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La
Femme Silhouette
January
2005
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Masthead
2005 |
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Table of Contents
AO
Chistmas Skit 2004-By
Ima Fullofit – renowned critic of off Broadway plays
Who We Serve-II- Diane
Don't Skirt
Around the Issue- from "The Shorthorn"
Bits & Pieces
Fiction and Art-
Elaine
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AO
Christmas Skit
2004
By
Ima Fullofit
– renowned
critic of off
Broadway plays
Recently
I attended the
opening of the
"Alpha
Omega
Christmas Skit
2004". It
was a night
that I will
not soon
forget. The
words
"One of
the greatest
plays I have
ever
seen" was
heard from an
audience
member. Though
the play,
written by
Gloria Sue
Fenton,
directed by
Gloria Sue
Fenton, and
starring
Gloria Sue
Fenton, lasted
only about
fifteen
minutes, its
effect on the
history of
playwriting
will be
everlasting.
Ms. Fenton was
in rare
literary form
when writing
this soon to
be classic
play that is
full of wit,
charm,
unending
humor, and
heartrending
pathos for the
myriad of
characters in
the cast.
Every
performer in
the cast
deserves
praise for
bringing their
characterizations
to life. Last
year, when the
line
"Hugh
Stone, we have
a
problem"
was uttered, I
knew that it
would become
words for the
ages in
playwriting.
This year, not
only was that
same line
skillfully
crafted into
the skit, but
yet another
unforgettable
line was given
to posterity.
I doubt that I
will ever
forget hearing
Abigail, as
Hugh Stone, so
eloquently
state,
"Frankly,
Charlotte, I
don’t give a
ham."
Few
words have
ever touched
me so deeply,
and only
Abigail could
have stated
them so well.
Bravo, Abigail
for the depth
of your
performance,
and for
bringing Hugh
Stone to life
and giving us
a glimpse of
Hugh Stone’s
softer side as
Gem Stone.
None of Ms.
Fenton’s
plays is
complete
without adept
narration to
guide the
audience
through the
complex maze
of the story
line. Diane
Brennan was
able to take
her role as
Narrator to
unbelievable
heights as she
interwove her
performance to
blend with the
other actors.
Well done,
Diane B.
Abby,
in her
masterful
command of the
characterization
of
George/Georgette
Bailey,
wrought upon
the stage the
perfect
coordination
of gentle
humor and
soul-searching
drama. I could
sense
George/Georgette’s
distress in
first losing
faith in
believing in
Santa Claus,
and then
having that
faith
gloriously
restored at
the end of the
play. Be
assured, Abby,
of the
numerous
accolades that
will be yours
for that
single role.
Not
to be outdone
in this
formidable
cast was the
performance of
Elaine Suede
doing double
duty as Burt
the Cop and
Uncle Billy.
Elaine gave
each character
a unique stage
presence and
credibility
far beyond my
humble words
to describe.
Kudos, Elaine.
And then there
was Jean doing
triple duty as
Charlotte,
Punky Brewster
and as Kate
Watson (also
known as
"Jingle
Bells")
in the play.
Jean crafted
her talents to
go from
Administrative
Assistant, to
Bedford Falls
Monitor
Supervisor,
and then to
the sultry
nuance of
being an
exotic dancer.
Jean, your
range of
adapting to
these
demanding
roles was just
incredible.
There
was also one
more that did
triple duty in
this
performance.
Diane Frank,
our reigning
diva, was
absolutely
riveting in
her portrayal
of Sam Bond (aka
Shirley), and
then, because
of her
thespian
training
deftly
transforming
herself into
Ernie the Cab
Driver. And,
on top of
that, Diane F
orchestrated
and conducted
the musical
score for the
entire
performance,
as played by
the Alpha
Omega
Orchestra.
What skill!
What talent!
What a
trooper!
Lastly,
there was the
enigmatic
performance of
Gloria Sue
Fenton as
Clarence. I am
without words
to describe
further her
abilities. At
the end of the
play I was
mesmerized by
the entire
experience.
Alpha Omega
Christmas Skit
2004 is now
but a fond
memory, but I
shall cherish
it forever, as
will the
standing room
only audience
that was a
part of that
Christmas
magic evening.
I can’t wait
till next
year, and am
already making
reservations.
[Ms.
Ima Fullofit
is the
nom-de-plume
of our very
own GSF]
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Who we serve: II
In a town not far from here, a man who we shall not name was
arrested while driving drunk. He was wearing women’s underwear and a hooded
sweatshirt at the time. This wasn’t the first time. The previous time he had
been more completely dressed. According to news reports, he was wearing a black
dress trimmed in white, earrings, lipstick, rouge and eyeshadow. He was also
drunk then. A well-liked teacher, he is now suspended and stands a good chance
of losing his job. He was not a member of Alpha Omega. He wasn’t part of any
group so far as I’ve been able to tell. And so far as I can tell, he never
contacted Alpha Omega.
