So last night on the subway leaving midtown after hanging out with Christopher, sitting there minding my own business reading TIME magazine about Arnold's run for Governor with my walkman playing my new Boy George CD (a birthday gift), and I get accosted by this large and loud Asian girl. She gets up crosses the car and taps my shoulder requiring me to remove my earphone, and asks very loudly about my right arm tattoo which says NURSE in Japanese. "Why you have that?" I reply- far more quietly than she inquired- it is because I am a nurse. "But that character says you are a woman nurse." So everyone on the subway has turned their heads now to listen to this exchange due to her booming voice, and I reply "well, that is what I wanted." She shook her head not understanding, but stated that there are other characters that would have made it more clear. I repeated "this is what I wanted." Thankfully, we were approaching 8th Street and she was getting off, and this exchange ended with me returning to my magazine and music.

So I am kinda of several lines of thought here...I could have taken the opportunity here to educate the entire subway car on the glorious gender spectrum, or I could have just reiterated to her the term that Richard Pritchard tortured me with at my tender age of 11- birl (boy's body, girl's mind)- but explains it all, or had I been quicker & sharper I would have cut her down right there with some stinging comment about minding her own business.

In retrospect, her actions were not malicious, but curious, and I wish I had handled it differently. An impromptu subway speech would not have been that unusual in this city (afterall we hear more than enough about salvation and sad sack stories of the homeless & drug-addicted on the subway), though the topic may have been not what most expected. Life's lessons, so next time.

Next time break into a loud rendition of that Judy Collins number (combined with Joan Collins attitude) and you'll be sorted...

practice makes perfect, Randella. we can all look back on events and wish we could have explained it better.

yes, merlin wore the "I Heart Trannies" tshirt that Kitty Boots made for Jackie60 to the first 'Mother' Pride Parade. where we all carried Mother and Father signs on white card stock that ChiChi made, while none of us really understood what it would mean for some time, lol.

while marching with ChiChi, Johnny, Pukie, Bobby, Sammy Joe and others, we marched by a police officer, who asked what's a trannie? so Merlin pretends to be a machanic for a moment and said its about 'transmissions' to the cop. so dumb! was hoping later in the day the police man might actually get the joke, prolly not tho. was a great chance to say something that was lost.

at the same time, its more fun just to live our lives and not always be spokes models for our style.

Randella your encounter on the subway was something alot of us face especially in these really conservative times.
I had a little hipster girl at the prince street station today come over and start reading my arm(tattoos) without even acknowledging me.I wasn't sure if she was being shady or just really curious.She smiled but again I wasn't sure of her jester.If it was shady I would have gawked at her breasts or eyeballed her crotch(what do you expect from me?)I've done it before to older ladies that give me a look of disgust.I also dont look like I'm 33 so people still treat me like a 20 something alot.It's so funny to see people react in such odd ways ...in a way thats something magical that tattoos do.The japanese girl was tripping out that it was an asian sign and couldn't control her emotions enough to ignore it...SHE was/is out of control.

Yes, it is other people that have their issues with those of us outside the "norm"...but I think I internalize this sometimes, thus I get uncomfortable. Even though I am happy AND proud to be who I am, explaining myself to the uninitiated is the challenge, especially when unexpected and out of context.

I think if I actually sang the Judy Collins song with my rapturous vodka and cigarettes voice, a mass exodus from the subway car would have occurred (I can't sing on tune for the life of me). But I do like the Joan Collins attitude part of it...will have to remember that- think Alexis Colby Carrington or her more recent stint as Alexandra Spaulding on Guiding Light- cut from the same cloth.

Fantastic! Now I get it.... I have to read Christophers tattoos to get him to finally stare at MY tits and crotch.... oh I get it now...Phew! Thanks for the tip... i was beginning to think you were a tranny chaser ( )

Luv that saying.....No anna I've been waiting for you to treat me with DISGUST then yes I would have been eyeballing you all over .You are just waaay to understanding of the situation.....To be honest IT(disgust) IS a turn on to me. There is some crazy fetish with being disgusted with someone then having sex with them...Can I get a witness?
Randy we all go through the freak thing and we are out numbered for sure especially with the segregation of the gay community etc. but people like us contribute to society in ways these people dont even know and there benefiting from it...just remember that new york would never be new york without the "wrong element" THANK YOU

Urgh! You Tranny chaser you... how disgusting Yuck! (* is it working! should i keep going?).. I totally know what you mean... sex is so much hotter when you hate the person!! Believe me i know!!!! LOL check ya later Luv..

Oh Anna, when you are angry with someone you care about, and then have sex, oooooh, it is soooo hot... but always not the right thing to do in the situation, as I am sure we both know that it doesn't solve the problems from where the anger arose. Alas, I do have fond memories of some salacious moments.

Actually, in retrospect the subway incident has actually galvanized me to be more comfortable with who I am...and not to care when people's eyebrows raise, as I am part of that 'other' element of NYC...far better than being a banana republican clone.