There Goes the Weekend!

Pink fingers, gold toes

Saturday night, there were three local trans events: there was a "dance party" at a local restaurant ~ trans and civilians.  Some girls went to different clubs in DC, at different times.  I wanted to get out and decided the dress pictured here would be a great dress for any of the events.

Usually, the party is preceeded by dinner.  Not this time, and I was more interested in meeting some of the girls than meeting civilians, possibly admirers.  The earlier DC event was at the place I saw the drag show last month.  There would be no drag show (drag is on Sunday) and the food was OK but not special, so I skipped that too.  The other event started near midnight, and I didn't sleep well the night before.

So I skipped all three.  And I'm at a time in my "dressing career" when I can skip all three.

But I really wanted to wear that dress.  So it went with me to Fringe.  There were quite a number of women in dresses or skirts; mostly sundresses, but some were quite dressy for the event.  I don't think I was much out-of-place.

In all interactions, pronouns were proper, and I scored two "ladies," and one "dearie" (from a guy!) at Fringe.

I spoke to several people, including an elderly, slightly inebriated woman ordering a beer at the main tent ~ she ordered the same brand as I did, but she got the IPA and I got the lager.  I said "their lager's good, too," and she replied "I've always liked IPA's."  I said "lots of people do," her beer came and we parted.  It was just unexpected, like when someone speaks with an accent that doesn't match their appearance.

So I rode the Metro, got tickets, chatted a bit, enjoyed a couple of shows and came home.  It was similar to the last visit: uneventful.  I think the new normal is what I'm aiming for.  There's no stress, no expectations, and maybe if I didn't pass in someone's eyes they'll answer "yes" when asked if they've met any transgendered people.  Right now, only 8% do, although if we all decided to wear a sign that said "I'M TRANS," at the end of, say, a week, I bet the number would be closer to 100%.

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Guess Where I Was Yesterday?

Meanwhile, Back at the Fringe....

(note to ezs: I saw your comment.  I'd be happy to look at your blog, but the address is wrong)

 I mentioned "Tame" as a show to miss.  The next two that we saw were better.

The first was "Bethesda," which I had seen reviewed and it sounded interesting.  Plus, Bethesda is just over the bridge in Maryland.  It was a family drama, well acted and well scripted.  My only complaint is, the scene kept changing from Bethesda to Central America and they'd always have the same South-of-the-Border music playing during the scene changes.  I would have liked for the music to cue me as to where the scene will be next.  Bethesda is playing tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday.

After the show, we were standing in the lobby of the Goethe Institut.  Both the second and third plays were there, but on different stages.  That's where I congratulated one of the actors on the fine show.

Mostly, I'm a fan of comedy, and comedies abound at Fringe, but these were two dramas.  The final show was a one-woman show called "A Lesbian Belle Tells."  Elizabeth McCain, a now-local woman who grew up in small-town Mississippi, tells about her southern family and how both she and they came to terms with her lesbianism.  It was interesting, touching, funny, and enlightening and I really enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.  I mean, for a straight Yankee.  Charity (not only from small-town Alabama ~ she actually knew some of the same people Elizabeth knew) enjoyed it a lot more.  In fact, I noticed something funny: she'd talk and there would be laughter, either from her telling of the story or from recognition, but different groups.  After a while, I could recognise the lesbians, southerners, and, um, "others."

She does her show at venues other than Fringe, where she has two more shows.  If you go, say hi after the show and tell her Meg and Charity sent you. :)

And you can find her on her facebook page.

One more note....  Last year we saw a show called "Caberet XXXY" from Pinky Swear Productions.  It was original, funny, and I had a great (drab) time.  I wanted to see it because I thought there might be a t-connection from the letters.  It turns out they have a three woman troupe and a guy joined for that year's show.  This year they're doing "Caberet XXX: Everybody F*cking Dies" and I hope I get a chance to see one of the remaining four shows.

Get out and enjoy the Fringe.  I guarantee if you're going out dressed you won't be the most outrageous person there.  In fact, people might ask what show you're doing. :)

And I also guarantee you'll love the shows.  Or not.  Hey, it's fringe.  It's kinda mixed.  If you want a boilerplate blockbuster go to Broadway.

