Dinner:
Corned Beef & Cabbage Sherry
Colcannon Cheryl
Soda Bread Marissa
Snacks Diane Kay & Jamie
Cheesecake Cheryl
We could use another dessert or two if anyone would like to bring something.

This month is not only election month but dues month. All Alpha Omega members need to pay their dues.

Those on the Rudd Plan need to also pay their Triess dues. These dues MUST be current in order to vote for officers and to run for an office.

Interview with Diane Brennan

When did you first realize you were a cross dresser?

I don’t remember a time when I was not a CD. I really didn’t put a name to it until I started to investigate the gender phenomenon in my early 20s. At that time there was very little literature that was readily available. By posing as a graduate student in psychology I was able to locate what little did exist through the Cuyahoga County Public Library.

How did you handle this realization?

I had very little trouble with it since I don’t remember being any other way. I had a very perceptive Grandmother who made sure that I did not feel that I was strange and who made sure that I was not frustrated in my need to express this side of myself. She never encouraged or discouraged me, she just made sure that I could explore this on my own terms.

I now realize what a fantastic amount of help this has been to me. In discussions with my mother in the last few years we both have come to the conclusion that she knew another CD very well. My biggest problem was trying to be too masculine so that I could hide it from my peers, who I knew would not understand and would ridicule me.

At what point did you share this with others?

My Grandmother and my Great Aunt knew since I was very young. I had a semi-adopted older sister who new from the time I was about 8 or 9 years old. My parents, I found out a few years ago, always knew.

What was the most exhilarating moment for you as a cross dresser?

It is a toss-up between two events. The first one came while I was driving home from Columbus in my freshman year in college. I was listening to the radio and heard an interview with Christine Jorgenson. That made me realize that I was not the only person with a gender difference.

The second was the original Phil Donohue show about Triess. I was sick that day and was home from work. I decided to watch Phil out of boredom. By the time the show was over, I knew that not only was I not alone but there were others who felt exactly the way that I felt.

What was the biggest obstacle for you as a cross dresser and how did you overcome it?

Letting my feminine side show when I am not cross dressed. I think the combination of maturity and the example set by other members of AO made me realize that by hiding it I was only hurting myself and the ones I love by trying to hide that side of my personality.

If you had only one sentence of advise to give to other CDs, what would that be?

Learn to enjoy this gift, you will be a more complete person when both the masculine and feminine can coexist.

How long have you been a member of Alpha Omega?

About 6 or 7 years.

Do you remember your first meeting? Tell us about how you felt and how you feel now.

I was scared to death walking into the “Manor”. When I got to the changing room the other girls visited with me and made me feel pretty comfortable. I was then petrified when I walked down the stairs to the meeting room. By the end of the meeting I knew that I had found a home and had so much fun that I was the last person to leave.

Now, I look forward to an evening of fun, education, and serious discussion with friends who share many of the same feeling that I have, not to mention the food.

What is the single biggest advantage of belonging to AO for you?

Having a place to meet with friends and share experiences.

How long have you been married?

28 years

At what point did your s.o. know of your cross dressing?

During the first month of our marriage Andrea came home at the wrong time and caught me.

What arrangement has worked for you and your s.o. (in regards to the cross dressing)?

The arrangements have changed over the years. For a long time Andrea did not want any part of it but made sure that I had the time to express myself. Later when she wanted to be involved, I did not know how to let her be involved. In the past year we have both realized that how I am dressed does not change our relationship. That has made it just an ordinary part of our lives.

Are children involved?

My daughter knows but has never seen Diane. My son does not know at the present time. I will probably tell him in the very near future.

Thank-you for allowing this interview and your willingness to contribute and communicate your feelings and experiences as a CD. This sharing will help create a better understanding and awareness for CDs, their family, and friends.

Linda Hoopes

February, Lisa and I drove down to Williamsburg and spent a delightful weekend with Joan and Lucy Stone. The drive down was interesting to say the least. The weather was not the best being chilly and rainy but the scenery was great. I hate driving around DC.

We arrived at the outskirts at 3 PM and finished the short loop around the city at 4:30 PM. We still haven’t figured that one out.

The Stones live in a beautiful home located in a residual area full of trees and ponds. It was so quiet and peaceful. Lisa and I had the whole second floor to ourselves including choice of bedrooms. Hanging throughout were several quilts that Joan had made. I especially loved the doll on the stairway facing the corner like a "bad boy"…..LOL.

Speaking of dolls – Lucy has so many fashionable dolls that they are actually divided by season. She displays the dolls appropriate for the season. Even then, they line their bedroom.

Since we were only there for a couple of days, we couldn’t see everything. So we decided to visit Jamestown. Seeing the old bricks, mounds and artifacts reminded me of the dubious hold we had on America at the time. It really was a time of hardships and famine, illness and death. The basement of one archeological dig was found to contain numerous skeletons – cause of death unknown. We spent a delightful afternoon listening to the history of the site. Lucy and Joan have an amazing amount of facts tucked away.

