CD and other TG related communities in your country

As topic name said, what situation of said communities is in your country? Do you have many of them like local association here and there? Or private places for tg ppl where you can expres yourself without fear of consequences? Do you think situation for tg is good or bad in your country? Please discuss :)

And for hell of it, I 'll start. And simply put, situation here in czech rep. is terribad. After seeing many of you be part of associations and socialize on tg places or getting makeover from professionals, I did try find if someting like that is possible here to. But nope. No public association or community. No makeover studio. Damn even to find doctor for gender related issues is hard. And I still didnt find event therapist with gender specialization. Online communities aren't in better shape at all. Several dead non-actual websites (last "news" from 2010 or so). Four closed and/or deleted forums, one half dead cd forum. Why it is here so bad? No idea. Maybe bcs 11mil population is too little for proper "tg community development" or it is some genderphobia in ppl here, I am not sure.

So how it looks like in other parts of world? :) Better ot worse? Share! :)

PS: I should move to USA probably :D

I can talk a little bit about Melbourne in Australia. There is a very vibrant Trans social scene and Melbourne seems to be the in Trans city here at the moment. There is a Bar called DT's that can have as many as 30 girls on some nights. There are also various Trans support groups such as Seahorse where people can get together and talk. There are at least 2 makeover places as well as quite a few hairdressers and makeup artists who will gladly help a wanna be lady in need.

The city is also very tolerant in general and its not uncommon to see CD/TS/TG people out and about. Shopping dressed is not a problem nor is using the ladies facilities.

I'm from Manchester, which has one of the most well known LGBTQ friendly scenes in the UK. Each year we have the Pride event where half the city center is taken over for events and parades. The Beaumont Society provides advice and support for CDs TGs and their spouses-partners ect. so its a pretty good and tolerant place to be (if you go to the right places of course)

Well there is a crossdressing social group, a transgender support group, a FtM trans group, a parents and family of trans group, a two-spririt group and a fetish welcomed crossdressing group here in Winnipeg. In which a city of just 750,000 people is a fair amount. The crossdressing social group had over 70 members at its climax about 5 years ago, with very few folks in the trans support group, now days the trans support group has increased significantly and the crossdressing social group decreased to just a few members.
There are several restaurants, cafes, night clubs, universities, and malls going to neutral gender washrooms or adding the unisex single stalls.

I understand the allure of looking for a community. I was there before, 25-ish years ago, pre-internet when I'd clamor for information to locate TG communities within my community. Support groups, makeover studios, TG clothing boutiques, etc, those were all within my grasp though extraordinarily difficult to find. I'll never forget when I located my first TG boutique. It was in Los Angeles and when driving there, I'm imagining it'd be like a Wet Seal (which was/is a young women's chain store here in the states), brightly-lit-pane-glass-windowed storefront riddled with young women my age (very early 20-something) to help me be my best. How disappointed I ended up being. This boutique called Lydia's was a storefront in what appeared to be a converted motel. Sure, it was discrete but creepy as heck. I walked in and there was a combination of horribly-styled clothing, awful shoes, crap makeup, etc along with a good measure of porn IIRC. Went once, didn't stay long, never returned.

My point is that when looking for community, sometimes it's best to make your own. Find like-minded friends. These pages are a great place to start. Then go out as if you own the world and belong there...because you do.

Of course, I cannot speak for conditions in another country, whether you can be yourself in a public setting as you put it, without fear of consequences.

Wow, this resonates. My first was Lee's Mardi Gras Boutique in Manhattan in 1978. He ran a little ad on the back page of the local rags. It was on 10th Street, seedy neighborhood. Up a flight of stairs, then ring a horrible buzzer. Petrified! Store was as you described, except for the wonderful portrait of Jimmy Carter in drag from some body's fertile imagination.

Lee was wonderful. He sold me a wig, showed me how to stuff a bra, I forget all what else. Went back many, many times. Still have a pair of sky high heels and a gaff I bought from him. RIP, Lee. Hugs, Michelle

To a certain degree I think it has a lot to do with the city and not just the country. Atlanta where I live currently has an active CD group and resources. When I lived in a smaller town in Kansas not so much. I recently visited Prague which I believe has a vibrant gay community and was curious about what it was like for the cd/TG lifestyle. As Sara Jessica said sometimes it has to be created find the first sister and then another you have a group.

i have always wondered how folks in intolerant countries get along with this,
i would say a move to the states would be in your CDing best interest but of coarse there is more to life,
i currently volunteer at a LGBT social club and hold peer based get together events there, Asbury NJ,
would love to have you attend....

