'FULL CIRCLE' By Vicky Lee

I have shared my life for over 24 years with my partner Lesley. Over those years our lives have taken many fateful turns.

At one point some eight years ago I felt that the relationship had to finish and one of the reasons was my confusion about my cross-dressing and sexuality. It was Lesley who suggested joint counselling with ‘Relate’.

At the first session of the course of counselling I felt I was going to the execution block. I could imagine the scenario,

"Transvestite, oh you poor dear, what sort of life have you had to put up with".

The reality was extremely different -

"Transvestite, OK cool, what have you been doing while he’s been doing that".

It was not me on the spot but Lesley, who in reality had been doing very little whilst I was trannying . When asked, she told us that she was happy for me to do what I do, but she was confused about what she should be doing with her life because she had expected to doing everything with me, her partner. We agreed that she should feel free to make a life of her own exploring her own interests and that time when I was "not available" was valuable time to make use of and enjoy.

Our counselling set us both free. I went on to develop this book and all the other WayOut activities, whilst also developing myself and experiencing many amazing life adventures. Lesley changed her job and has subsequently built her own business. During '97 after five years hard work she completed a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology through the Open University.

Our relationship and our lifestyle have never been better and her understanding of me is somewhat unique. One of the reasons for this, is that the course Lesley took, culminated in her final year with a study of "Gender as an aspect of social psychology".

One evening whilst studying she called out to me "you bloody trannies are everywhere". She showed me the page she was reading in her OU study book which had a picture of Tranny Guide co-founder Caroline. It was then that we realised how much life had taken us both by the hand and lead us through our different experiences to come closer together than ever, with a much better and clearer understanding of ourselves, life itself and one of it’s very many facets - cross-dressing.