2007 Workshop Descriptions
Learn a bit about what you can learn about!

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Each year at Fantasia Fair, there are a great many interesting seminars and workshops. Below are descriptions of the offerings for this upcoming year. Also available are the workshop descriptions for the 2006 Fair.


A Grow(l)ing Tranny (Keynote Address)  Stephen Whittle
Now 50+ - how have I have survived the adventure of a lifetime and a roller coaster of emotions. This is the journey of my life. It is about what I have learnt from being a trans man born in 1955, transitioning in 1975 and, finally, marrying my wife of almost 30 years in 2005 - maybe, just maybe you might find something in there to learn too.


A Positive Spin  Leslie & Deb Fabian
Much of our introspection and "growth work" is focused on what's wrong with us. We'd like to provide an opportunity to express gratitude, appreciation, maybe even admiration, for the journey we transgender couples travel together. Join us for a short workshop designed to bring out the best in us all. You may leave with an all-new POSITIVE SPIN!


All About Bias  Brenda Viola
Where does it come from, what is its history, why is it so devastating to the LGBT community and specifically; its effects, and has affected the transgender community at large. Why is bias so deeply imbedded into our social atmosphere, and what can be done to combat its effects? This presenter will give both individual and personal instances of bias; within the social context of 20th and 21st century life.


Alone in Paradise  facilitated by Sandra S. Cole
(A Let's Talk Session for Those Whose Partners Stayed at Home)
Coming to Fantasia Fair alone can be joyous and fabulous, a time to be withhold friends, to play, to learn and to explore.  It can also be a time for lots of thoughts and feelings about the partners left at home, how we feel about being alone in this remarkable place, wondering what they are doing, thinking and feeling about all of this. Join with others in private discussion to explore these issues... how does this happen?, and how does this work ...being here perhaps with a friend, but not with my partner?


Baby T's and Child T's---Connections to the Next T-Generations  Dr. Marilyn Volker
YOU are the his/her-storians for the young generation of gender variants...YOU have paved the way, given information, resources, HOPE, and now the next T generation faces some new challenges and strategies. Come and see how we all are connected and what may be in store for G-V (gender variant) kids.


Best of Both Worlds  Alison Laing
There are many manifestations of the gender spectrum that one may chose to satisfy their need for expression of their Transgendered life. Many of these result in a more or less static state with little leeway in the degree of gender freedom. To some, it is more interesting is to chose a role that allows them to have the best of both worlds. This choice has of course its up side and down side. This presentation explores the range of the dual role, the trade offs, rewards and losses. How is it different from cross dressing? or Transgenderism? Or is it really different at all. Discussion and alternative opinions are welcome.


BODY TALK: Are Transpeople’s Bodies Real or Social Constructions?  Jamison Green
This interactive workshop session will explore ideas of transgender embodiment, from both the transsexual and cross-dressing points of view. Reflecting on theories expounded by Prosser, Halberstam, and others, we will consider our own notions of reality, essentialism, and social constructionism.


Biking & Exercise  Victoria M.
Each Morning, Victoria M. will lead a biking group or other forms of exercise. The biking will include rides through the Ptown dunes and a planned ride to a winery back down route 6. Other walking tours will include climbing the Monument, or across the jetty to walk the beaches and view the wetlands. Another possible trip is a walk to one of the Cape's lighthouses. All trips will leave from The Brass Key (formerly known as Roomers) at approximately 10AM daily.


BYOI  Niela Miller
I am offering a set of Personal Development workshops for those of you who have taken at least one of my workshops. Instead of offering a specific topic, I would like to work with you on ANY issues. skills or themes that are represented by whoever shows up.

It will be both serious and fun and could cover relationship issues, embracing the feminine, finding inner peace and contentment, sexuality, creativity, social change and your role, responses to portrayals of TG’s in the media, communication skills, parents-kids, being a TG elder, or whatever else truly interests you. I would act as a facilitator, coach, and therapist. (Pre-registration recommended. Write to Niela directly to reserve your space.)


Cherchez La Femme  Veronica Vera
"Cherchez la femme," the motto of my academy has two meanings, "Look for the woman…inside of you" and "Look to the woman…for guidance." Here is an opportunity for those of you who have never visited Miss Vera's academy in NYC to get a condensed version of our Femme Intensive. a course that normally extends two days or more. It can also be a brush up course for former students and a lovely chance for us to be re-acquainted. We will cover your outer look and your inner heart: make-up, sex ed, deportment, being out in the world and more... I'm very interested to learn your dreams of the woman you want to be, and to see how that matches your reality. If there is a gap, let's close it, and if not, know the reason why. There are lots of other sessions for you to attend, but I'm hoping that some of you are able to participate in both, Cherchez La Femme Part 1 and Part 2, so I can really get to know you and we can make the most progress. I'll also be available for private consultations. Pre-registration would be very helpful, as I may want to give you a homework assignment. Please email: register@missvera.com


Dual Attraction  Sandra S. Cole
(limited to Transgals, CDs, TSs here at the Fair with their partners)
Do we really understand the uniqueness or each others’ journey in this partnership we have together? Do we really listen, and do we really care to learn about our partner’s perspective and experiences? How do we communicate? Who sets the “rules”? Is there life beyond transgender? What do I do with all these feelings I have? Can I be myself and also be authentic with my partner? Join us for honest and compassionate discussions about our special selves.


