Following on from the previous post, once you’ve ‘come out’ as a crossdresser, are you going to stay hidden at home, or will you dare to venture out in public?
It can be a nerve-wracking thought, given that you’ve no idea how people will react (depending on location, you may have more or less reason to fear hostile or mocking responses). Before going out for the first time, make sure you’re as presentable as you think you can be. I wanted to blend in rather than stand out, so no fancy dress, no party wigs, no trying to look sexy – just normal street clothes.
I went for a walk around the block with my girlfriend at about 10pm (it was a safe neighbourhood), just to get accustomed to the idea of being all dressed up and out in public. It was dark and there were very few people about, but I could at least gauge their reactions and be confident that if things went wrong, they wouldn’t create a scene and I was just 5 minutes from safety (I wore flat knee-high boots in case I felt the need to run).
All these preparations and worries and… nothing happened. We walked about for ten minutes. I think we passed a couple of dozen people at most. There were maybe a couple of girls who did a double take, but nobody paid me any attention. I was a bit miffed. Relieved, but miffed. But it was a start. We went out again to watch New Year fireworks (bit awkward; strangers wishing me a happy new year, and me not wanting to reply because I hadn’t given thought to putting on a feminine voice.)
Next time out was a meal with friends. I decided that I was just going to be me, but in a skirt (and this is the approach I’ve taken ever since). I would meet one of them in the city centre and then we’d go to the restaurant together. The walk from home to the city centre, on a busy evening, felt like one of the the most terrifying things I’ve done.
I was hypervigilant, checking everyone’s reactions. Guys would look at my legs and chest, but not my face. Women were more likely to do a double-take (partly because my wig was styled, partly because I didn’t move in a feminine way, and partly because all the makeup in the world couldn’t hide the fear). I think one figured it out and gave me a sly smile. And that was it. Nobody pointed and screamed like Donald Sutherland in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, anyway (and I guess that’s what I was worried about).
The meal itself was fine. Once my friends got over the surprise of seeing me in makeup and a skirt, chat was fairly normal. (“So, how long have you been like this?” ~”Like what?”) One highlight was seeing diners at another table staring at me, then conferring, and then nodding or shaking their heads as they tried to figure out if I was a girl or a boy. On my own, that would be a concern. Surrounded by friends, it wasn’t a problem (and they were able to give feedback on how I could do better the next time).
It gave me the confidence to do it again, but with a different wig, and trying out different looks. The more you go out cross-dressed, the less fearful you are, each time. It also gets to be slightly less exhilarating, and more mundane, too. Do it often enough, and it isn’t something ‘special’, it’s just another part of your wardrobe. (Although I have been saved a couple of times when my girlfriend asked, “Bloody hell, you’re not going out looking like that, are you?!”)
First time out…
Miss Twist speaks her brains 
I’m jealous of your friends! I well remember the time I came out as a CD to my friends. It caused a huge problem, and none of them are my friends any more! It has put me off revealing this side of myself to anyone except my family every since (30 years or so). At least my family has accepted me. I am grateful for that, but I feel that, really, I shouldn’t have to be grateful for people accepting me as I am. That’s how they should behave, after all – it is not some special favour to me. It’s a perfectly harmless hobby after all.
Quite right!
That’s awful about your old friends – it’s the sort of thing that makes one wonder what it was that made the friendships in the first place (and was it really so tenuous?). Glad your family were OK about it, though. As long as you have *someone* who’ll support you and encourage you, that’s a start.
What about current/more recent friends? Times have changed, and it’s possible people are more accepting these days (your mileage may vary, of course!)
But yes – I am *very* grateful for the friends I’ve got. They rock! 😀
You’re right that times have changed for the better in this area – none of my kids has a problem with it at all (and nor does my wife). But my original group of friends reacted so unexpectedly negatively, and were so unanimous in that reaction that, since then, I have only revealed my clothing preferences to those that I am related to by birth or marriage, so would find it more difficult to reject me. Come to think of it though, I suspect most of the people I know now would actually be fine with it.