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Fringe Benefits

I spoke with a number of people on Fringe Day.  A couple were just random people either talking to me or me talking to them.  Most were people who either had to interact with me or were talking to everyone.

The first I can recall was someone who was at the entrance to one of the shows.  I thought that was

All around the water tank
waitin' for a train

where we get our tickets, and asked.  He said it was around the block, on the other side, so off we went.  We had already walked at least a half-dozen blocks, and now we had to backtrack a bit.

The next was a man handing out postcards plugging his show while I was on line waiting to get my tickets.  I also spoke with a couple of other people on line, just to pass the time.  I chatted with the person giving us our tickets, and went to the ladies' room there (single seater but the door didn't lock so I was ladylike).

We walked to the theatre, gave up our tickets, found seats.  I don't recall if I spoke to anyone before the show; I know I spoke with one or two people while waiting for the doors to open at different shows; after one show, we waited to go to another show at another stage in the same building.  After confirming that the teenage boy leaving was indeed one of the main cast members I tapped him on the shoulder and told him how much I enjoyed the show.

On the street, a man stopped us to try to get us to donate to the SPLC.  It's a worthwhile organisation, but I don't trust people I meet on the street like that.  He made a point of mentioning that they help gays; he made a point of not mentioning trans.  Or maybe he just conflated them; many people still do.

We ordered lunch at Fuddruckers; I tried to make a point of chatting a bit with people who Had No Choice but to talk to me ~ ticket takers, cashier, and so on.

I saw someone on the street who I'm pretty sure was trans as well.  She just walked past us; we walked past her.

After the last show, "A Lesbian Belle Tells," the monologist was returning to the stage to do a Q&A.  An impromptu receiving line appeared, and I joined to tell her how much I enjoyed her show.  She, not surprisingly, thanked me but I think I saw a bit of surprise on her face.  I think community members (and I'm reluctantly merging LGB with T) are more... something.  Aware maybe? of other community members.

Nobody cared that I might not be what I seemed.  No questions, no funny looks, no remarks or odd tones....  It gets easier (except I do need to remember the dozens of mannerisms, and especially my voice, at all times).  I do need to loosen up; it's against my nature but much more feminine.

It was... uneventful.

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Uneventful

Before I start, Rhonda wanted to know why I don't talk about the fringe until it's over.

It's Not Over.

The DC Fringe festival runs through 27 July.  There are others in other cities; the googles are helpful.

I'll be back once or twice before it's over.

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So my fringe visit was... Uneventful.

Uneventful meal

Riding the metro ~ uneventful.

The first stop is Fort Fringe where you get your admission buttons and possibly tickets.  I got my tickets and buttons.  I chatted a bit with someone in line.  I went to the ladies'.  The first show was not very good.  You can live a full and happy life if you skip "Tame," the Fringe version of "Taming of the Shrew."

The other shows were better.  More tomorrow.

After the show, we were stopped by someone who said he was soliciting donations for the Southern Poverty Law Center.  He mentioned specifically that they support "poor gays" but didn't mention specifically transgender.  Being a skeptic, we passed.

From there, we walked a bit to fill the two hours between shows.  We watched a brass band which seemed to spontaneously appear at the entrance to Chinatown, looked at a couple of restaurants but decided to backtrack and grab a meal at Fuddruckers.

Uneventful.  If anyone noticed either of us, I didn't notice anyone noticing either of us.

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Layers for Warmth

I wear layers.  Layers on my body, layers on my face.

Over bra and panties I often wear a padded panty; pantihose with close-toed shoes; a waist cinch and

Still working on the Art of the Selfie

camisole, or shaping camisole; sometimes a slip; and finally a dress or top and skirt.

That's a lot of layers for an upper-80s summer day, like last Saturday.

Plus wigs are warm and breast forms are warm and nylon or other silky panties are warm.

Charity suggested I plan for the heat.

There's nothing I can do about the wig or forms but she suggested cotton panties and skipping everything but those and my bra under the dress.

It felt weird at first, but I think new clothing experiences is a part of dressing.

So visiting the Fringe festival was "Meg-light." 

But I was still perspiry hot.

And I enjoyed three shows and had a great time.

