---

Vol 10 No 3, March 1998, Copyright © 1998 by The Crystal Club, Columbus, OH

---

President - Stephanie

Vice President - Carey

Treasurer - Dianna

Secretary - Jannie

Newsletter Editor - Kelly

Meeting Coordinator - Latoya

Screening Officers - Dea

The Crystal Chronicle is the official newsletter of the Crystal Club. The Chronicle is published and mailed a week prior to the regularly scheduled meeting.

Complementary copies of the Chronicle may be obtained by contacting a club officer or any club member.

News items for the Chronicle should be mailed to Kelly Davidson before the end of each month.. Her E-mail address is:

HZ150@cleveland.freenet.edu. Please specify in the subject field that this is an article for the newsletter.

For those who couldn’t make it to the February meeting (like myself) here is what happen.

First we held our yearly elections. The list of current officers are on the left. The only real change from last month is that we now have a new Screening officer. Welcome Dea!

Attendees for our social meeting were Stephanie, Carol & Luann, Latoya, Tanya, Dianna Mills,

Dawn(first time out dressed), Ann & Renee, Julie & Sherri, Dea, Leslie, Holly, Sylvia, Terri & Marie(first time), Jill, Jannie, Rikki, Dianna & Chris(first

time)

There was some discussion of a new meeting place as our current location will be holding a dance there every Saturday night. Suggestions were Stonewall and the 1st UU church. Some members are going to be checking out other places. The March meeting will be at the same location.

Bill Darling from Heartline discussed various types of breast forms and brought samples for the group to see. Some suggestions were of cost, from $40 for foam to $600 for forms that adhere to the skin with adhesive. He also recommended not wearing an underwire bra with silicon forms as the wires may puncture the forms. Club members are welcome to shop at Heartline Lingerie & Bra Shoppe at any time. The only request he made of the members was that they not try on lingerie that is too small. They have had some damage in the past and if you are not sure of your size, please check with one of the clerks at

the store.

Monthly Meetings

The Crystal Club meets twice regularly per month. The business meeting is held on the second Friday of the month. The social meeting is held on the forth Saturday of the month. Both meetings are open to the membership if you would like to attend.

REFLECTIONS

I am now in the fifty-first year of my life and as I look back I begin to understand, at least a little, why I have chosen to travel this bitter-sweet path. It has been difficult but rewarding and I have learned much on the journey. At times the obstacles seemed insurmountable; there seemed to be no solution and very little hope, but always there was the dream. The dream that someday I would find my place of peace within myself, that everything I yearned for would be realized. Little did I know that it would take five decades, four children, five grandchildren, and the loss of my parents, before I would attain the contentment and peace of mind that I so desperately needed.

Only one other time in my life have I experienced the awe and euphoria of such a significant, positive change in my personal well being. That change occurred at age ten. I got my first pair of eye glasses. As trivial as that may sound I'll tell you the story. My parents and I were taking a trip and we were at the airport. My father asked me what time it was and I said that I didn't know. He said "look at the clock over there and tell me what it says". I looked around and said "what clock?". When we returned from our trip he had me in the eye doctors office right away. I definitely needed glasses. The large "E" on the chart was a blur to me and glasses were ordered. I remember I was sitting in this yellow room in the doctor's office when my glasses were put on for the first time. The room was not yellow, it was knotty-pine and the white blob on the wall was a clock. As my dad drove home, I marveled at what I saw. I was always afraid that I would not learn to drive because I couldn't understand how he could keep the car from hitting things when everything was blurry. I had gone to baseball games and couldn't understand why it was suppose to be fun to watch white fuzzy things move around in some kind of a large green area. When we arrived home I sat on the back porch for hours looking at things I never knew existed. It was incredible. I had missed so much and now I was experiencing a totally new beautiful world.

