The StLGF is a non-profit, non-sexual, social and educational organization open to all adults who believe in freedom of gender expression. Although our members are primarily male-to female crossdressers and male-to-female transsexuals; all members of the transgendered community, as well as supportive family members and interested professionals.

"The Gazette" is published bi-monthly in January, March, May, July, September, and November. The deadline for submissions is the 15th of the month prior to publication. For information please use our voice mail number (314) 607-4163.

All submissions become the property of StLGF, and should be accompanied by a release-to-print statement. Letters, articles, and/or pictures that include nudity, profanity, or obscenities will not be published.

We also reserve the right not to publish any other materials that we consider inappropriate. All issues are copyrighted. However, any nonprofit organization or publication may reprint articles or other information from this publication, provided they allow the free use of their materials by other non-profit organizations.

If you have any questions please write:
StLGF,
PO Box, St. Louis, MO 63117,
or call us at
Email the StLGF: stlgftg@netscape.net
Web Sites:
http://members.aol.com/stlgf1/

Email the Editor: Christy Kay: Christy Kay

The Presidents Column

by Carman M.

Did You Hear The News? .... St. Louis Gender Foundation will be hosting Fall Harvest again in the year 2000! This is wonderful news for all of us. It means we will be hosting a major event which includes educational opportunities, tourism, food, and entertainment right in our home town. Hosting a Fall Harvest also means a lot of dedicated and hard working volunteers are needed to begin the planning process and see the plans through to completion. This is no time to be shy.... If you are interested in volunteering your time and dedicating yourself to make our Fall Harvest a success, then please speak with me or one of the StLGF Board members.

Election Results.... April is a great month to get out of the house and appreciate all the things spring has to offer. Sunshine, blue skies, flowers, warmer temperatures, cool breezes, .... April is also a great month for the St. Louis Gender Foundation because it is the month when we hold our annual elections, and find out who will lead us into the future. I am pleased to introduce Christy Kay (President), Sharon Love (Vice President), Andrew Edwards (Treasurer), and Marcia Lynn Williams (Secretary) as your StLGF Board for 1998/1999. I would like to offer my congratulations to all of our 1998/1999 StLGF Board members. I would also like to thank them for caring about StLGF and its members. I am certain our organization and its future are in good hands.

Reflections.... A year has passed and here I sit writing my last column as your StLGF President. How can time pass so quickly? .... As I think about it, I have a lot of great memories from my year as President. I remember the fun we had riding in the back of Jordynne's truck during the Pridefest parade. I remember the picnic at the Lake, and how it thundered and rained all around us. I remember the significant others who were anxious and scared about attending StLGF parties who now feel better. I remember the significant other meetings, and how proud I was of all the participants. I remember Santa Claus heading stright to the bar for a drink at our Holiday Party. I remember the money and food we collected and donated to local charities. I remember Andrew reporting large attendance figures. I remember speaking with many new members who were relieved to find out they are not alone. All in all, we have had a good year.

Thank You .... If you look back to my first President's Column, I started by thanking the members of StLGF for electing me and entrusting me with keeping our organization running smoothly. It feels appropriate to end my term by thanking everyone who has helped me.

I'd like to start by thanking Vicki for being my wife, for giving me two great children, and for continuing to love me. Vicki, I love you.

I'd like to thank Sharon, Christy Kay, Jamie, and Andrew for all the many things they have done to help me run StLGF. We have been a great team and have carried the load together.

I'd like to thank Dr. Patricia Berne for listening to me, speaking with me, counselling me, and helping me deal with the most difficult and confusing problems I have ever faced.

I'd like to thank Erika, Jordynne, Rachel, Mary, Rose, Nancy, Jan, and Robin for all their love, support, and friendship. Many of you will never have an opportunity to read this, but it doesn't matter. You have all listened to me, talked with me, and helped me. I treasure my friendships with all of you more than I know how to say.

Lastly, I'd like to thank those who founded the St. Louis Gender Foundation and all my Presidential predecessors. You have given us all an organization where we can belong and meet others like ourselves. For this, we are all very very grateful....

Be Careful What You Wish For

By Christy Kay

Wow! Now that was a Saturday night I will never forget! Of course I'm talking about the elections, and in particular my being selected President of the StLGF. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever had imagined that I would ever be selected President on that cold, snowy January evening in 1996 when I walked into my first meeting. First person I saw that was Erika, a beautiful vision in a long white antique dress. Come to think of it, I think I had the opportunity to acquire that dress at the Out Of the Closet Sale last fall. While it was a little over the knee on Erika, it was floor length on me.

