So here I am, on another wet Sunday, pondering on our collective weirdfulness (that’s my new term combining weird AND wonderful.. ) and thinking forward to the distant future when I just might go out, and that just might be to a support group of other LGBT or CD/TG folk… and I start thinking about greeting people… complete strangers, some of them like me, probably dressed and presenting female… How do I greet them?

Now I’m not referring to a verbal greeting – I’m afraid I was indoctrinated nearly 30 years ago by you lovely West Coast USA folk to using a universal ‘Hi..’ whether I’m in my village or halfway around the world… I’m referring to the tactile aspect of greeting…

I have my copy of Debrett’s ‘Guide to Etiquette & Modern Manners’ open in front of me now, and there is nothing, but nothing, on how to greet another crossdressed individual… Surprising? I am shocked! Presenting male I have no issues with first time meets across many cultures from the Middle East to the Far East – a moderately firm handshake with eye contact and appropriate local verbal greeting and… Bingo! Done.

So – I offer this question to everyone here, but with particular interest in answers from those who socialise a lot within our community; what is the correct tactile form for first time introductions? Somehow a handshake seems too male en femme, although as a male I would only ever shake a female’s hand on first greeting… But I’m wary also of going all Gallic on another CDer and smearing lipstick all over carefully contoured cheeks – they may get the wrong idea about me! I’m also a bit reticent about the mwah-mwah air kiss too, unless I knew that would fall into an accepted norm… so back to a feminine handshake, then…?

Please let me know what you think? I’m expecting there’d be cultural and regional differences too, so who knows, it might also prepare me for my much dreamed about expenditure of some air miles to distant lands and meeting some of you lucky folk…

Katey x