Ramblin' Rose
Hello All!
I've gotten such nice comments on my column and my pictorial
(Thanks, Cindy), I wanted to update my friends on some fun times
I've had this summer.
Back in June, I was invited to perform at the Colorado Gay Rodeo.
I was just one of several queens performing, but the announcer
felt it was important to always introduce me as "the straight
one". He was very sweet and supportive about it, but I just
wanted him to let me perform! I used to lip-synch, but I sing
live now, doing parodies of country-western songs. (It was a rodeo,
after all!) It is fun being the token TG, and I feel like I'm
helping form positive opinions about us in the gay community.
I performed in something showy, like my Renaissance dress or my
little off-the-shoulder black number, but I wore something more
casual for the drive to the rodeo. On Saturday, I wore a denim
skirt, red blouse, black vest, and short brown wig. Driving on
the interstate, I noticed that I kept seeing the same white pickup.
I finally realized it was three young guys who were pacing my
car, and when I made eye contact, I got "the look".
On their next pass, the driver even made kissing motions and
smiled leeringly. I was amused, flattered, and not a little concerned.
Then they drove next to my car for quite a while, smiling, winking,
nodding, and finally making phone gestures. I smiled back sweetly,
shook my head, "No", and lost myself in traffic. I
didn't think them following me to the gay rodeo would have been
a good idea.
On Sunday, after I performed in my Renaissance outfit, I decided
to fulfill a dream and actually stop at the Colorado Renaissance
Festival. What fun! And what a humbling experience! I was in
garb, with my big hair, standing 6'4". I was read by everyone!
I mean everyone! They looked at this tall woman in garb, stared,
smiled, whispered and pointed. I didn't mind. I brightened their
day, gave them something to tell the family back home, and enjoyed
myself! Still, it was a wonderful reminder of what has become
my motto about going out. Look good, have fun, and let them deal
with it!
The other unique experience was when I dressed up with the goal
of not passing! For the last six months I worked as supervisor
on a swing shift computer project with a highly diverse team of
about 15 people, including my SO. It was a great group, but one
of the oddest quirks was that at least twice a week the topic
of crossdressing came up. It certainly didn't come from me, and
as far as I know, I was the only one in the bunch. One of the
guys would accuse another guy of liking dresses (Never me. After
all, I was the macho supervisor with my SO working on the shift),
or someone would have seen a drag act on television.
In mid-August we were surprised to be told on a Tuesday that the
project was downsizing, with half the shift being fired that Friday.
We had become quite close as a group, so to take the edge off
a potentially very depressing Friday, I decided to dress.
My SO and I hurried home at dinner break, and quickly did my face,
got dressed and headed back to work. My make up was fairly poor,
no hose, and my wig was a little sloppy, because this was to be
a "one time practical joke". A couple of the workers
were fairly conservative, and I wanted it to be fun, not threatening.
We told them that I had done this on a Halloween a couple of
years ago, and that I was using my SO's clothes. (Oddly, no one
questioned the fact that my SO and I are completely different
in build, and most sizes, especially shoes.)
It was a smashing success. I had to remind myself to talk and
walk masculine, and I even went by the name Peggy, so that if
they used my name, I wouldn't act familiar with it. Two of the
most "streetwise" in the group couldn't get over it,
cracking up at even a glance in my direction. When I first walked
in, one girl stood up and poked my boob to see what it felt like.
A couple of the workers came back from dinner late, and I was
introduced as the woman manager of the project. They looked down,
and muttered "Hi" then looked up and said, "No
it's not, that's our supervisor!"
Afterwards we all went out to play pool, and I didn't look too
out of place in a group that included two Goths, and two of the
other ladies in evening gowns. As we played, even the ones who
had the most difficulty with my attire were taking it as a matter
of course by the end of the evening. I was very pleased that
my first attempt to "not pass" was such a success!
I hope you've been having a wonderful time, too.
Fashionably yours,
Brittany Rose