Confession. It's time for a confession. I've never been elected to anything before. Never even been nominated for any club office anytime.

So, what is your new board going to do this year? We're going to work harder on getting prompt accurate information in a timely manner to all of our members. We're going to work on outreach to the community, to make ourselves more visible to those who are looking for us, and to those who need us and don't even suspect we exist.

I'd like to congratulate the Board that was elected with me: Sharon as Vice President, who's done an incredible job this year; Andrew our treasurer, who knows were every dollar is; and Marci is our Secretary, whom I'm going to load an incredible pile of what I've been doing.

It goes with out saying, but I will anyway, that the Officers that preceded us have left us with a wonderful group to work with. I have enjoyed working with and learning from Erika, Jamie, Rita, Steve, Carmen and Stephanie. They paved the way for us to be able to look to a stronger and better StLGF.

Having said that, I want to thank each and everyone of you for having the confidence to select me for the this position. Thank-you very much.

World's Wildest Police Videos I saw two interesting segment on the TV Show "World's Wildest Police Videos" Thursday evening.

The first segment dealt with a traffic stop for no taillight in a small midwest town. The vehicle, a Black fullsized pickup fled from the officer when the red lights started whirling. The truck continued to accelerate for less than a 1/2 mile, when the driver lost control and spun out of control. It turns out the driver, a local highschool football coach, was crossdressed and afraid of embarrassment and possible loss of employment if recognized. Instead, she turned a traffic stop into embarrassment, probably loss of employment due to a felony arrest AND a felony arrest.

Second interesting segment dealt with another crossdressed driver that refused to stop when the officers turned the red lights on for a traffic stop. Instead, the driver called 911 on her cell phone and explained to the dispatcher that she would not stop until she had all of her make-up removed. An O. J. Simpson style slow-speed chase developed until the driver had removed all her make-up. Then she stopped. Then she was forced to lay on the ground in her new dress and nylons. Another traffic stop parlayed into a felony arrest.

What is one to do, if pulled over? Stop as soon as is prudent. Be truthful with the officer. Tell him/her that you are crossdressed and present your real ID. Attempting to flee or present a false ID can and will turn a mere embarassement into an expensive legal hassle. One of our current members confided to me that she had been stopped at a road block looking for inebriated drivers. When approached by the officer, her first words were, "I'm a man." It was not even an issue. Given my own preferences, I'd rather not take my hard earned money and give it to someone else. There's this simple black dress that I'm lusting over...

Texas T Party On a different note, a rumor crossed my desk that purports that this past Texas T Party was the last. Having held it ten years in a row, it had become almost a full time job for those organizing the Party. It's going to be missed. I know several of our members who have made that an annual affair.

Who Do You Think We Are I received an email recently from Andrea "Who Do You Think We Are" Cuchetto about her project. Photographic prints or digital copies are available, for a very nominal fee, to those who participated. I requested Andrea send me a contact sheet of her photos of me, and the next morning, in email, I had it. The photographic interpretation is incredible. I've made my selections and I am anxiously waiting to see the finished product. The photo at the top of this page is one Andrea took of me that night, and I am very pleased with it. I'm certain you will be also. A contact sheet can be acquired by email, or mail.

Address for Andrea Cuchetto:
Graphic Orientations
PO Box 250022
Little Rock, AR 72225
(501)663 1693
bnwgraphic@aol.com

The Continuing Adventures of Marci

By Marcia Lynn Williams

G ood news, all my lovely sisters in drag, S/Os and associates. We have been selected to host the 10th annual Fall Harvest as a MAGGIE representative in the year 2000 by an overwhelming majority vote of the official Fall Harvest Committee!!! But, before I go into details, I have some of the most exciting adventures of my entire life to share with you, those whom I love so much. Now, before the thought crosses your mind that I'm going to display my vanity, let me assure you, I love to share my adventures because I truly enjoy girl talk and am excited that I'm learning so much about being a woman. That being said, here we go...

Our session in March, Creative Hat Night, went so smoothly and was filled with a joyous spirit. So many lovely and creative hats. We had three winners, Macie, First Lady Vicki, and Ms Babs. I think it's absolutely wonderful that S/Os were among the winners. Without their support, I think our club would be a step down from the current top quality organization that it is. In fact, support is what our group is all about, isn't it? From my very first time I've noticed and experienced such heartfelt, loving support from all of you; even the hotel staff that serves us monthly. In my humble opinion, that's what makes our StLGF so special.