Facial Feminization Surgery: Maximizing Results  Jeffrey Spiegel
Dr. Spiegel will review the goals and methods of facial feminization surgery (FFS).  Post-operative photos will be shown. There will be a discussion of what procedures are available, how to maximize results, and how new technologies and advances have allowed for improving structural changes to bone. Consultation time will be available after the presentation.


Facial Reconstruction  Jeffrey Spiegel
How does a face look masculine or feminine?


Far & Near  Mariette Pathy Allen
TGs from Hawaii, NZ, Thailand and close to home


For The Birds  Brenda Violoa
If you want to get away from the whirlwind that is Fantasia Fair or you would simply enjoy a short hike. Please think about joining Jo and Brenda Viola on a bird walk through the seaside forest. We promise that you will have a wonderful walk. Brenda is a retired licensed outdoor guide and Jo is an avid birder. Come and experience chickadees eating out of the palm of your hand. Although it will be well into the fall season and many birds will have migrated by late October, there will still be plenty of our feathered friends available to enjoy plus take a lovely hike with us and experience the natural parts of P-Town that many Fair goers often miss out on enjoying. Sensible shoes or sneakers are suggested footwear.


The Fountain of Youth: A Panel  Holly Boswell and others
Young people talk about the new transgender.


Gender 101  Miqqi Gilbert
What’s all this sex-gender stuff anyway? There are so many terms thrown around with respect to the sex/gender distinctions. Of course, there's sex and gender themselves, but there's also gender identity, gender class, sex class, sex and gender category, and on and on. This session will look at these terms and try to make some sense of them. We will also look at a the CBC profile of Miqqi Alicia Gilbert, where she discusses these concepts.


Getting a Passing Voice  Lezli Whitehouse
For those looking to always sound more feminine.


Groundbreaking Novels Of Transgendered Teens  Carolyn_Caywood
At long last, there are novels about being transgendered for teenagers! Luna by Julie Anne Peters and Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger were both published in 2007. Let's talk about them.


Hair Removal: A Panel Discussion 
Stephany Fountain and Stephanie Pierce
The purpose of this workshop is to inform other transgendered people about my methods and experiences in removing my facial hair in a cost-effective manner. By purchasing my own electrolysis machine and researching the methods of doing electrolysis, I was able to remove 95% of my beard in a period of about 1 year at about 15 to 20% of the normal cost of going to a professional electrologist.

While this method isn't for every one, by attending, you might be able to see if this method is something you might like to pursue as an alternative to the traditional methods & the associated high costs that could incur in the pursuit of removing unwanted hair.


Hormones 101  Arthur Brantz
We will discuss the safe and effective use of hormones for the FTM and MTF  population.  Various clinical regimens will be discussed as well as what to  expect and watch for.  This will not be a chemistry lesson!


How Do I Love Thee?... Let Me Count The Ways  Sandra S. Cole
(for couples only)
Changes continue to be constant in our adult years:  our children growing up…and leaving; work and economics; health and aging; and retirement for some.  Do we preserve the spontaneity and romance that was once in our lives?  How do we embrace the presence of transgender realities in our lives? Do we honor our needs and wants, respecting those of our partners?  Are they similar or different? The opportunity to love and to be loved by another is a precious gift.  The highest form of romance is optional romance—gestures made that are not required or taken for granted.  Are fantasy and romance still part of being together?

 “Grow Old Along With Me, The Best Is Yet To Be” ~ Robert Barrett Browning

How to be a Sissy Maid  Sissy Maid Stephanie
Have you ever fantasized about being dressed as a French Maid? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to dress in a uniform everyday and serve a household or a person? This workshop will cover the important points of being a “Sissy Maid”. Included in the workshop will be the uniform and its various parts as well as the role playing which some people experience. Even if you are curious, I invite you to attend! If you have a French Maid uniform, here is your opportunity to wear it. Why not come to the workshop dressed appropriately? There is also the possibility of having a make-over as a Sissy Maid!


Keynote Discussion 
Keynote discussions follow each keynote talk. So, if you are are particularly interested in the subject, have questions, or want to pursue the issues further you can continue to do so.


