The Neighbors

[SharonRose]

April,

The feeling you described is common among the CDs in my area. During the summer months, people arrive later (after sundown) for our support group meetings.

My situation is similar to Kyra's. I generally pull the car up close to the house (we have a one car garage and driveway and usually my wife's car is on the driveway and mine is on the street.

The front yard is wide open. There is little tree cover, so any neighbors who happen to be looking out their windows will be able to see me coming and going. Most probably know which car is mine and which is my wife's. we are not very close with our neighbors so I haven't told them about Sharon. My wife and I are about the same height and have the same hair color, but we dress differently. I suppose to the casual observer we could pass for one another.

I'm not going out of my way to tell them, but on the other hand I won't let it stop me from coming and going as I need to do.

One interesting thing that did happen this week is that I have a GG friend from high school who lives a couple of blocks away. She dropped by unannounced sometime in the afternoon while I was at work (she gets off work at 3:00 p.m.) and left something for us inside our from door. When I got home I also noticed a package had arrived from MAC Cosmetics, which I ordered in my male name. The delivery time was 4:12 p.m., so if she got there after the package was delivered and read the label, she may have wondered why makeup was ordered under my name. Of course, it could have been a gift set for my wife . . .

I suppose eventually this GG friend is going to come by at the wrong time and catch me en femme. She works as a LCSW (therapist) but I don't think she has much experience with T-issues.

I would like to reach a mutual comfort level where I could stop by the neighbors for a drink while dressed en femme.

[Sophia]

I live in a rural area where there is nothing across the road from my house but a hayfield,LOL. So I spend a lot of time in my backyard en femme without too much risk of being seen. There is a house on either side of me a short distance away but a patch of woods runs between the houses. The area is nice but filled with old farmers and rednecks who Im sure would freak if they were to find out Im TG.

[Staci]

I have a home for over 9 years in busy town with alot of neighbors, at first I would worry about being seen, but by now most have seen Staci, most do not care, one women is all been very mean even before cd, couple weeks ago I spent the night at a hotel and I put my wig up in rollers and wrap them in a beautiful scarf and slept in them. I was planning to go shopping later and decided to leave the rollers in for the ride home and then do finishing touches when I get home. My neighbor caught me coming out of my car and I caught on the phone watching me while trying to not be seen by me. Her expressions were clear and she was been very hurtful. I went back outside with my scarf off and 20+ large rollers in my long red wig and I walk around my yard across from her house with pride. I really want to approach her but did not. I love being a girl, and when I am a girl the garbage has to go out and things need to be done outside. If I am a girl and I am all doll up why would I not want to be seen. If I am getting ready and my hair is in rollers, well why should I be ashame, that is the price of beauty

[Kendra Lynn]

Hello all: I live in a "co-housing" building where part of the theory is that it is a "community." You WILL interact with most people (and they with you) -- it's part of the set up.
Several people knew about my CDing before I moved in, but not all. and only a few (if any) had seen photos. Can't remember.
The people here are generally at least "liberal," and there is a gay male couple, so one might think CDing wouldn't freak anybody out.
What I have since learned (to make a long story short), even in a so-called "progressive" community, people need to know you before they can accept something like CDing. So it's taken a while for that part of me to be accepted. Everyone now knows there is more to me than CDing-- and they just call me by my given name when they see me "en femme." That's fine. I'm really not worried about it.
I actually have become more "public" as a cross dresser, attending events like open air music festivals and other arts oriented events. I also now go to supermarkets, BORDERS, a local comic book store, and other retailers cross dressed and don't even think about it-- too much. I am still wary of teenagers in groups though.
Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!!
Peace-- Kendra Lynn ("hippie cheerleader").