Our lovely Vice President, Sharon Love, put together a fun-filled extra-curricular activity on Saturday, March 28. First, we had a shopping spree at the Grand Wig Shop. Ms. Babs and I had never been there before, but were delighted to find the staff very warm and friendly and desirous of fulfilling our special needs. The turnout was very good. Yours truly, by unanimous vote of all in the store, purchased an off the shoulder sequinned dress that fits like a glove. It is a two hundred dollar dress that cost me only $76.00!! I plan to wear it to our upcoming banquet in May. I'd recommend this shop to all of you. You can go there as your boy self and everything will be taken care of in strictest confidence. Oh, one more thing. The wig prices are some of the best I've seen. Their wigs are high quality and beautiful.

After the shopping spree, we adjourned to Alibi's for a scrumptious dinner and some of the best Female Impersonator entertainment in the Greater St. Louis Area. I mean, service is friendly, the staff loves our club, the food is delicious and the performers really relate to the crowd. It's located on Arsenal St. just off Gravois Ave. It used to be called Bavarian Inn for those of you who were around when the oompah bands performed in the once German neighborhood. Girlfriends, if you ain't been there yet, well, you just need to get dressed and strut yourself right over there. I mean, this summer, they are opening up their patio...the largest restaurant patio in all of St. Louis! And, don't worry, it has a privacy fence all around.

As most of you know, we like to have friends over and visit friends. Of course, schedules are so diverse, especially because of our gender giftedness, that getting together can really be difficult. For a number of weeks we had had great difficulty getting together with Sherry Allen who lives across the river and stays in her femme mode most of the time...even at her job! Oh...to dream of such wonderment. But, eventually, we were able to visit her at her very lovely home together with Diane and Ms. Patty the evening of those awful and destructive storms. Suffice it to say that we had a very nice couple of hours and the storms passed all around us. You know, you really can't get to know someone until you've gotten out of the womb of our monthly sessions and into someone else's world. Thank you, Sherry.

Now I'd like to share part of a letter I sent to a newfound girlfriend whom I met in Cedar Rapids, Iowa at their 10th annual Gala Ball. I got to wear that sexy little number I mentioned earlier. I mean, if I pay $76.00 for a knockout dress, I'm gonna wear it more than once if at all possible! Anyway, Ms. Babs and I drove up early Friday morning, April 17. We arrived at the beautiful Sheraton Four Points Hotel, checked in, and hooked up with Jamie and Andrew from here. After resting from our drive, we got all dolled up and the four of us headed down to ZAZZA'S, the hotel's excellent dining facility. Prime rib and cherries jubilee for four! Jamie and Andrew had never watched a waitress flambe' cherries soaked in brandy, orange juice and sugar before. Mmmm...mmm. And, Girls, the waitress was so much fun. She had no idea Jamie and I are TV.

After dinner, Andrew had to retire for the evening because he'd pulled a muscle in his shoulders. Ms Babs feet began to swell, so she also went to bed. They both told us to go out and have a night on the town. Well, you just won't believe what happened next. Jamie and I changed into casual wear, you know, top, jeans and flats or tenny's. Anyway, off we traipsed to the karaoke bar. Now, here's the excerpt from that letter:

Dear Ellen, ...Getting back to the nightclub, Jamie and I sat near the karaoke machine booth and watched the performers right up close. Well, a whole group of folks sat across the room from us having fun and singing through the microphone and such. After a while, this fellow gets up and sings "After the Lovin'" by Engelburt Humperdink. Well, his voice was so resonant and wonderfully sexy that I began to fan myself with a brochure we had at the table. I began to act like I had the vapors and was near fainting!?? Jamie got a fan out of her purse and handed it to me. As I fanned, the group across the room spotted my "routine" and fell in love with it. I was an instant hit and the rest of the night got to dance several dances with the girls as well as three married men. One dance was up close and slow! I couldn't believe I was doing this, but all these people thought I was a genetic girl!!! Oh so thrilling.

Meanwhile, Jamie had her own excitement when she kept trying to fend off the advances of the karaoke machine operator. I mean, Girlfriends, this guy was a real hunk. Those biceps, and that manly chest. And the rest of his anatomy...suffice it to say that she was beginning to melt, but together we were able to help her maintain control of the situation. She began talking about Andrew and things began to settle down. I had gotten up and walked over to the guy in the booth and made a couple of comments and nothing serious developed. So, dearest Andrew, you can relax knowing your lovely spouse conducted herself in a most respectful way.

Two of the married guys had their wives there and the wives were the first to befriend us, so they didn't mind their hubbies dancing with us, But the third fella live 1400 miles away and his wife was at home. I tried to fend him off with my wedding and engagement rings which I always wear when dressed, but he didn't care. Soooo...I danced one fast one and that slow one with him, then gave him a peck on the cheek and thanked him. He seemed so lonely. The next day it dawned on me that if any of these guys ever found out we were CDers and that they'd danced with "guys" we might have been killed?? Phew...