My life now is so similar to that time when I received my glasses. I have missed much by not being able to express myself as I felt I needed. I missed being "Daddies little girl". I used to listed to that song on the radio and dream that someday it would be me. I missed doing all the little girl things, so I would just fantasize about what it would be like. But now it is so different. I am so happy that I was able to survive those times. It is so much more meaningful now because I made it. I have a family who I love very

much and they are struggling just as I did, to understand why life has dealt them these cards. But now I can tell them that this is necessary for them to

grow. The butterfly "must" struggle to free itself from the cocoon in order to become the beautiful creature that it is. It must endure the exhausting trial of pushing itself out the tiny hole in it's cocoon. I doing so it forces fluids from deep within its body into its wings that cause the wings to harden. It can then fly with the wind. But without the struggle; if someone

had freed it from its misery by opening to cocoon for it, the fluids would never have been pushed into the wings and it would have quietly died.

I believe we must endure our struggles, our insecurities, our feelings that we are different, so that we may become the beautiful butterflies that we so desperately want to be. Take what life gives you and work with it, try not to hurt others while still striving for your goal. Life is compromise and life is dreams. Live it !

Stephanie

The members of the Crystal Club would like to take this moment and give a big "Thank you" to LuAnn and Carol for their excellent job as the screening officers. Many of our members will recall that their first contact with the club was through these two individuals. If not for the excellent work of LuAnn and Carol, some of you would not be attending meetings today. The stories I have heard from other members reflects how good of a job they did. LuAnn, Carol, we thank you both for doing such a "great" job and helping the club succeed.

I wish to apologize for this months newsletter. I had hoped to have all the bugs worked out and get this newsletter to everyone before now. However, I came down with a bug of my own and for the past month have been trying to shake it. I’m working to have the pink list and other club information in the next newsletter. A copy of the old list is being included.

If any member is interested in posting something to the newsletter I encourage you to do so. The only thing I ask is that you keep the article clean and non-offensive. Remember, this is your newsletter. I encourage other members to submit stories, poems and/or personal experiences.

All articles can be submit to me at:

With the advent of a new Screening officer, the club now has a new phone number as well. It is:

Just a reminder that if you haven’t paid them already, your 98 dues are due. Dianna won’t be at the social meeting this month but you can pay our president, Stephanie.

Dianna (Colorado activist)

In Fort Collins Colorado last night, the city council voted 7-0 for final approval of a new civil rights bill which adds "Sexual Orientation" as a protected class. Ft Collins thus becomes the first city in Colorado to add "sexual orientation" to its civil rights protective laws since Amendment2 was shot down by the US Supreme Court (Amendment2 would have made it impossible to pass or have this kind of law.) The "Sexual Orientation" definition includes the "actual or perceived" language. Public comments

this time ran 35 in favor, 29 opposed. (My 80-year old mom went to the microphone to speak in favor of the law, in this - the town where she grew up!

A promised amendment to the bill redefining "gender" to include transgender status was listed in the printed ordinance material as "Option #2", but was

not brought to the floor for debate or vote, despite that many of the people who came to the microphone for public comment -- TG and non-TG -- urged the council to include TG status. I spoke with the City Manager, City Attorney, and a couple of City Council members during the ensuing break, and they all told me that they felt that the wording of the TG language was not ready yet to be a law. The Assistant City Attorney had taken what may have been too much information, and had attempted to write his own TG-protective language, without the benefit of adequate interpersonal education, instead of just

using the "boiler-plate" TG-protective language he had been given. I was assured by council members that the TG-protective issue was still open, and that it would be addressed again in the coming months.

It is my opinion that in the meantime, members of the TG community could rely on the "actual or "perceived"" language of sexual orientation to provide basic protections if problems arise.

There is a Potential PROBLEM, however: - Opponents have ten days to file a protest against the ordinance(s). If that doesn't happen [and it will], they

go into effect at the end of 10 days. If there's a protest, the filers have some time (I'm not sure how long) to get wording for their petitions approved by the City Clerk.

