Part 1
My first sense of what Esprit would mean was that for the first time in my life I could be “en femme” for 24/7. The Gala occurs over a week beginning and closing on a Sunday and during most of that time I was provided with an offering of activities both social and enlightening that can only be likened to a banquet. From the opening registration where identity cards were made and the full program distributed (along with meal tickets) to the closing brunch where the obligatory raffles were held it was a whirlwind of activity that left me excited, fulfilled and eager to return another time.
The program choices were usually selected from a variety of activities spread over three time slots running an hour and one half and normally starting at 10:00 AM. I found out first hand that it’s not easy to dress and present as a woman and still be “on time.” If you attended one of the Birds of a Feather sessions you could have “classes” starting in the morning and running on to 6:30 that evening. Lunches were sometimes provided along with dinners but ample time was given to have a leisurely lunch either on the convention site or at nearby restaurants.
During my stay at Esprit I had to select activities that were important to me from a wide range of interests. The offerings were so numerous and so diverse that while you could attend a maximum of four (usually three) on any given day you had to make hard decisions because there was no duplication of classes. If you missed an event you had to live with it and move on because there were no second chances on any topic. Classes were usually small, in the single digits, or in the low teens. While a few exceeded these figures every class that I attended offered ample opportunity to interact with others present.
Classes were usually presented by capable, knowledgeable facilitators with clear direction and goals. I attended two sessions offered by academics well respected in the TG community as well as less rigorous classes offered by practitioners with regards to makeup, poise and dress. If you couldn’t find meaningful activities to attend it had to be because you partied all night and slept through the day!
One particularly “heavy duty” session regarding depression and the transgendered seemed to push all my buttons and afterwards in the women’s washroom (reserved for Esprit Attendees) I happened upon a sister who also attended the same session. Where else do sisters meet?
We got to talking. Her in the stall and me at the sink before I realized that maybe we should continue this conversation together alone somewhere else. I was at an emotional low and through the patience and kindness of a sister who I had only the briefest of conversations previously, I navigated around the shoals my emotions, not always very successfully. I left her companionship a little misty eyed but I managed to get on with the rest of the day and enjoy myself. So Esprit was not only a time of fun and games but also a time of serious reflective thinking, emotional growth and meaningful social interaction. The chat we had and subsequent introspection I engaged in promoted a new level of comfort with my femme persona.