Saturday, I fixed myself up and the four of us went to the mall. This was a first for me. I dressed in a button-down top [this was so the new do I was going to have wouldn't be messed up with a pullover top...just a little hint, Girl], jeans and canvas deck shoes. I was just right for mall shopping. We'd made an appointment to get my hair done [how'd it look when we met, Ellen?] and the hair stylists were very professional and we chit chatted and I sat like a lady and as you know spoke with a femme voice and I think we passed pretty well. My beautician had to deal with my thinning crown and receding hairline, but we'd pre-programmed them with my having had chemo and such. Oh, Ellen, It was soooo wonderful!! I was so scared to do all this, but once underway, both Friday night and Saturday, I just got lost in being a woman. I love it, Girl...my femininity is so overpowering sometimes. How about you?

The night of the Gala Ball, I had to go to the ladies room. Well, as you know, a sorority was at the hotel having a formal dance. While Jamie and I were in the ladies room, I fixed my lips while she went. Several sorority sisters came in and I just smiled. One pretty young thing began fixing her dress and hair in the full length mirror. I tried not to stare because I'm hetero and being 49 and seeing a 22 year old college graduate isn't so easy to do while dressed. But, she began to giggle a little and kind of talk to herself and me. Then, she faced me and began telling me she wasn't used to long dresses; that she had a really cute short dress that she liked and wished she could wear it. I told her she looked very pretty and we began to chat. I asked her what they were having at the hotel [I already knew] and she said a sorority dance. I said, "Parrrteee!!" as I raised my arms and made the party gestures and she giggled again. [my under arms were shaved so wearing that off the shoulder sequinned gown made me look real] I asked her what her major is and she said law. I asked her whether corporate or criminal. She said something that I just nodded to, and then she had to go. I wished her well and she left having befriended me without reading me!! Girlfriend, if you only knew how I felt at that point. Here I am a 49 year old grandpa dressed as a sexy grandma and talking to a cute coed in the ladies room...and all the while other girls came and went and Jamie heard it all!! Mmmm...mmm. So, anyway, enough of my gloating. I hope this little adventure makes your day... Well, that's what happened in Cedar Rapids. The one thing that I realized about the whole weekend there is that it wasn't so much passing that counted as it was BEING ACCEPTED!! That's what's really important ,don't you think?

Finally, we held our April Fashion Show at the Crown/Chaucer. We had a wonderful show and another wonderful evening. Although the attendance was down by a small percentage [must be due to daylight savings time], we had three new girls, all of whom had never ever been out of their homes or motels dressed before. And they'd always done it alone, never in the company of TG folks. As I got to know them, I saw myself finally accepting me and being accepted. You see? Being accepted as who we really are...complete persons...gender gifted persons...is what it's really all about. All three of these girls look very pretty and were so very excited to be with us!! They'll all fit in very nicely. And thanks to all of you for getting to their tables and welcoming them into our fun club. We all need each others' support.

Which brings me back to Fall Harvest. The year 2000 is a very important year in human history. And, it's an extremely important year for the TG community. I'm not going to get into all the ramifications. All I'm saying is that the MAGGIE organization here in our country's heartland and their autumn celebration/education/bonding/support festival is going to be right here in the Greater St. Louis Area!!!! Girls and their S/Os and their associates will be coming into town from many areas of the country. They want to be here to celebrate with us! And, they need our help.

Our club has many, many talented individuals. I'm a firm believer that if a person is allowed to use their gifts and talents, they shine like the noonday sun. They radiate warmth and love. They expend maximum effort so that others can enjoy the fruits of their labors. And they jump at the chance to get into the arena and make everything come together. At our April session, our lovely President and special Girlfriend, Carmen, asked for some to become the Fall Harvest Committee. Five dedicated ladies who'll spend the next two plus years preparing an event that will be remembered well into the 21st Century. I'm pretty new to the Foundation. I kinda flit and flutter and tease and laugh and just sorta giggle my way through this whole adventure in life. But, one thing I do not waver on; being there for those who ask out of need. Your transgendered community needs you...and that community needs you right away! I just know that you'll all, to a woman, will jump right in and make this major event the turning point of TGs being accepted into the community.

Thanks for your vote of confidence for my Secretarial services this coming season.

I love you all. Marci

RITA'S RAMBUNCTIOUS RAMBLINGS

by Rita Amore

Dear Ones�Lots of things to ramble about for this month's Gazette, so let's get started.