I wonder if it is a chicken and egg situation with people who
drink and cross dress. Do they drink to work up the courage to cross dress, or
drink to assuage the shame and/or guilt they feel for doing it, or both? I’m
no expert on drinking, or alcoholism. I don’t know. I do know what I wish,
writing this coming into the New Year is that no one gets drunk when they should
instead be contacting us. I hope that being part of Alpha Omega would help
people deal with issues of guilt and shame, with isolation and loneliness.
It is likely that for an ordinary teacher, driving drunk
would be a question of rehab, both personal and community. That rather than
throwing away a good person, people would work to rescue him. But add
cross-dressing to the mix and the equation changes. This being Ohio, we don't
protect Gender Expression as New York City has just enacted under a Republican
mayor and shown on this card:
Non-discrimination according to gender would help us, a lot.
Many of us fear that discovery would cost us our jobs. A law like NYCs would
help. I don’t see that happening in Ohio any time soon. In the meantime, it is
our job at Alpha Omega to provide a place where people affected by crossdressing
can find comfort and support in each other’s company, education and the
opportunity for personal growth, and simply a place to relax and be themselves,
whoever they are- all of course in a family friendly, non-sexual environment.
The newspapers published the teacher’s name and address. I’ve been thinking
about sending him this newsletter. What do you think?
Diane Sofia Frank
PS. The image above was the front side of a card for
distribution in NYC. Like any good fashion show, the backside should be seen as
well.
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________________________
"It cost me a lot to be authentic. But we must not be
cheap in regards to the way we look. Because a woman is more authentic the
more she looks like what she has dreamed for herself."
______
From La Agrado's Monologue in "All About My Mother"
More Info about this arresting film at:
http://www.sonyclassics.com/allaboutmymother/frames.html
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Don’t
Skirt Around the Issue
Vague cross-dressing information causes prejudice
By Mary Richert
The Shorthorn: Daniel
Worthington
One parent in Spurger, Texas, compares
cross-dressing to drugs.
MSNBC quoted Spurger mother Delana Davies
saying, "It might be fun today to dress up like a little
girl — kids think it’s cute and things like that. And you
start playing around with it and, like drugs, you do a little
here and there [and] eventually it gets to you."
Before I try to be articulate and
insightful, let me just say this: Wow.
The conflict grew from parents’ concern
over a "cross-dressing day" in the Spurger schools.
The day was a traditional part of Homecoming activities
intended to be fun. Originally, it had nothing to do with
sexuality. Parents now fear that their children will learn
what they consider deviant behaviors from a day of
cross-dressing.
But Davies and others resent the
possibility of their boys wearing dresses and relinquishing
their masculinity, though no one expressed moral concerns
about the alternative — everyone, including girls, wearing
camouflage.
Their anxiety is baseless, though. Wearing the clothing of the
opposite sex does not cause a person to become a transvestite.
Nor does it make one gay.
Many gay men don’t wear skirts because, quite frankly, there’s
a reason they like men: Masculinity is sexy to them. So, what
of those men who do enjoy wearing women’s clothing?
Seventy-five percent of them are straight,
according to a survey by Tapistry magazine. Unfortunately,
solid statistics are hard to find on questions of gender and
sexuality because people labeled "abnormal" have to
hide their preferences to save face, but most sources confirm
that the majority of male transvestites consider themselves
heterosexual. Many are also happily married.
UTA sociology director Beth Anne Shelton
and assistant sociology professor Deborah McBrier agree: There
is no evidence that clothing choices determine sexual
preference. Dr. Shelton says in the current climate of debate
over gay rights, "anything that seems to suggest
homosexuality is subject to criticism by those who oppose
equal rights for gays and lesbians."
But this isn’t about gay rights; it’s
about ignorance.
The conflict in Spurger stems from a lack of facts and an
unwillingness to learn the truth. This judgement of
homosexuals and transvestites based on complete misinformation
is just another form of prejudice. It’s the same kind of
prejudice that allowed people to rationalize slavery and
gender discrimination.
To fight this prejudice, I suggest that we all (male, female,
gay, straight and otherwise) wear skirts tomorrow. I declare
Wednesday, Nov. 24, National Wear-a-Skirt-for-Freedom Day.
And if you don’t have a skirt, my closet
is your closet. n
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BITS
& PIECES
Member
travels, activities,
thoughts, views, interests
Perspective
Diane S. Frank comments
on Mary Richart’s
article "Don’t
Skirt Around the
Issue"
I'm
glad to see that the
younger generation has an
open mind and can
challenge the prejudices
and myths that some groups
pass around. But at the
same time, knowing what we
know and serving who we
serve I think that Ms.
Richert should read
further. While I reject
the categorical claim that
crossdressing is an
addiction or like an
addiction as a general
rule, I do see addictive
behavior. We try to help
people with it.
While I am glad to see the
recognition that
homosexuality and
crossdressing are not the
same thing, I'm not at all
sure that saying
crossdressers are
predominantly heterosexual
and happily married is
exactly right either.
