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'Us girls just want to have fun!
Tuesday 13 September 2011
It?s not often that you arrive at a ball to find men dancing wildly to ?80s pop classics ? all clad in slinky dresses, six-inch heels and wearing more make-up than Jordan.
Partying as their female alter egos, they?ve come together for a fantastically outrageous weekend where transgender people can find help and support and make friends.
When Closer?s reporter was invited, she found a colourful, buzzing party in full swing. The 2,000 attendees vary hugely in age, but perhaps the most eye-catching of all is Martine Rose, 72, (pictured left) who confesses she began cross-dressing in secret as a teen, but only transitioned four years ago.
Since then, she?s spent well over �20,000 of savings on facial feminisation surgery, including
a facelift, eye surgery, chin implant and having her jaw and Adam?s apple shaved down, plus 38DD breast implants, supported by her friends and family.
?Dolly Parton is one of my role models and one of her best quotes was: ?It?s very expensive to look this cheap,?? says retired structural engineer Martine, who lives in Worksop, Nottinghamshire.
Single Martine admits she?s had many girlfriends who have accepted her cross-dressing. Describing herself as both a woman and a ?heterosexual man with a very strong feminine streak,? she adds: ?I?ve still got my male bits too, as I want to be able to ?be with? a woman, but I like being a woman. I adore all the glitz and glamour. One of my first memories is seeing men in boring suits and knowing I?d far rather be wearing women?s clothes. And now I do full time!?
And 6ft Martine is certainly making the most of the occasion, dancing to tunes played by DJ Danielle, a 39-year-old transvestite.
Danielle, who is a dad and dresses as a woman behind his wife?s back, explains: ?It?s not something my wife would ever understand or accept, so I have to keep it a secret. I keep my clothes locked in a suitcase in the garage with all my DJing equipment. But as soon as she goes out, I?ll race to the garage and get my girlie clothes on ? sometimes I?ll go for the glamour look, but other times I?ll chuck on some leggings and a blouse and do the housework.
?This party is all about us being able to celebrate somewhere where we can be completely accepted. So many of the people are like me and have to live in the closet ? their wives or family often don?t know or approve ? so it?s great for them to come here to let their hair down.?
The ball is one of the highlights in the weekend of events. It?s the seventh year the celebration ? called Sparkle ? has taken place. Organiser Bella Jay explains: ?Many transgender people live a life filled with guilt, shame and discrimination, so this gives us at least one weekend a year when we can be proud of who we really are.?
The day starts in a park at the end of Canal Street, Manchester?s gay district. Festooned with pink balloons, stalls sell wigs, sculpting underwear, breast implants and thigh-length boots ? all in larger sizes for men.
One of the youngest attendees is 18-month-old Edward, whose mum Naomi, 37, a teacher from Kent, has come along to support her husband.
She says: ?I?ve been with my husband for 10 years. He?s a transvestite, which I?m absolutely fine with and, when he?s dressed as a lady, he?s called Mina. He dresses up so often I don?t even notice any more.
?We have fun with it, we?ll borrow each other?s clothes and go on shopping sprees together ? Mina always eggs me on to spend too much! Although she?s lost some weight recently, so I can?t wear her clothes so much.
?I have at times felt insecure, especially when I was pregnant and she dressed up more often ? and worried that either she?ll want to transition full-time or she?s gay. When she?s dressed as Mina she can be a bit of a flirt with the men, but she?s always reassured me neither is the case? I trust her completely.?
Incredibly, Naomi and her husband ? who asked not to be named as his family don?t know about his transvestism
? made the decision to be open about the cross-dressing with their toddler son.
?We thought long and hard about whether to keep it from Edward and decided against it. We don?t want secrets in our family,? says Naomi. ?Edward doesn?t really talk much yet, but� is experimenting with saying ?Mina,? which is adorable.?��
The party continues into the early hours ? the dance floor is never empty and the lipstick
is always being touched up.
Hitting the dance floor is Sarah Summers, 36, a former HGV driver. She says, ?I?ve been on hormones for two years and I?m hoping to have the op soon. I used to be in the territorial army and I ended up serving in the second Gulf War ? being out there made me realise I had to be true to myself and got me started on the journey to being a woman.?
And as pensioner Martine adds: ?This is all about us being able to let our hair down ? and, believe me, we all will ? us girls just want to have fun.?
By Mel Fallowfield
For more information, visit www.sparkle.org.uk
Posted by post op
RE: 'Us girls just want to have fun!
Why is the photo named tranny lead, also if you float the computer mouse over the photo, the transvestites is shown, mamy of these girls are not trannys or transvestites but are living full time as women, and as such deserve much more respect that given by Closer
Posted 14/09/2011 11:01:34
Posted by me-mo
RE: 'Us girls just want to have fun!
wtf is this man this is strange?
Posted 19/09/2011 20:56:16
Posted by me-mo
RE: 'Us girls just want to have fun!
right i really don't get this please expaine????????????lods of people know me so please print this in your next mag thatnks x x
Posted 19/09/2011 20:58:28
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