Our Lady in Spain

By Olga V. Cambasani


Do you live in Europe? Africa? Asia? South America? Australia? Elsewhere outside North America? So do a lot of your sisters and brothers. Share with them something about life in your country for TG people...who knows, you may help someone who really needs it. For info, contact Cindy




In the last few years, the drag movement in Spain has become increasingly popular.

The most famous two people are known as "Shanghai Lily" and "Diva", and people here call them Drag Queens (even though they are -to the best of my knowledge- straight men). These two are just the tip of the iceberg, very fashionable in top-class private parties, or else may work as public relations in discos and the like. Diva is normally around in two places, Joy Eslava and Titanic, the latter being a massive 5-story disco downtown Madrid. Shanghai Lily, conversely, has specialised more in private parties.

Last March 22, in Barcelona (Spain), I was invited as a special guest to a very special party. It was a private presentation of CLUB TRANSGRESION, the first establishment open to the general public in Spain, where crossdressers can safely make their dreams come true, have a drink in good company, and show off a little.

First, the party itself. It was scheduled to start at 9:30 PM (usual dinner time in Spain). At that time I was still getting ready in the Dressing Room, and was required by some of my "sisters" there to help them with their eye- liners, lip-liners, eyeshadows,... Apparently, I was the only one who wasn't a complete nutter in that shrieky birdcage| Everybody was hysterical and just too shaky to do anything properly. When I finished my makeup assistance, I went out to meet the other guests. Nice people, unusual people, funny people... It takes all sorts to make the world, doesn't it? I really enjoyed myself. I made new friends, drank excellent Cava, and ate delicious Catalan specialities (Josephine, the owner, also runs a restaurant). The party went on until 4-5 in the morning.

The project comes from Josephine, Justine and Estefania, 3 crossdressers born and raised in Barcelona. Club Transgresion shares premises with La Caraba, another night club, but for "conventional" couples. This "space-sharing" makes it impossible for Transgresion to be open daily. The opening days are Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 2 PM to Midnight (or beyond, if the public want more). Wednesdays, 4 to 8 PM, are devoted to showing visitors around the premises. The services offered are:

Despite this club, the world of TVism in Spain is like a pressure-cooker, as I usually say.

I mean, there are loads of "amateur" TVs who cross-dress on their own, because they don't have a place to gather, talk, and share experiences with their "sisters". We don't even have a magazine to publish our pics, experiences and post our announcements.

As far as I know, the only magazine that has been "invaded" by TV pictures, experiences and the like is TACONES ALTOS (=high heels), the Spanish edition of the US fetish 'zine LEG SHOW. It is through that magazine that I could contact a few other TVs in different parts of Spain, and I am now planning to launch a TV coordination for the Madrid area by posting an announcement in that magazine.

The idea is sending a couple of pics with a short text like: "Hi, I'm Olga. How about getting together at a private TV party for those who live in the Madrid area? Interested write to my P.O. box". I am pretty sure hundreds of TVs, young and old, more or less transgendered will respond to that call. I will keep you up to date, if you'd like me to.


Olga Cambasini is 33 and lives in Madrid.
Back to Transgender Forum's home page