Friendly countries/towns for X-dressers

[Eugenie]

What prompted the idea for this thread was seeing the participation of quite a few girls from Melbourne. I've been there two times in my life and absolutely adored the city and the people. I came to ask myself "Is Melbourne a CD friendly town?"

And while asking myself that question I wandered about how CD friendly might be some other towns around the world.

Having been to Montreal, I had the feeling it was a CD frienly place. I shoped a lot at local department stores and even bought a pair of high heels shoes, trying them on for the first time ever. The sales attendent was extremely friendly.

In Manhattan its rather easy to blend in the variety of the crowd. I went in a shop to buy a skirt (I was in drab) took a few from he rack and went to the try on cabin. Made my selection, dressed back in drab and went to the counter. No one asked anything...

In Brussels, I've seen nice people while shoping for a wig. Received great advice from the sales person. However, Brussels is a rather small town, albeit with a large population, but the center is very concentrated around "La grand Place" and I fear meeting people who know me...

Any other CDs who could share their experience about Friendly countries/towns for X-dressers?

Love

Eugenie
PS: Having loved so much Melbourne, if it is also a CD friendly city I might consider moving there not mentionning the pleasure of meeting the beautiful girls who are with us in this forum...

[Annesah]

Hi Eugenie!

Nice to see you again! I used to be in the equine business and had the pleasure of associating with a number of Aussies in the vet school at Cornell.
They were the greatest bunch of guys and gals you could hope for! They almost talked me into moving; and I am very provincial. Regarding your question; I can definitely say Ithaca, NY is great. Being different is well tolerated. We have an unusually high percentage of gay/lesbian population.
Especially lesbians whom, as you may imagine, I absolutly adore. If and when you get back to the states, give us a visit. It's a wonderfully vigorus, cosmopolitan place for such a small city. Everyone here cannot help but feel comfortable. Very best wishes! Annesah

[btmgrl6]

San Francisco California USA
Ton's of things to do and see for us girls. My girlfriend and I were there and "j" walked across the street. A policeman called us over and asked to see our id's.
He looked at them,looked at us, admonished us for crossing mid-block, handed back our identification,smiled and said... You ladies have a great day and mind the traffic.....
Los Angeles is pretty tolerant also. lot' of cd places to visit. Hollywood is great fun. Melrose ave.... best shopping on the planet

*****

I almost forgot to mention The shopping in Downtown Los Angeles. Forget Melrose Ave. In downtown L.A. There is a place called "the Mart" some refer to it as the "Alley" it's real name is the fashion district. it's like 10 square blocks of shops that get things straight from the manufacture or make them themselves. It's pretty much wholesale. You can get EVERYTHING there...shoes,clothes undies, wigs,make-up jewelery...and cheap. You can even haggle,because there are soooo many shops that they know if they don't bargin..you can go next door. I am talking named brand things. Wear your tennie's cause you'll walk your feet off..or run them off. I go there often..here's an example or two
designer jeans...9.00
good wig .......40.00 (human hair 80.00) 400.00 in a wig shop
shoes........14.00
panties...1.00 or three for 2.00
bras 5.00 sexy 7.00...
And nobody will pay you any mind if you are dressed.....The cops might give you a second look, but they know better than to get between a girl and a sale. it' is actually against the law here to hide your identity, but they really don't enforce it. unless of course you break other laws or give them a hard time.

[Toni]

[SIZE=4]Me and my better half had a lovely time in Amsterdam a really TV friendly city, even Michael Jackson had me in cuffs.[/SIZE]

[Eugenie]

Thanks Toni,

I never tried Amsterdam, but now that you mentionned it, I may have a go when I have a possibility to get there...

Love.

Eugenie

[Eugenie]

Regarding your question; I can definitely say Ithaca, NY is great. Being different is well tolerated.

Thanks Annesah,

Actually I lived two years in Woodstock NY, If I remember well Ithaca is not that far away from Woodstock.

I loved that place. There too the difference was very well accepted. We met absolutely wonderful people.

I'll keep in touch and next time I come to the US I will try to see you.

from France.

Eugenie

[Eugenie]

Sorry to come back to that thread that I started, But I forgott to mention Rome, my favorite city in EUrope evne thought I'm French...

Are there any gurls from Italy here? If yes what is the situation in Rome?

I just dream of sipping a "capucino" siting at a terrasse of a café on Piazza Navona... But I wander what would be the reception by the roman public...

Love

Eugenie

[Jillian310]

I have never been in dress in Key West Fla, but it is such a gay friendly place that I doubt if CDs would have an problems there. The only problem is that the climate is so perfect one would want to be in the skimpiest outfit possible! So a bikini, or short shorts and a brief halter top would be all that one would want to wear. Some of the cute gay guys wear some pretty wild bikini and/or thong type bottoms! To dress there over all shaving is mandatory, with so much skin exposed. (I keep myself shaved at all times!)