That evening we attended the February meeting of Rho Tau. Being SO month, they centered their program more on the dynamics of the relationships involved in their chapter. Each person briefly talked about their SO and sealed it with a kiss. It was amazing to hear about all the love that has survived through some of the difficulties involved in these relationships.

Rho Tau has some exciting members. Lucy and Joan, of course. Catherine is a "bowl" full of energy. She just glows with harmony. One member in particular stood out. I wish I could remember her name…..I think it was Carol. Anyway she had recently broken her ankle and didn’t receive any cards. She heckled through the night about no cards. One of the girls said that she sent an email card to which she replied, "Oh poo, that took nothing. Too cheap to spend $.50 on a card." She had us laughing so hard I had the proverbial tears running down my cheeks. I immediately sent her a card upon returning home.

That night they had several new members attending, one of whom was so scared she trembled. She finally called from the changing room and two of the SO’s went and got her. Finally by the end of the night, she was less nervous and so thrilled with the chapter that she immediately called her wife and told her about it.

Rho Tau is a very dynamic chapter with lots of ideas. They conceived and implemented the ID cards. I know you’ve read about them in the Mirror. They have lots of enthusiasm and they are very organized. The proposal they submitted for SPICE was outstanding. They even included speakers.

All night long, Catherine was dying to ask me about SPICE 2002. She was even passing notes to Joan about it. In fact, she was writing another note and almost missed it when I made the announcement that indeed Rho Tau would be hosting SPICE 2002. I know they will do a fantastic job.

The hours flew. 2 AM and we were still talking! Everything was just so great! I can’t wait until September when again I’ll be visiting the Stones. They have a welcome that just doesn’t quit.

It is 11:30pm on a Saturday night, and I'm standing in the common area of a large local church in eastern Cleveland. It is our local TRI-ESS Chapter monthly meeting and I have been wearing 3 inch spiked heels for over 12 hours. Before attending the meeting, I visited the Great Lakes Mall for some shopping. A few hours before this, my poor toes ached terribly. Now; however, there is no longer any pain. In fact, my feet are completely numb all the way up to my ankles. In spite of the misery, my feet look great in these killer shoes.

My legs are smooth and shapely, and I have a new pair of Sheer Energy panty hose to thank for the look. Designed especially for the genetic female, a large seam line presses incessantly in places I wish it would not. They bind constantly, and occasionally, if I move just the right way, my voice rises an octave or two.

Since I have a figure that closely resembles the main character in the "hangman" game, I must add numerous curves and bumps to obtain a girlish figure. With the amount of foam padding and silicone enhancements I must wear, it is a sure bet that had I been a passenger on the Titanic, I would never have drowned.

Unfortunately, foam is hot, and when placed underneath a girdle and a pair of panty hose, they cause one's body temperature to rise an additional 20 degrees.

To achieve a silky smooth facial complexion, I began the day with a close shave. So close was this prepatory shave, that I'm convinced at least two layers of skin came off in addition to the facial hair. Shaving nicks are always a hazard. They sting horribly, and the only reason I did not bleed to death is that I managed to fill in the nicks and cuts with a thick layer of Derma-Blend. My pores, thanks to the makeup are completely clogged and my skin, unlike healthy skin, cannot breath a bit. The area between my eyebrows aches uncomfortably from an intense session with the tweezers, and my left eye stings from a mistake with the mascara.

After a full day under my wig, I have a migraine headache, and my sweaty scalp itches mercilessly from the heat trapped underneath. I can feel the blood coursing through my ear lobes, and as those gorgeous clip-on earrings cling with the force of vise grips, the pain rises to an almost unbearable level. I am sure that by the end of the night, either I will have holes in both lobes, or my ears will simply fall off.

Combined, these stimuli add to the overall effect of sheer agony. As I stand among friends conversing about things feminine, my lapses of concentration and an occasional glassy eyed stare are mistaken for weariness. The truth of the matter is, I am not at all tired. Instead, I am overcome by pain, and my cerebral cortex is attempting to shut down. I reel from the agony of screaming nerve endings, yet like some devout follower of ancient masochism, I endure the pain and crave more.

It is funny is it not, that I am willing, even look forward to, this regular ritual of pain and agony. In spite of my discomfort, and despite of the effort required to attain this look, I would never pass up the opportunity to dress like a woman. Why I endure this agony I can't really say, and by the end of the evening, although I hate to admit it, relieving the agony I am enduring tends to supercede my desire to dress. As I slowly remove the feminine articles that make up my wardrobe, I now understand just a little better why my wife wears jeans and sweatshirts, and shuns the garments I adore so dearly. Being a girl is damn hard work, and now when my wife says it's no fun being a girl, I can almost sympathize.