Let’s Talk Sex  Trankila
Share your feelings in a safe space.


Looking Forward, Shaping The Future World of Trans: A Conversation with James Green, Moonhawk River Stone and Stephen Whittle  James Green, Moonhawk River Stone, and Stephen Whittle.
Finding and preserving the history of transgender people is important as our movement moves forward are at rapid pace. Where are we going? And how do we get there? This round
robin discussion among the presenters will look at not only the future of Western transgender phenomena, but what is emerging around the world in so many other cultures, and attempt to offer some thoughts on how we shape that future.


Lost in the The Pink Fog  Brenda Viola
You finally made it to Provincetown, and Fantasia Fair was the most fabulous experience of your life.  You're pumped up, full of new self-confidence and unable to think about anything but expressing yourself in your preferred gender role. Back at home, the world seems drab and you chafe at having to hide part of yourself from your family, friends, and co-workers. You want to burst forth, heedless of consequences, and proclaim yourself to the world, and you think you just might. Congratulations.  You're in the pink fog.  The pink fog (blue fog for FTMs) is the state of euphoria we experience when we take our gender expression to a new level. It's a dangerous time to make decisions, and yet a time when we most want to. Come talk about the pink fog and how to find your way out of it.
Highly recommended for first timers


Ms. & Mr. Fantasia Fair Appreciation Lunch 
For the current and past recipients of the Mr. Fantasia Fair and Ms. Fantasia Fair awards.


Night Out On The Town 
An evening for you and your friends to explore the restaurants, bars and dance clubs of Provincetown.


Old Folks in Drag  Lynda Frank
Now that you are in your senior years, is there a different attitude on your part to your cross dressing? Lets talk about how we are now handling our loved ones and those strangers with wide eyes.


Orientation Brunch  Fantasia Fair Organizing Committee
In this late morning get-together, you'll have a chance to mingle with your new friends and find out what you can expect during the week. We'll point out who is responsible for what, where to get the latest information, and talk about the various happenings of the week.


Our Lives Together  Maureen Osborne
Couples only – Pre-registration required.


Our Wonder(ful) Women In Genderland  Sandra S. Cole
for SOs and spouses
Our phenomenal nontransgender women in “genderland” have demonstrated enormous creativity, strength and capabilities to embrace the exceptional qualities of their transgender partners in their marriages, relationships, families and, of course, their intimacies.

As ‘WonderWomen’ we can learn from each other, enjoy our own marvelous selves, our skills and creativity, our strengths and our dignity. Most importantly, we can appreciate with great respect and sensitivity the concerns, courage and strength of our transgender partners in our complex, challenging, joyous and shared journey. Through these qualities we celebrate our voices and our presence.


Partners Session  Maureen Osborne
Solely for partners of TGs at the Fair.


Passing in the Night  Lezli Whitehouse
For those seeking a temporary femme voice.


Poetry Jam   Abby Saypen & Laura Stone
A poetry jam is a time-limited friendly competition in verse organized as a series of elimination rounds. In each round, participants recite an original poem that takes no longer than 3 minutes to read. This not only limits the potential time of embarrassment but it keeps everything moving quickly. Elimination rounds add to the excitement and provide recognition for the best efforts. You will be amazed at the diversity across poems and styles of delivery.


Post-Fashion Show Party  Come party after the Fashion Show - and perhaps show off your own threads!


Post-Follies Fetish Party, Dance, and Buffet 
This popular event is back for another year! Here's your chance to wear your most outrageous outfits. Party and dance till whenever...


Queering Your Sexuality  Helen Boyd, moderator
For plenty of us who find ourselves trans or partnered with someone trans, heterosexual ideas about sexuality, identity, and gender roles in the bedroom can delimit the way we can enjoy our own bodies or our partners'. Helen Boyd and her partner Betty have been lucky enough to learn a few tricks in their travels, new ways of thinking about sexuality and sexual identity, and aim to facilitate an honest discussion about sexuality. All are welcome.


Real Life – REALLY!! A Panel  Teresamarie Betz, Kathryn Bode, & Robin Moore
Hear what it’s really like to live as a woman.


Realistic feminine makeup  Lady Ellen
How to create a natural feminine appearance. You will learn:

• How to create a natural feminine appearance
• How to pick the colors that are perfect for your complexion
• How to cover beard shadow
• How to apply liquid eyeliner, mascara and fake eyelashes
• How to use make-up to enhance cleavage
• Which hair/wig style is right for the shape of your face
• What mistakes to avoid
• When to buy cheap & when to invest in good quality
• If time allows, Lady Ellen will give personal evaluations to workshop attendees

Running a TG Support Group  Jan Brown
This discussion is about how to develop a TG Support Group or strengthen an existing one. What are some of the things one needs to consider? We will include time to listen and address problems or concerns from the audience.


