georgette_usa's blog post - My Life and Various Ramblings Day 4 - Georgette

Day 4 of Life.
Went shopping and to the bank today. Sunny but Windy as all get out. Hair was flying everywhere.

Our family consisted of 2 older and 1 younger brother and 1 very younger sister, 10 years my junior. She was adopted, found out later she was the daughter of a 1st cousin in Baltimore, she was only 15-16 so could not keep. My mother always wanted a daughter. We lived in Chicago, so it worked out for the whole family. She would tell me at times I was supposed to be a girl. In 1950, I guess doctors could tell if boy/girl by heartbeat or something. I guess that is why I am so fucked up, always contrary.

My mother did not believe in hard/fast rules on gender roles. We did the dishes, cleaning some and all the yard work. We would do many things together, make cookies at Xmas time. Projects that would come up on public television and stuff. When my sister came around, she would have us feed her, help to wash in the tub, take her out in her stroller for walks. She was the little baby for all of us.

My younger brother was finishing college. We would go on job searches together. We were only 1.5 years apart, and did most things together. Not dressing though, don't know if he knew I did. Our family was not big on talking about such things. We were both big movie watchers, 2-3 a week at times. We are still big movie watchers. He did not have a car yet. He found a job with the US DoD as a programmer. I found a job with a company that did contractor work for the US, mostly DoD. It required a Top Secret clearance, so did his.

Living at my parents, so not much dressing going on. Found out about a group of TVs, and got invited to a monthly party. Mostly older men, some with their wives. Most would get dressed after getting there. Mostly just guys dressed and talking and getting to know one another. No sexual stuff that I knew of.

It was at one of these that I made friends with one who became my partner. We got talking and found that just dressing was not our long term solution. She had left her marriage so she could pursue her long term life. She had a shop in Gaithersburg MD, where she lived in an apartment on the 2nd floor. I would go there a we would dress and just relax watching television. We would occasionally play with each other. There was another person who's only goal was to dress occasionally. We became the 3 musketeers. We would meet separately from the parties.

After a year of living at home, I moved to an apartment on my own. I was then free to go out on outings as the 3 musketeers. Found a Lesbian club in DC, that was friendly to TVs and Drag Queens. We went there almost every FRI/SAT nite till they closed.

This went on for a year, then my partner and myself moved into a small townhouse, and later an apartment together. We still did all the clubbing together. During this time she went full time, and had her surgery. I would follow her track about a year later.

Some time in here I went to my mother to tell her all about my decisions. One of the hardest things to do. She opened up to me about her past. 2 Previous marriages. Told me about where my baby sister came from. If my mother said everything was OK, the rest of the family went along. My father worked for the money and let my mother make all the home decisions.

Part of my track meant I had to let my employer know about my goals. I had probably gave people some idea. Let my hair grow, and curl and shape it. Had my ears pierced. Nowadays such things are not too awkward, but in the late 1970s, not at all common. There was a younger women working there, and we had formed a bond of sorts. She would wear a certain pair of pants, and I had mentioned to her I liked them. She said she didn't care for them, and gave them to me.

I had the doctors letters and just worked up the courage to tell them. I guess it didn't throw them too much. Wanted to know if I wanted to work at a different facility. I opted to stay there. They said OK, but to use the upper level bathrooms, where I was not known much.

As I worked on big computers, wearing a dress was out of the idea. So I would wear female pants, and blouses, or sweaters. I had my hair long enough so did not have to wear a wig. The other, all guys, did not say or worry about what was happening. I did have to take off medical leave for a month or so, then went right back to work.

I guess the next blog will continue next time.

Georgette