I am one of the men who are women

[Anne Bonny]

Amelia Earhart was not your typical girly girl...she rebelled at home I believe she tore a dress and ran around in bloomer style pants playing with the boys. She got a .22 rifle for one of her birthdays I believe. Watched a recent search for remains and the Lockheed Electra out on Nikumaroro formerly Gardener Island and off shore. She was among the first to vote, and was also among the first female pilots. I am not trying to say she was not feminine or that she was a crossdresser...but she was definitely an outlier on gender...challenging that barrier and trashing the constraints placed on women that would seek to limit their behavior and pursuits. I do believe she was a Tom Boy...and that she did transcend the gender barrier even as she I am sure would insist that she was a woman, and I am not saying that because she did wear pretty outfits, use make up and used freckle cream that contained mercury! She hated having freckles. She did wear her hair very short even a few years removed from the flapper era. She was ahead of her time as we entered the modern era of women and I am sure had she completed her round the world flight she would eventually have married and had a child or two.

What I am saying is that I am like Amelia Earhart because as a man I am also challenging the gender barrier. Personally I recognize that I am a man mentally and physically and I do wear male clothing but I also wear women's too. I have some male interests, I was married, now widowed, have sons and grandchildren. I do have some male interests but I am not really as most men are and there are many male interests that I am not interested in. I see a problem with the overbearing dominance men assert in having their way I do not like their tendency to be violent and use foul language. I certainly do find I share similar traits and interests in common with women. I do tend to hang back and am not as aggressive or dominant as most men are.

I am new having finally come in to myself it took me a long time but I do feel I fully understand exactly who I am and where I am on the spectrum. Hum...last night I grabbed my purse and my coat hopped in the car and drove around ... yes fully dressed in women's clothing...not exciting at all but definitely appropriate in Jeans and a top with tennis shoes etc...not really full make up just lipstick but my hair fixed and ear rings etc on. I was not out of my comfort zone at all...It was dark and a lot of what women wear is boring and not really feminine...it is just a different take with cut and jewelry etc. I am now part of the tweezing world pulling my stubble out doing what I am able to lessen all of that over time...it will grow back in 6-8 weeks but I will still be pulling in 6-8 weeks and every day from now on, I also shave so can only do this at bedtime so there is enough sticking out to grab and pull! I would be very happy if I had not facial hair at all except for my eyebrows and lashes of course! Hopefully the bluing of the shadow will be gone or drastically lessened in time.
I am also spending much more time wearing and sleeping in women's attire, grooming female too. I do still hope I may stumble across some woman who would like to be with me...but I have put it all out of my mind. Thing is I know I cannot dwell on what will crush me in it's misery if I do. Nope, I am seeking now to live my life and to rekindle interests that I have for a time allowed depression and age to rob from my life ...sailing, photography, skim boarding and soon day trips that may at some point turn into travel etc... And on those warm summer days I will definitely enjoy being able to enjoy a pretty sundress and some sandals have my hair and nails done and care for my skin...because it is not right that we should be denied the feminine inside of who men as I am are... I do love being a girl....even knowing that yeah I am a man in the same way Amelia Earhart was a woman.

[Diana Michelle]

Whether it is being an alcoholic or being OCD or CD or whatever the first step is that of self acceptance for how can anyone else to accept you if you do not accept yourself? Anne you seem to have taken that first step. Where you go or what you do with that is up to you and only you. Take a deep breath and think about that next step is but whatever it is make sure it is right for Anne.

[Anne Bonny]

Hi Diana, you OK? hope so... old friend... Yeah... I am finally here! Ha!! Where do I go with it now!? Well for now it will and always will just keep going. Expanding that is where it should go of course! Widening the circle so that I can go out with friends. Where do I meet friends? How? I really do believe if I had people to take me by the hand and lead me out the door...yeah in a dress and heels in make up with my purse! That I could be brought out and introduced into a whole new way of living. I am always the same inside of who I am but I do hide my appearance when I leave the house. I take even my ear rings out... Think If I had friends to go visit a place other than my home to go...that would be a very real first way of going out into the world because it is not right to hide... I have nice clothes etc and I should be seen and taken openly to be who I am. When I can begin to really leave and go out I will really have begun to live and to be all of who I am. Sometimes that is in male clothing...but at others It really should be in women's clothing.

I have come to self acceptance...I hope I can find and share who I am with real people who are there in my life...People who know me, see me, talk to me, hug and touch me and who want to go out and do things and even to come visit me here. Then it will begin to be real.

[Heather W]

Congratulations Anne!

It was just a few short years ago I came to fully accept myself and at least for me it was one of the if not the most liberating experiences of my life. No not everyone was as excited about it as I was nor was the road easy but from my perspective it was well worth it.

Go forward armed with confidence and see what the world holds for Anne. While you may encounter some bumps along the road there will be many good times and smooth sailing as well. The one thing to always remember is it your life no one else's! To those who welcome you remember to be thankful for them and as for those who may not seem as enthusiastic? Well I am too much of a lady to tell you to think f*ck 'em if they can't take a joke.