I have been going out for decades and I just get out of the car into the mainstream and I have never had an issue. Sure there have been a few looks but most are casual glances. A longer look with eye contact simply gets disarmed with a smile. This is Texas I'm talking about.

Jeri

I visited it once and was thrilled Lee was wonderful and made me feel like a long time customer. She certainly was on the fore front of the trans movement. RIP Lee.

Well, the CD tg community in Cincinnati is fairly strong for a relatively conservative area.

I would think that former Soviet block nations might have a challenge in this area. The past had a way of promoting guarded disclosure of many things that were not on the official agenda.

On the otherside, maybe this is an opportunity for you. What are your skills, and level of commitment and openness? With a few contacts to international suppliers, maybe YOU could be the rock for the local community!

I have been to a TG meeting once in my town, I didn't feel it was for me. I do have TG friends and hang out with them at bars I go to I find the atmosphere better. I also attend a trans girl mixer every month because it's held in the bar I go to.

"My point is that when looking for community, sometimes it's best to make your own. Find like-minded friends. These pages are a great place to start. Then go out as if you own the world and belong there...because you do."
As Sara Jessica said, ^, its difficult to find like-minded friends, if the forum ladies do not indicate at least the state they live in. There has been progress, but more can be done.

From what I experienced in Prague I feel it is religious upbringing and old world culture that would tend to strangle any modern "lifestyles" or outlook.

Czech Republic has only been liberalised in the last twenty years or so.

Still a nice part of Europe to visit though.

Go across the border into Germany and the attitudes in Berlin for example are very different.

I usually stay in a hostel near Berlin Zoo next door to the sex museum.

Meghan makes the point that first occurred to me. Your country was a part of the Soviet bloc for many decades, and life behind the Iron Curtain was generally beyond what Westerners call conservative; secretive, repressive, and overseen by secret police in the employ of authoritarianism. Freedom of expression and nonconformity could be harshly stigmatized and punished. It takes many, many years for such conditions to liberalize, and many elders in your society lived their entire lives until around 1990 under those conditions and are likely wary of too much modernity, too fast (for them).

Be grateful for a global Internet and online communities such as this one. Literal hugs may be difficult at such a distance, but you can be assured of virtual hugs every day here.:love:

WOW, Lee's Mardi Gras Boutique. I remember that place in NYC and the flight of stairs from the early 70s, when I visited NYC occasionally. I remember getting a waist cincher with attached panty bottom, wore it for many years when wearing tight skirts or dresses.

I find the WASH DC area to be very supportive for all CD and the TG/TS people.

Asked a CD friend about her travels while dressed. She said doesn't do that much in USA, but when travels to UK or France does it quite frequently. She said it is more open there.

Lee's was my first experience too. Terrified but it turned out to be an incredible experience. So sad to see it go.

I don't know what your impressions of my country are from all the "negative" media exposure, but Tel Aviv is one of the most LGBT friendly cities in the world! Support groups, forums, medical suport, etc. all exist in Israel.

Hell-o Ashley,
I have a guest house???
I'll PM you.
Much Love,
Kristyn

We have had many groups in my region (upstate NY) come and go over the years. I swear, I could write a book about all of them and the drama and growth and in some cases eventual failure. I was apart of many of them at one time or another. The larger cities still have at least some sort of group going, even some smaller cities have them. We are very fortunate here.

Yes I agree with Meghan too. Been part of eastern block and live behind Iron Curtain definetly had bad effect on all in terms of whole LGBT. I just google more information and find out that first laws regarding gay and lesbians comes into force in 1992! And anti-discrimination law for employment, education etc. for LGBT ppl comes into force in 2006! Its just ten years. Ten! Also term crossdresser is new here. All tg persons wearing label transvestite no matter what actualy you are. Did find some LGBT associations (to be more precisse, find two of them) both founded around year 2000. So yeah, live here and be cd isnt good. I am greatful for this place, atleast some friendly place with ppl that fully understand.

DevorahK, my personal opinion on anything isn't based on what media say :) I am also very tolerant person. But to be hones I am actualy surprised about tolerance of LGBT knowing little something about religous past of your country :) But hey, you are lucky :)

Society here isnt prepared for all of us to be out. Even we have Gay Pride event every year in Prague wich became main LGBT event so far, there is always police, hundreds of men and even armored vehicles to ensure safety. That doesn't sounds as friendly event right? :(