Once approved, they have 20 days to collect 1,783 signatures. If they collect enough signatures, Council has the choice to repeal the ordinance or refer it to the ballot. All indications are that they would

choose the November general election (which is probably the choice most favorable for passage). If any of these deadlines come without the requirements being met, the ordinance(s) go into effect.

New site on the internet

A new web site has been set up for the Transgendered Bride and Bridesmaid. The site is

devoted exclusively to bridal and bridesmaid outfits, as modeled by our TG sisters. It also includes an article on how a crossdressing bride bought the wedding dress of her dreams without an excessive outlay of

cash, and how other transgendered folks can do the same thing she did. A bridal gallery is already up. The URL for this new Web site is:

http://members.aol.com/transbride/index.htm

Your suggestions are also welcome at TransBride@aol.com

by Dea

My girlfriend has always told me that she would support me no matter what , but I don't think I truly believed that until one night ...

It started on a night on which a transsexual friend from Huber Heights was due down for a visit , but at the last minute she called and cancelled . After a short discussion , we decided that since the baby was already with a sitter we were going out .

So the much loved task of transforming to my feminine self starts , and with each passing second that special feeling that I get whenever I dress starts to take over . Soon the change is complete and Dea is

ready to face the world .

We decided that we would start off with some diner , so off we went . After a quick drive to the restaurant we had a nice meal together , which was freighting to me since this was Dea's first date .

Well diner went well and I was feeling good , I was out on a first date that was going well . We discussed whether to go out dancing or go home watch a movie and snuggle . Well I wanted to watch a movie and snuggle , but we didn't have any movies I wanted to see . My girlfriend suggested a trip to Media-Play where she works part time to pick up a new movie .

So after driving there I tell my girlfriend that if she wants I will wait in the car so that way she doesn't have to worry about facing questions from anyone who recognized me .

She turned and looked me in the eye and asked me if I was worried about what they would say , I told her no I was just worried about her . She stared me straight in the eye and told me that she didn't care what they said or did .

After shopping for 15 or 20 min , I found a movie that I have been trying to find for years , I guess it was my lucky day . So it was off to the check our lanes .

Well since it was just after Christmas the lines are super long . I start feeling nervous and try to make up an excuse to head back to the safety of the car , but my girlfriend would hear none of that .

We stood in line for about 15 minutes and pay for the movie . As we left I knew that she had made her point !

by Dea

I know I've gone out with you many times

We've been together for years

But the night finally came when on the

outside you weren't the same .

We curled your hair and put on your face

And when we walked out the door my heart started to race .

When we drove to the restaurant I started to calm

And pretty soon I wanted you in my arms

Being with you just felt so right

When the night came to an end

I found myself wondering

When would you ask me out again

1997 GLBTDVA AWARD

FOR WEB EXCELLENCE!

Copyright 1998 by the Crystal Club. All rights reserved. Articles and information contained in The Crystal Chronicle may be reprinted by other non-profit organizations without advanced permission, provided the author and source is cited and a copy of the issue containing the reprinted material is sent to the Crystal Club within two months of publication. The opinions or statements contained in the Crystal Chronicle are those of the authors' intent retained or may be rejected, whether solicited or not. Absolutely no sexually explicit material will be accepted or printed. Contributions may be emailed directly to the editor at ccnl@stargate.com or sent to the postal address below. The Crystal Club is a non-profit support group for transvestites, crossdressers, transsexuals, female impersonators, and other transgendered individuals. Spouses and significant others are welcome and are encouraged to participate. Both male-to-female and female-to-male individuals are welcome. Also, members from related organizations, helpful professionals, and approved guests are welcome when cleared through a Crystal Club elected officer. Club policies, meeting dates, locations, and fees are available on request through our address below. We will exchange newsletters with any other similar group. Send all correspondence to: The Crystal Club, P.O. Box 287, Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068-0287. (614) 294-9031.