealing women's shoes,
won't it? Find yourself some shoes, pay for them, smile at the
cashier, say "Thank you", and walk out of the store.
Making up stories, constantly looking around to see if anyone is
watching you, snatching up your shoes and racing out of the store
- all of this will make the store staff annoyed and make you feel
uncomfortable.
A quick note on when to shop for shoes. If you're nervous
about shopping during the prime time hours between two and seven,
then go earlier or later. A morning or evening during the week
are great times to go shoe shopping if you've never done it
before. There are fewer people in the store then, and the sales
staff will be so bored they'll be desperate to help you out, just
for something to do!
Buying the Right Shoes:
Getting the right style of shoes can be hardest part of the
whole process. The variety of styles and colors in the women's
department is overwhelming. That's why you need to have some idea
of what you are looking for before you go in.
With colors, the easiest thing is to match the shoe color
to the primary color in the outfit. If you've got a nice navy
blue dress, buy a navy blue shoe. With black, buy black, etc.
Unless the fabric is metallic or extremely reflective, do not buy
patent leather. You want to shoe to be a finishing touch on your
outfit, not a stand out part of it. Now, if you can't find a red
shoe to match a red outfit, you've got a couple of choices: black
or white. Go with white if the outfit has white in it, and it's
after Easter. Othersize, black will work. With green,
particularly a dark green, black always looks great. You have to
use your imagination to see if the color is going to work.
Picture the outfit with the shoe color and honestly ask yourself
if it works.
Now, you've got to be careful picking out a shoe style as
well. Most TGs go immediately for the highest, thinnest heel they
see in the store. Don't. Even if it's a great looking shoe, be
honest with yourself and ask two questions: will it go with any
outfit I have, and will it look good on me? If you've already got
very long legs, a high heel may not be for you. Do you need to
add more height to yourself? If you have fairly short legs, you
can wear high heels and they'll make your legs look great. If you
have long, shapely legs, you won't need any extra heel. Long but
slender legs can wear a low heeled pump. The slight heel adds
shape without adding a lot of height. These can be very dressy or
quite casual, depending on the outfit. Take a look at the dress
flats as well, they're very stylish and a lot of fun to wear.
There are some wonderful "loafer" styles out there as
well, that are very cute and can be both dressy or casual.
Heels sure look great, but you've got to be realistic. 90%
of women don't wear 4" heels to work in, and very few wear
them out dancing either. High heels like that are also bad for
your feet. Doctors recommend never wearing a heel highter than
2.5" at the most. Besides, with the huge selection of pumps,
skimmers, slings, mules, flats, softies, clogs, and sandals, why
limit yourself to only dress high heels?
Lets sum all this up. First off, don't make a big deal out of buying a pair of shoes for yourself. The staff doesn't care what you buy, just so long as you buy. Have your size in your head before you go in, but be prepared to exchange if the shoe doesn't fit immediately. Have some idea of what you want before you go in, as well. Seriously consider if the shoe will work for you: does it fit your style, your outfits, your shape? Take a long look at all the styles available and don't limit yourself. Themain thing is, enjoy it. Finding the right pair of shoes always feels good.
Jamie Wesson
Upcoming Events
2nd National Gender Lobby Days, May 4-5-6
GenderPAC, the new national political organization
dedicated to gender, affectional and racial equality, has
announced the 2nd National Gender Lobbying Day to be held on
Monday and Tuesday, May 5-6 in Washington, DC.
1995's Lobbying Days on October 2-3 drew over 100 activists
to Capitol Hill to lobby for gender rights issues, including
trans- inclusion in the Employment Non-Discrimination Bill (ENDA)
and the Hate Crimes Statistic Act (HCSA), as well as issues
around trans health care and the treatment of transpeople in the
military.
In over 2 days of intense lobbying, activists called on the
offices of nearly every one of the 503 Senators and
Representatives.
In another break with the 1st Lobby Day but in keeping with
GenderPAC's commitment to "gender, affectional and racial
equality," lobbyists will be asked to focus on ENDA and
HCSA, but also on issues of women's rights, gay rights and
marriage, and the increasing tide of racial intolerance in the
US. Although this is an aggressive agenda to ask of activists, it
nonetheless reflects GenderPAC's mission, and its understanding
that these are shared, linked oppressions.
Said Alison Laing, acting co-Chair of GenderPAC: "This is a
chance for anyone concerned with gender, affectional or racial
equality to show up in Washington and have their voices heard. We
welcome all people to participate, to let the incoming Congress
know that we are not going away, that no American is free until
*all* of us have our rights."
Dana Priesing, Washington DC lobbyist for GenderPAC, declared
"Based on my recent visits to Capitol Hill, it's clear that
we made an real impression in 1995. Telling our stories humanized
us: it made them see us as real people instead of tabloid
television subjects. This time we'll be returning with a focused,
polished and more professional approach, identifying the bills
and the language important to us and working to educate everyone
with whom we come in contact." For more information contact:
Riki Anne Wilchins
, Alison Laing, Dana Priesing
Editor's note: We made an impact in February. I'm
going back, contact
me if you're interested.
Come Together Kentucky, April 4-6, University of Louisville. Mandy Carter of the National Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum is the keynote speaker.
Let's show a transgendered presence here! Contact Common Ground/Ky Fairness Alliance
2263 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, Ky. 40206.
Attn: Adam. Phone: 502-897-9063
http://www.louisville.edu/rso/commonground/forum97/
Tennessee Vals' Pride Ball, Nashville, TN, to benefit the GLBT Center in Nashville. May 10, 9PM. Let's help our sisters, the Vals, plus it's a good excuse to wear formals.....For details, contact Jennileigh Love
Be-All Weekend, Chicago, Illinois. June 4-8
Pre-registration required Chi/Tri-Ess,
PO Box 40, Wood Dale, Il. , or call 630-262-8707.
Information
Brochure