Retro Rerun: Jailed for Crossdressing in Public

We’ve Come A Long Way, Baby

by Robin Jean Peters

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Think being a crossdresser in today’s society is difficult? Feel unduly restricted to where you can or cannot go? There may be others from my generation with similar experiences, but this is my story. . . It happened to me. . . On the way here.

It was Oakland, California circa 1958. Crossdressing in public was illegal and for all I know, in those prudish times it may have been illegal in private. There were no clubs or bars or associations where a TG could go and mingle with others who shared their interests.

One fateful night as I drove around in drag I decided that it might be fun to take a stroll on the sidewalk. I parked my car and got out with the intention of simply walking around the block. I hadn’t walked 20 feet when a bright spotlight descended upon me. “HALT, POLICE” came the command. Before I knew what had happened two policemen were shining flashlights in my face and demanding to know what I was doing. Within seconds two more squad cars came squealing to a stop, all with their headlights trained on me. You would have thought they had just captured public enemy number one.

As you might imagine I was scared to death. I was submissive and cooperative, I offered no resistance. The officers were having a field day. The jokes and innuendoes were degrading and humiliating. I ask them to allow me to put on my male clothes. They refused, while making jokes about making an example out of me by throwing me in the “Tank” (Whatever that meant) with all THOSE guys.

I was handcuffed and put in a patty wagon along with what appeared to be two hardened criminals who referred to me as Baby and Honey. At the police station I was forced to pull up my skirt and take down my panties exposing my genitals so they could take pictures for evidence. All the while making jokes and snide remarks and threatening to throw me in a cell with a bunch of guys.

I kept telling them that I was being cooperative and could I please have my male clothes. Fortunately the booking officer was more compassionate and volunteered that I was different than most “like me” that came in there and said that he would see to it that I got my clothes before going upstairs. (JAIL)

As a result of that terrible crime perpetrated by this “Menace” to society I spent the night in jail followed by a chain of events that most in this day and age, find hard to believe. I have inflated the costs incurred by a factor of five so readers can fully appreciate the enormous financial burden of my experience if applied in today’s economy. This is not unreasonable when you consider that at the time I was making $1.90 per hour as a United Autoworker. Bail was set at $5,000.00 ($500.00, 10% to a bail bondsman), I had to appear in court so it was necessary to hire an attorney ($1,500.00), before going to court the lawyer wanted a psychiatric evaluation. ($100.00) Standing before a judge in a packed courtroom I pleaded guilty to the horrendous crime of impersonating a female. Then listened as the judge lectured me in front of all those people about the seriousness of this type of behavior. It was the most humiliating experience of my life, explanations to my family not withstanding. I was sentenced to one year probation with the stipulation that I see a doctor and pay a $500.00 fine. Total out of pocket cost was $2,600.00. Again, I want to empathize that this figure is based on an inflation factor of five. (Ed. note: the Consumer Price Index for 1958 was 31.4. In 1997 it was 160.5, roughly five times higher.)

An experience like that will keep you in the closet for a long time. Which is where I remained until the age of 58. Am I bitter? Perhaps I should be. I missed my youth, my feminine youth. But I am so happy to be where we are today that I don’t have time for bitterness. In spite of my misfortune I have seen a dream come true. Today I can walk down the street in daylight and shop at Penney’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, K-Mart or any place I wish. I can dine anywhere from MacDonalds to the Hilton, and I have. And yes I went back to Oakland and walked down the street, a free woman. We have made progress.

Do I blame society for what it did to me? Some may find this strange but I do not. We are often critical of society for not understanding us, not accepting us. But do we try to understand why society looks on us as it does? I think we need to understand that most people have no more control over their prejudices, which have been ingrained and passed on over the years, than we have over our feminine desires. Society is changing. I have seen tremendous progress in my lifetime; younger people are much more accepting now and simply through attrition I believe that you younger girls will see full acceptance in your lifetime.

Much progress has been made by those who had the courage to have laws changed by getting the attention of politicians through civil disobedience and militancy. For their sacrifices I am eternally grateful. However, to win the hearts and minds of society I believe it is time to be less militant and attempt to educate the public that we are not degenerates, that we harm no one and that we come from all walks of life and other than the fact that we want to be weekend bimbos we are as normal as anyone and probably more so than most.

Have patience ladies, be nice, be sweet, your day will come.

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Tags: crossdressing, featured, police

Category: Transgender History