First of all, I'm not at
all certain what anyone
means by heterosexual
anymore. I'm not being
Clintonian here, I simply
think that there's a lot
of assumptions made about
the mental processes of
heterosexuality that don't
stand scrutiny...so saying
that crossdressers in
general have heterosexual
mental processes is saying
one unknown thing is like
another unknown thing.
Saying that crossdressers
are happily married very
often means that no one
has asked the wife how she
feels about things.
"Normal" and
"My Husband
Betty" show differing
viewpoints on the matter
but do illustrate the
problems encountered in
ways that cheerleading
books such as "My
Husband Wears My
Clothes" don't.
But
just because some
marriages aren't happy
with crossdressing
involved, that doesn't
mean that they can't be
happy marriages. And
again, that's what Alpha
Omega is about. We try to
help people reach
accommodations and turn
what could be a burden
into an opportunity for
growth and fulfillment. It
takes work and it takes
commitment, and we think
knowing people who have
done the work, and come
out the other side can
help. Thanks to Ms.
Richert for thinking
kindly of us, and if she
happens to marry a
crossdresser and she finds
that she or her spouse
need help making things
work...or just want a safe
friendly social
environment....well we and
other organizations, some
even located in
Texas, are there for
them.
The
Summer 2004 movie
"White Chicks"
wasn't a great critical
success. Most
critics felt that making
"white chicks"
out of two
African-American comedians
(Shawn and Marlon Wayans)
wasn't enough to support
the movie. Someone
on a BBS noted this quote
from a pre-release
interview.
For
Shawn, it got a bit too
much. Some of the
actresses on the set
forgot that there were
guys underneath all the
makeup. He says, "We
got into some of their
private girl talk, and it
was gross. Too much
information."
One of the reasons I
can give for doing what I
do is because I can. Shawn’s
quote is a wonderful
example of why the average
guy in fact cannot. You
can put him in a dress and
he can't and won't be able
to relate at all to the
world as women experience
it and themselves. He'll
find it gross after a
while, and not engrossing.
In fact he'd probably feel
downright gender dysphoric
after a while
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FICTION
Powder
Pink
From
the novel:
Shamrock
Tea, by
Ciaran
Carson,
2001.
"…
But my
mother? I
could
still
smell her
perfume,
the pink
aroma of
her power
compact. I
could see
the
compact
itself,
and the
scallop
design on
its lid. I
remember
dressing
up at
Hallowe’en
in her
clothes,
the swish
of her
silk gown,
the fox
fur draped
around my
neck, and
the ache
in my
instep
arches, as
I teetered
along in
her high
heels down
streets
clouded by
the smoke
of squibs
and
bonfires."
Transcendent
imagery.
Though
this
fascinating
Booker
nominated
(2001)
novel
has
nothing
to
do
with
crossdressing,
it
has
much
to
offer
the
crossdresser.
It
takes
one
on a
mystical
ride
through
history,
philosophy,
religion,
culture,
and
art.
Shamrock
tea
is a
magical
potion
that
allows
one
to
experience
an
alternate
world,
but
the
world
can
only
be
found
by
passing
through
the
famous
Jan
van
Eyck
painting,
The
Arnolfini
Marriage.
Elaine
Read
reviews
and
purchase
this
book
at
Amazon.com
via
the
Alpha
Omega
website
link
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Arnolfini
Marriage,
1434
Jan
van Eyck
1395-1441
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Publication
Notice and
Club Policies
This
newsletter is
copyright
1998-2005 by
The Alpha
Omega Society. All
rights
reserved.
Articles and
information
contained in
this
newsletter may
NOT be without
advance
permission
from the
individual
author. Write
to editor@aosoc.org
in order to
contact the
author. When
permission is
granted, a
copy of the
issue
containing the
reprinted
material must
be sent to
Alpha Omega
within two
months after
the material
is published
and proper
credit is
given to
author and
source.
The
opinions or
statements
contained in
this
newsletter are
those of the
authors and do
not
necessarily
reflect the
views of Alpha
Omega.
Contributions
of articles
are welcomed,
but may be
altered in the
editing
process, with
the author’s
intent
retained, or
may be
rejected,
whether
solicited or
not.
Absolutely no
sexually
explicit
material may
be accepted or
printed.
Alpha Omega
is a
non-profit
social support
group for
heterosexual
crossdressers
and their
wives or
partners.
Also, members
from related
organizations,
helping
professionals,
and approved
guests are
welcome when
cleared
through Alpha
Omega’s
officers.
Meetings
are the second
Saturday
evening of
each month
unless a
special event
is scheduled
that takes the
place of the
regularly scheduled
meeting. The
location of
the meeting or
event is only
released to
members or
others with
the approval
of an officer.
Members and visitors
must be 18
years of age
or older. We
will exchange
newsletters
with any other
similar group.
Send all
correspondence
to Alpha
Omega, P.O.
Box 2053,
Sheffield
Lake, OH
44054.
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