In the real world....

There is nothing like being able to get out and about in the real world, I know unfortunately it is not possible for many, but if that opportunity does arise you should do your very best to seize the moment. However I have to admit even I do not have as many chances to get out into the world as I would like but when I do I just feel so free.......

In the past I frequented LBGTQ+ venues which were great, but not what I really wanted. The problem with these places is they are very popular with the crossdressing community, which is of course great, but conversely they are not so popular with the non crossdressing community. For me this is where the problem is. Somebody described it like preaching to the converted, if I want to be accepted as the person I am I need to get out into the real world, into mainstream restaurants, bars and shops. 

Fortunately I was recently able to spend three days with my lovely lady friend Jen, we stayed in a Premier Inn hotel which as always was very nice. The first evening we had dinner in the hotel restaurant, as we were unable to get together on the 14th of February we had a bit of Valentines thing going on, I wore a lovely red dress as shown in the photo, this was not taken on the night as we were having such an enjoyable time we didn't take any photos. The following day after breakfast we went shopping in a local retail park. All the major shops are here and we had an enjoyable few hours browsing the shops and then stopping for a coffee before making our way back to the hotel for a couple of hours rest before getting ready for our evening meal. 

This time we elected to go to a steakhouse restaurant conveniently located next door to the hotel. The food was very nice and the staff were wonderful, we had a lovely evening so much so that we returned the following afternoon having done yet more shopping to have a late lunch. That evening we concluded our time together with a few drinks in the hotel bar, all in all a fabulous three days. During that time we had a very nice conversation with a shop assistant from M&S, nice chat with the staff in the steakhouse, a very nice man in the coffee shop insisted on clearing the table and sweeping up, apologising for the debris left by the previous occupants. 

Now here is the thing and really the most important point of this post, I shouldn't need to be saying how well we were treated at all, everyone should be treated with dignity and respect at all times and the truth is that is almost always what happens. The reason I, and others talk about how they have been accepted by people in these situations is that a lot from our community are hung up on the fear that they will be in someway mistreated because of who they are. The fact is, and I can only talk form my experience, that we are generally treated exactly the same as anybody else. I say generally because on a number of occasions when I have been out we have been treated exceptionally well far in excess of what you would reasonably expect. 

So I would say, here in the UK at least, you should have no fear in going out, but you do need to bear in mind some sensible precautions. Be aware of where you are going and what is around you, most mainstream restaurants and shopping centres in the UK should be fine. Dress appropriately for the situation you are in, hold your head up high and be confident. Lastly and most importantly, smile....... it works wonders.........