[flatlander_48]

Hi Eugenie!

Nice to see you again! I used to be in the equine business and had the pleasure of associating with a number of Aussies in the vet school at Cornell.
They were the greatest bunch of guys and gals you could hope for! They almost talked me into moving; and I am very provincial. Regarding your question; I can definitely say Ithaca, NY is great. Being different is well tolerated. We have an unusually high percentage of gay/lesbian population.
Especially lesbians whom, as you may imagine, I absolutly adore. If and when you get back to the states, give us a visit. It's a wonderfully vigorus, cosmopolitan place for such a small city. Everyone here cannot help but feel comfortable. Very best wishes! Annesah

[SIZE="3"]Second that!!![/SIZE]

[gender_blender]

Boston, Mass.
There are bars and clubs just for the transgendered, all inclusive. Not to mention part of the dress code for my favorite club (when it was open, Manray) was "gender blender".
(That's not where I got my screen name, btw.)
I'm moving to that area for an engineering job soon.

Charlie

[kathy gg]

I will throw Toronto, Ontario, Canada into the ring. My hubby and I have been to many different parts of the city and rarely if ever get a second notice. And we also have gone with the social group {www.xpressions.org} we belong to out and people seem curious but very non confrontational. And that is off the gay ghetto strip. Needless to say our gay village is super cool and accepting. Of course in that part of town it does not matter so much if you pass or blend in....so you can be a bit outrageous and no one cares.

I actually run a shopping service for cd's visiting our fine city and everyone has always commented what a very 'T' positive experience can be had in our diverse and fun city!

[Deanna2]

It is so easy to buy any femme gear in Melbourne (Australia) and I have never had any trouble in any store.

I've been in a few cities around the world and buying femme gear has never been an issue. I guess being married and wearing a wedding ring helps. But as far as the easiest city in the world for buy femme gear, it has to be Hong Kong. They have the most enormous range there. You go into a shop or market stall there to buy - say a skirt - and you'll be lucky if you are not talked into buying three. You'll always get a discount for multiple purchases.

[FionaAlexis]

Yes, Melbourne is pretty laid back. I've never had any problems here and I've lived in a number of suburbs though my time here. I'm don't do the rounds of the tranny club scene - so I can't really comment on that aspect of the city.

I think all of the bigger Australian cities are pretty GLBT friendly.

Fiona xx

[KathlyLC]

Eugenie
I spent a great deal of time in Ramstein, Ge, when I was in the military, and every weekend would go out and have a great time to various places en femme......Frankfurt was neat, so was Trier, Cologne., Kaiserslauten etc.....but I used to have a super good time in Metz, Fr. There was a neat underground huge shopping mall, and lots of womens fashion stores there.
Been to Paris, but it did not impress me really....
Never had a problem anywhere really and its hard to say what my favorite place is / was. Giving away my age now, but buack in the late 60's early 70's I had the opportunity to go to Sydney 2 times and dressed both times, and had a blast IIRC.......of course I was not really out in the open but where I went certainly did not present any problems....

[MsEva]

Only been there in drab with my wife, but Provincetown in Mass....that is one accepting place!

[Kayla Smith]

I have found Denver Colorado to a friendly place for CD's.

[VtVicky]

The Thai's have a serious subculture of "Katoy's" in their art and theater culture. (A katoy is a male in female clothing.) And now, in the 21st century, CD's are a fairly common site around the bars and night clubs of Bangkok and Pattaya. The Thai's in general, in my experience, are the most accepting group of people I have ever run across.

I'm sure most of you have seen the recent TV reports about Thailand being the destination of choice for gender reassignment surgery. It is because it is so cheap and the hospitals get so much practice. And the results that I have seen have been remarkable.

There are really only two problems. One is that most non-Thai's are significantly larger than the local population and therefore blending in is next to impossible. (Unless you are only trying to blend into a tourist group) And the second problem arises from the first. Sizes. It is very difficult to find large sizes on the racks. However, there are thousands of tailor shops that will gladly fit you to anything your heart desires for a fraction of what you would otherwise expect to pay.

And of course, there is the anonymity of being thousands of miles from anyone who knows you.

[MaxineF]

Bangkok is filled to the brim with Cd's (and not just pirate ones!)

I saw dozens of ladies out when shopping in MBK when I was there....

Now for a caucasion CD that might be another story, but I have the feeling that they would be polite and just consider your a crazy foreigner...

Now the sizes there are tiny but so are the prices to get gowns made... Someting to think about eh!

Maxine