Is "passing" important to you?

[Davita]

If you're in the USA, you can shop openingly in October with no other excuse than, "I'm working on my Halloween costume." Anywhere else and any time, "So and so has me picking this up for her." Make up any excuse you want for buying any fem item you want, but the easiest answer is, "I want it." I simply look at it this way, careful what you ask, you might get an answer.

When have you been shopping and heard screamed across the store, "hey this got is buying girl clothes?!!" If that scares you it will ever happen, shop at Walmart. Apparently nothing anyone buys or wears there is off limits; can you say "Walmartian?"

BTW, Halloween is a time when you can do your best to pass and if you don't; well it's Halloween and you tried. That was my first time out in public and I was close. Some folks (actually almost every kid) knew and some had to be told by there kids. Interestingly enough parents where giving me tips about what gave me away.

[Trudy]

Is passing important? Well yes but I doubt I pass as well as I think I do. To me the issue is more blending in not only in attire but also presentation and attitude. I have been "out" since the late 80's and have generally found maybe not acceptance but tolerance if I present myself as a lady and act accordingly to whatever situation I am in. Sure I have stopped at the grocery store in a skirted suit and heels on my way home from work but wouldn't even think of wearing something like that on a Saturday morning trip to the market. I firmly believe too many girls place too much emphasis on "passing" and not enough on fitting in.

[Anthony Simon]

Is passing important? Well yes but I doubt I pass as well as I think I do.

I'm probably going to regret this, but I kind of feel you're beating up on yourself. At any rate, it makes me think of when I do that and should be doing something else.

My one occasion of being seen as a girl in public I did pass - and I was literally a girl in that I was 9 at the time and playing Titania in the school play. The reason I know I passed was they wrote it up in the local paper and said it. They didn't say anything about my acting, however .

My problem was that I lost my two friends out of it and became kind of persona non grata for a couple of years. Evidently they thought there was something too good about my impersonation of a girl and it put them off.

Like there was this girl inside me and it came out with the performance and everyone kind of saw that. It would been better, in a certain sense, if I hadn't passed. It was only a couple of years later, when I got in a school sports team that I became acceptable again. Like people forgot.