the dress code thing sounds terribly boring, and even though the intentions might not have been discriminatory, technically it is. exactly who defines "gender appropriate"? couldn't that same person just determine "appropriate"?
back in the "olden" days, transsexual women were some of the most welcome patrons of all the nightclubs in NYC. (studio, cellar, garage, limelight, gg's)of course, we were often referred to innappropriately as "drag queens" or just "queens" or "princess", but we never had to wait to get into the hottest places. we were always waved in while all of the "straight" and "gay" men and women were left standing in line and waiting for that purple rope to be lifted. and who were those who were eventually turned away at the door? people who wouldn't fit in, and wouldn't add to the clubs ambience. they were either boringly straight and conservative or overly sexually explicit - like leather boys with their bum hanging out the back of leather chaps, crossdressers who were obviously men in dresses, or cheap whores (transsexual or gg) who wore just weren't wearing enough. of course, these clubs were amazingly successful, and once inside things could get downright bacchanalian. but that was just before aids - sigh.
as far as all of you that want to fit into the mainstream, god bless. go forth and be mundane. i am no youngster and i suppose i fit into that category as well. i no longer desire to be "fabulous" - that is, after all, something that young women are obsessed with. on the other hand, don't forget your "roots". any gender discrimination is aimed directly at our community, and we are a tiny minority. we cannot afford to ignore it.
we don't have the rights of mainstream america. no matter how well we assimilate or pass, pre-op or post-op, you are one "out" from being fired, having your marriage declared invalid, being denied the right to marry, or having your husbands ss benefits removed. as a transsexual, you have no technical right to exist in this nation. there are NO federal guidelines in writing, and no law, allowing for you to alter the gender marker on a federal identification document. there are "policies", but there is no law protecting your rights. these "policies" are passed by word of mouth, like instructions from a "mafioso" capo to a soldier. your rights change from one state to the next. there is no federal inclusion in "hate crime" laws. you are not being represented or protected. we are presently "undefined". whatever rights you enjoy can be removed with impunity. recently, the right to apply for valid immigration status as a married partner was "removed" for anyone who is transsexual. it absolutely does not matter if you are "legally" married in a state or a nation that recognizes your rights. if you are transsexual, your application will be denied.
my conclusion? i am personally offended by any reference to a "gender appropriate" notice at an establishment. it is an attack on our community, intentional or not. the word appropriate would suffice, and would benefit the club as well as the clientelle. after all, they do have a bouncer standing by the entrance and he can easily describe what appropriate means to anyone who wants to enter. no brainer.