THOSE FRIENDLY SKIES: In February I went to Southern California on business and took Miss Coco along. We escaped from the St. Louis winter right into the el Nino rains of L.A. Believe me, folks, L.A. (not lower Arnold) is definitely different than the good ol' "white bread" Midwest. X-dressers out there are a nearly-normal daylight sight in LaLa Land, and the fetish people have taken over the fringes of the bell curve from the x-dressers.

We took in the Friday show at the Queen Mary, L.A.'s premier show bar. The place was full of garden-variety trannies, working trannies, and professional entertainers. Shows start at 9:00 p.m. and are very entertaining. The Queen is located on Ventura Boulevard by the way, not in the shipyards of Long Beach! Right next door is the Jim Bridges Boutique. We did a little shopping there, then went to dinner with Jim before we all caught the show at the Queen. It's always nice to see old friends in the community, and how much older can you get than Jim Bridges? (Just kidding, Jim Dahling, I just meant to say that you've been a friend for years!) Jim offered to loan a little costume from the store's archives if we wanted to stay for the monthly drag theme-party at Drag Strip 66 the next night, but we were flying out in the morning.

If anyone wants to organize a STLGF group field trip for a drag weekend in L.A. next fall, let me know. We could surely get cheap SW Airlines tickets. We could start at Jim Bridge's salon for makeovers (group rate, maybe?), have dinner nearby in a great TG-friendly restaurant, catch the early show at the Queen Mary, then party on over to Drag Strip 66. I promise you, My Lovelies, it will be more entertaining than Knotts Berry Farm ever was!

LADIES WHO LUNCH: Stephanie James and the Lovely One did a lunch/shopping excursion recently, having lunch in the St. Louis Room at downtown Famous-Barr. Shopping for intimate apparel there, in Dillard's basement, and Victoria's Secret is typical of faux women with balls who live the fantasy in downtown St. Louis, no? Actually we presented ourselves as two upscale women, and we were treated as such. Remember, money is still green regardless of your gender presentation.

DEATH ROW: The social taboo of capital punishment for women has been blown away with the recent execution of Judy Buenoano, and before her Karla Faye Tucker. There are forty-five women on death row in the U.S. including Leslie Nelson, a post-op TS. She is on death row in New Jersey for killing two police officers. Regardless of your personal sentiment toward this explosive issue, one must ask, "Is that equality or what?"

DIVAS & QUEENS, QUEENS & DIVAS: I was in Chicago last month and dropped into the old Baton Show Lounge. The performing queens there are chemically and surgically enhanced, and they are closer to "real" women than the typical female impersonator, but their show is good, the gals are gorgeous, and they provide good material to inspire your next performance in our own Follies � so if you're ever in Chicago, don't miss the Baton.

On April 20, 1998, if you weren't at the Casa Loma Ballroom, kick yourself! Frank Merino (as Joan Rivers) and the cast of Las Vegas' An Evening at La Cage brought "Diva Las Vegas � Benefiting Pride St. Louis" to the hinterlands. Yes, Gail and Shannon, they were the real thing and every bit as entertaining as we were led to believe by both of you. These first-class entertainers thrilled between four and five hundred happy souls. That lucky crowd included Stephanie James and her spouse, Shannon Ware and her ever-lovin' David, our own Santa Jimmy Walker, and the Lovely One accompanied by Miss Coco. Kick yourself, again, Dearies!

REVIEW TYME: A new TG documentary video is now available at WhizBam! I got a chance to preview Butterflies on the Scaffold, a Waterbearer Film documentary about the tribulations of a community of Cuban drag queens. It's in Spanish with English sub-titles and a very interesting look at drag queens in an impoverished communist country. You gotta admire their costuming creativity in a very poor country without the luxury of a Grand Wig right down the street. Performers are tipped with coins thrown from the crowds made up of community children as well as adults. One performer fainted when tipped with a Washington (American dollar).

SUNDRIES: My sources tell me that Joyce LaFontaine will be having SRS this summer and moving to Minneapolis. Good luck, Joycie, wherever you are!

Congratulations to the new club officers, and a special thank-you to last year's officers for a job well done!

The Lovely One is very impressed with both the quality and number of writers contributing to the Gazette. I feel less duty-bound to produce a regular offering because of that fact, so this is my swan song as a columnist.

A periodic contribution may be forthcoming if inspiration moves me, and if there are any column-inches left to fill sometime.

So until then, my Lovelies�

Rita Amore

Rita's Column has been a fixture in the Gazette for as long as I can remember. I feel that my job as editor has been greatly eased by being always able to count on Rita, and I'm going to miss her contributions - Christy

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