The picture here is at "Fort Fringe," pretty much everybody's starting point.  Just to my left is a photo of me, pre-shaving.   Yes, it takes a lot of time to get ready!

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At the Fringe with the Fringe on Top

Happy Bastille Day, all you Francophiles!

Last Thursday I mentioned that wigs is hot.  Saturday I proved it.

I skipped Folklife in DC because I'd be out all day in the heat.  I decided to treat (?) Meg to a hot day out and went to the Fringe Festival.  For the uninitiated, Fringe originated in Edinburgh Scotland and has spread to many cities in Europe and the US.  I'm not sure about other countries.

Fringe consists of a large number of performances.  You pay by show (in DC it's $17 per seat and discounts are available.  And you have to have a $7 button, good for all performances and discounts at local retailers/restaurants).

There are comedies, dramas, musicals, one man shows, ensembles, stand-up, dance, adult shows and family shows.  Most shows are between one and two hours long.  Most are between wonderful and godawful.

Here I am pre-hitting-the-metro.

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Simple Pleasure ~ Choices

As I mentioned yesterday, I went in drab to the Fringe Festival.  It was hot so it seemed the right choice.

In the past, I'd never miss a chance for Meg to go out.  I was out in 100+ (38C) temperature in Las Vegas, for instance.

But now I have a choice.  I don't have to think, "when can Meg get out next?"

There were other T possibilities over that weekend, including a couple of one-time events, but drab civilian events are fun too.  And it's kind of important to not lose sight of that.  Unless that's your path.

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Feet Don't Fail Me Now

From Caberet XXXY

I went to the Fringe festival in DC last weekend.  The forecast called for temperatures in the mid-90s (36 Celsius) and a good chance of thunderstorms.  From my last visit to the Fringe, I remembered some venues were hotter inside than outside.  In fact, throughout the first show the performers were wiping away sweat; before the show, they had spray bottles and were watering the audience.  The first photo here is one of the performers.  She was collected "secrets" from the audience.  More on her in a minute.

I did something I rarely do ~ I wore shorts.  Since I wore shorts, I went with sandals.  My toes were painted a couple of weeks ago and I didn't wish to remove the polish before going out... so I didn't.

I like to people-watch (I've mentioned this before) and through a train ride, long walks through DC (between shows) and sitting at the shows, I saw exactly one young lady look at my toes, look at me, look back at my toes, and smile.  Exactly one.

The performer also offered "tattoos" to audience members.  There were bench seats in front of the perfect for several days.

Before going to DC.  Yes, they're girl sandals (flats)

stage and to each side.  There were three or four small tables with three seats at each in the front.  I was at one of those tables, in the chair facing the stage.  She pulled out the tattoo and asked if I wanted one.  I said "sure."  I don't know what they were, but it went on with a spray bottle of water and it stayed on a LONG time.  Mine looked

I also said "I'm gonna make you walk" and pointed to my calf.  She put it on my (hairless) leg and made no comment about my nails.  Since the show was kind of raunchy (they started the show by pulling out a HUGE dildo and they slammed it down right on our little table) and she was making comments about audience members I can only assume she didn't notice.

The show was called Caberet XXXY: Who Do You Think You Are? and I thought XX XY, and the subtitle meant there was going to be gender content.  No ~ it was about being yourself (whoever that might be) and the XXXY referred to the fact that the show was XXX (it wasn't) but now there was a guy as part of the troupe (he had a little Y on his shirt).

After the Fringe

Ah well.  It was fun.  The show was put on by "Pinky Swear Productions" and that's what was on the tattoo (also on the condoms they left on the tables).

I took in two other shows, one was OK; the other was The Agony and the Ecstacy of Steve Jobs: The Musical.  I  saw Mike Daisey's original production, before the controversy.  It's a type of show I don't enjoy, but I enjoyed it.  I was afraid the musical would be dumb but it was excellent.  The main actor (there were five) looked a bit like Daisey.  He also played Steve Jobs at different parts, and he did not look like Jobs.  The original was just Daisey sitting on a chair behind a table for 90+ minutes speaking without notes but with an amazing amount of passion.

If there's a Fringe festival near you, it's worth going to.  You never know what you'll get but it's an inexpensive day's entertainment.

