Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Fantasia Fair's Downside

I will not attend Fantasia Fair this year. I will miss the sights and sounds of Provincetown and I will miss my friends who will be attending next week. But there is a downside to attending Fantasia Fair that I will not miss, as described in this excerpt from my book, Fantasia Fair Diaries.

Home town, not Provincetown
Will I attend future Fantasia Fairs?

As my euphoria peaked at the end of the week, I told anyone who asked that I would be back next year and that I would begin saving money for the trip on Monday to make next year’s trip possible.

After the banquet Saturday night, I began reconsidering my return next year or any year.

The civilians in Provincetown are aware that the circus is in town, which makes it impossible to pass. Every tall woman is a potential man, so the civilians check out every tall girl to see if that is the case.

I never experienced anything untoward in Provincetown, but being a very tall girl, I soon became annoyed by the inspection that I (and all the other tall girls) had to undergo every time we walked outside.

If you are a closeted femulator and want to get out of the closet in a safe way, I highly recommend Fantasia Fair to you, but I don’t need that. I could take the money I saved to bankroll a trip to Fantasia Fair and have a wonderful time shopping for a new wardrobe in the malls and outlet stores of Connecticut.

Sure some people might gawk at me as I shopped, but most would not because (1) they would not be alerted beforehand that a crossdresser may be in their midst and (2) I often pass and do not attract attention to myself in a bad way, that is, in a way that gives away my birth gender.

I had a wonderful time at Fantasia Fair and I am sure I would have a good time if I attended again...

Maybe next year!



Source: ShopBop
Wearing Alice + Olivia.


Source: Barbra Ann Taylor
Barbra Ann Taylor's 2013 working girl Halloween costume.
"When I dress for Halloween at work, I try to blend in. Some of the customers did not realize who or what I was."

3 comments:

  1. Life is full of compromises and trade offs. For some just getting out of the house is an achievement. If we go to a safe place such as a meeting, convention or even an LGBT friendly bar or lounge we will more likely be pegged as a T person. In those venues we will find safety, which is paramount, and a reasonable degree of acceptance but we cannot live in fool's paradise and convince ourselves that we are not read.
    If we eschew safety and get out into a purely civilian environment people will not have their T-dar activated and we are more likely to pass and be accepted as women ranther than men.
    Life if a series of trade offs.
    Pat

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  2. Stana -

    Going to FF is great for those who are new to going out and about. The stares from the locals are not malicious, but only a price we pay to take our first steps out in the world. For those like us who've been out and about for a while, it makes much more sense to bulk up our wardrobes - and meet with people locally....

    M

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  3. Stana

    I am simpatico, I get out so often now in mixing with the mainstream that Fantasia fair would seem weird. I do believe that I would appreciate the sisterhood and support, Back in the 80's and 90's I dreamed of going to a TG conference, but not my dreams have come true by just going out and about and being a woman on the go.

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