Originally Posted by
Ellen Renee Edwards
.............................
By the time I graduated from college, the 80's and 90's were upon us, and everyone and everybody seemed to be popping up on television with their own talk show. I'm sure I will leave some out but there were the likes of Phil Donahue, Geraldo Rivera, Sally Jessy Raphael, Jenny Jones, Ricki Lake, Maury Povich (pre DNA testing days), Montel Williams, and, eventually, Oprah. I won't count Jerry Springer as he was out for sensationalism even back then. And just about every one of these shows, at least once a year, and right at 'sweeps' time, would parade a panel of crossdressers, or transsexuals, or female impersonators, on stage for discussion, enlightenment, and ratings. I tried to catch every one that I could record or play hookey from work to watch.
The one that had the most impact on this 22 year old confused soul was one of the first I caught. It was when Ariadne Kane sat down, one on one, with Phil Donahue for the entire hour in late 1979 or early 1980 and frankly and realistically discussed crossdressing. While I had previously read various articles and texts, that show was really my 'I AM NOT ALONE' moment. I watched fascinated as she explained to a shocked and unsuspecting audience that maybe there were far more of us out there than they were capable of imagining. She suggested taking another look at the 'woman' shopping alongside you at the grocery store or mall, or to consider what your carpenter, plumber, lawyer, or neighbor might be doing on his free time.
If there are any of you brave ladies out there that sat on one of those panels, thank you! Thank you for educating, expressing yourselves, and opening up to what was, for the most part, a hostile and non-understanding audience... unless you were one of us.