FEARLESS CROSSDRESSER PART 3

I truly looked forward to the Texas “T” party every year because it was such a fun event and you met so many other people like yourself. The Event was moved from the 7 Oaks motel to the Holiday Inn my second year attending. It was on the River Walk in San Antonio where there was much more to do with shops restaurants etc. Not for me though as I was full of preconceived notions about the lack of safety being out in public dressed. It was the same when the “T” Party moved to Dallas later on but others ventured out with no issues.

After a while other events started popping all over the U.S. to the point where there were couple of events each month going on somewhere. California Dreaming was in San Francisco, Southern Comfort in Atlanta, Colorado Gold Rush in Denver, All of which I attended. Then there were those I had to pass on because otherwise I would be gone all the time. Those included Esprit in Port Angeles Washington, 1st Event in Boston, Fall Harvest in Arkansas, Be All in Chicago, Paradise in the Pocono’s and many others. I liked the “T” party and Southern Comfort the best of the ones that I attended.

One thing all those events had in common is that I never left the safety of the hotel for the most part. There were many others joining me who feared mingling with strangers out in the real world so we got to know each other hanging out in the lobby or bar. I got a little more courage in the late 1990’s after hearing so many fun stories about adventures others were having.

My decade of conventions came to a halt on September 11, 2001 when everything, everywhere changed for everyone. Once airplanes were able to flay again security was incredible and people were waiting 3 hours in line just to get their luggage inspected. They looked at everything in your suitcase in front of everyone around you so flying with hip pads, breast forms, wigs and high heels was not going happen for me. I don’t recall if the Southern Comfort convention in Atlanta was officially cancelled or not but it was for us. It was only two weeks after 9/11 so at the very least they lost a good chunk of attendees.

We were literally already packed for Southern Comfort and very disappointed that we would not be going when one of us came up with an idea. Why not just drive the 5 1/2 hours to San Francisco a very accepting city as BFF Ashley and I discovered a year or so before. We checked and got great reservations at a boutique hotel 2 blocks off Union Square and a new era began for me.

The streets of San Francisco were very empty and you could hop on a cable car easily but we did not attempt it in heels. Because it was not very crowded I felt a little better about being out in public dressed because people in San Francisco have seen everything and nothing shocked anyone. The locals and merchants were very glad to see tourists and made us feel welcome. So welcome that we came back a couple of times per year for almost 20 years dressing 24/7 as women.

I wasn’t quite the fearless crossdresser I am now then but before COVID Ashely finally convinced me that Las Vegas would not be fatal and I would enjoy it. I gave it a shot and found out that she was correct and for the most part nobody really cares one way or the other. People are there to have fun and concentrate on that instead of bothering crossdressers who don’t interest them in the first place. Las Vegas was pretty much the last hurdle keeping me from becoming a fearless crossdresser although I’m still careful about where I go.