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The Play's the Thing

(an aside: we had a rare earthquake here yesterday.  5.9, nothing to you California Girls, but the largest in over 110 years here.  And the first one I ever felt!)

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we went to the DC Fringe Festival.

The follow-up post was about our first visit, when we saw two shows.  One was a one-man show where he talked about his experience with a drag queen; the other was a play with  a crossdressing character.

The following weekend we saw three more fringe shows.  One had a flamboyant gay character (and they denied he was gay), and one was a boy-gets-girl musical.  At the end of the second play, everyone, it seemed, paired up, including two guys who didn't seem to know they were gay until they found each other.

The last one had no gay or trans character, but I'm pretty sure one of the guys (and possibly both) was gay.

A few days later, we saw a play called "Birds of a Feather" about a pair of male penguins which bonded, hatched an egg and raised the chick together.

I'm not sure what this means.  Is gay/trans still so shocking that it finds a place in theatre so much?  I would've thought gay would have made more progress than that.  Trans, alas, I could understand.  Or are they all trying to make a "we area everywhere" statement?

A few months ago, I saw a revival of the iconic '60s musical "Hair."  They talked about gay sex (and other sexual variations) because it was shocking then.  No mention of anything trans At All.

Sodomy, from the muscial Hair:

Sodomy
Fellatio
Cunnilingus
Pederasty
Father, why do these words sound so nasty?
Masturbation
Can be fun
Join the holy orgy
Kama Sutra
Everyone!

Fringe Benefits

Please take this week's poll.  Read the introductory post first, and please take your time!  The post is long, but it may give you some insight and it will explain a couple of the options.

Before I get to the main topic

A week or so ago, a man in a wedding dress ran onto the field during a Nationals game.  Picture to the right.

The main topic

  
Last weekend, we were in DC to see the Fringe Festival.

I did not know, until a friend from New York told me, that there are Fringe Festivals around the world.

For the uninitiated, the Fringe consists of a great many local shows.  Music, comedy, drama, dance, one person, troupe, offbeat stuff, you name it, it's there.  Here, there are shows with names like Tales of Courage and Poultry, Cecily and Gwendolyn's Fantastical Capital Balloon Ride, Who Killed Captain Kirk and Fat Men in Skirts.  You can sort shows by a small handful of categories, including Jewish and LGBT.

I dropped my son off near DC mid-afternoon and we went in, with time to see two or three shows.  Most are in the same area; most are between 60 and 90 minutes.

The first show was a one-man show.  He spoke about odd events in his life, and focussed a bit on agay black friend he had when going to college in the midwest.  Being either gay or black made him an oddity in this town and this school.  His friend invited him to a hidden, unlabelled club, told him if anyone wants to mess with him that he only dates black men, and then disappeared.  Yes, he reappeared in drag as the star of the show.

OK, the show wasn't very good.  But this was an odd coincidence.

The second show was an ensemble play, six or so characters including one tall young black man who showed up about half-way through.  In a dress and heels.  His claim was that he was protesting the treatment of women and would dress like this 24x7 until women were treated as equals in every way.

OK.  I'm two for two.  I'll be going back today or tomorrow.

The second show was a mile or so from the rest so we drove there and walked to a restaurant before the show.  Walking a bit, we saw what seemed to be shops, walked past a steakhouse to an Italian restaurant in Dupont Circle.

There were about a dozen people in the place, staff and guests, and most were watching the world cup final match.  He sat us at a table near the window.  My wife took a seat looking in, so I had a nice view of the street.  The waiter asked if we wanted to sit where we could see the game.  He put his hand on my back as he asked, which I thought was... noticeable.

As soon as the waiter walked away, my wife said "this is a gay place."  I hadn't noticed.  Those of you who know DC might have figured it out when I mentioned Dupont Circle.  I didn't know, but my wife informed me, that it is a very gay area of DC.  She was the only woman in the place until the end of the meal.  I spent the meal people-watching out the window.  Many women walked by.  Many of them were wearing dresses; I saw a fair number of LBDs.  The men mostly travelled in pairs.  After dinner I said "I want to walk," mostly because I like to walk and it wasn't unbearably hot outside.  More men in pairs.

I think this might be a good place for Meg to dine if she goes to DC in a couple of weeks.

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