She’s Not the Man I Married  Helen Boyd
Helen Boyd reads from her new book, talks why she wrote it, & talks about the experience of having to come to terms with her own gender identity as the partner of a trans person. All are welcome.


Single – and Happy  Niela Miller
This is a new workshop for those who are single, widowed, or divorced. This is an opportunity to discuss the possibilities of fulfilling life as a single gal or guy and how to avoid the pitfalls of prior conditioning.


SOs Goodbye Circle  Susan Curry, moderator
A bit of private time with the friends.


SOs “Let’s Meet” Lunch 
This popular meet-and-greet is back! If you are the "significant other" of a transgendered person attending the Fair, you are cordially invited to join the other "SOs" for a Dutch-Treat lunch. Get to know each other, share experiences, swap advice... You may just find out that you all share a lot more in common than you think!


Stitch & Bitch: A Fan Fair Knitting Circle  Jean & Shira
Join Fan Fair’s knitting circle and be one of the Girls Who Purl! If you knit, you know how much fun it is and how group knitting leads to lively conversation so there is no excuse for not showing up with your work (and helping us teach)! Knitting virgins, you’ll learn the basics in no time: how to knit, purl, cast on, and bind off. (No jokes please!) Everyone (with a special invitation to the SOs) is welcome at our two scheduled sessions. Early in the week the emphasis will be on teaching and getting people started. Later in the week we’ll show off our handiwork, weave up any loose ends, teach the newcomers, and generally just needle each other. New knitters: if you can, bring some worsted-weight yarn you like and a pair of needles size 8 or larger. Old timers: bring your WIP and any other projects you want to show off. We’ll have extra yarn, needles, and instructional handouts for those who need them. Quilters, crocheters, other crafters, and even kibitzers are also welcome!


The Middle Path (Keynote Address)  Helen Boyd
In an era when the term 'transgender' has increasingly come to mean 'transsexual,' those who present fulltime without body modifications, or close to fulltime, or who use an androgynous or genderqueer presentation to express their transness, often feel forgotten by the larger trans community where the dominant narratives are written by part-time crossdressers and transitioning transsexuals. Is there a middle? Is it impossible to negotiate? Are people who explore a middle path just transsexuals in denial, or crossdressers who have gotten carried away, or is it a legitimate path and identity for those who feel that binary gender expression is limiting? Author Helen Boyd will draw on history, queer/gender theory, her experiences with the media and the larger trans community to discuss how and why these identities tend to be erased and how to create spaces that are welcoming and affirming of middle path identities.


Trans Around The World  Moonhawk River Stone
Transgenderness is a wondrous phenomena and is expressed in a myriad of ways in culture and in nature. This will be a combination of power point slides and lively conversation about the marvelous ways trans is around in the world.


Trans-ing The World Moment By Moment--Making The Closet An Artifact (Keynote Address)  Moonhawk River Stone
Hawk will bring together the intersections of sex, gender, sexuality and the growing fields study in intuition, energy medicine and bioenergy for a discussion on how the power of just simply being our transgendered self can transform the world, in or out of the closet.


Transgender Spirit Circle  Holly Boswell
How often do you get to sit down with your very own transgender kindred spirits and share on a deeply emotional and spiritual level?  Beyond the mechanics of passing and the politics of gender, we have a need to find our real personal strength within a supportive spiritual community.  We will hold "sacred space" for you to come and explore this aspect of your path in a very safe and loving environment.


TransIntegration, The Goal and How We Get There, including the role of Miss Vera's Academy (Keynote Address)  Veronica Vera
TransActivists work long and hard to end discrimination against the transgender community and just as with other minorities what lies beyond discrimination is integration-transintegration. In early October, 2007 Miss Vera's Finishing School will host it's first group walking lesson open to all women: trans and non-trans, t-girls and g-girls, to use a popular term, The class represents one small but very practical high- heeled step toward the much larger goal of transintegration. I will report on this class and explain how it relates to the big picture of transintegration and how it, too, is transactivism. How can we create more? I will compare the transcommunity to other minorities so that we can learn from the past discussing alliances with other communities, why they form, and why they are essential and why these alliances may or may not last. And how each of us can be most effective. I've always believed in party politics, especially when the emphasis is put on the party. Fantasia Fair is a perfect example and the perfect place for this discussion.


Tricks of the Trade – What Women Know  Sandra Cole and Miqqi Gilbert
Just where do you put your purse at the table?


Vocal exercise & warm up for a passing voice  Lezli Whitehouse
For those who want to use a femme voice today.


Voice, Gender, Action! (Performance Skills for Your Target Gender Presentation)  Heather Kay
Come enjoy a playful workshop with professional voice over actress, producer and performance coach Heather Verdui. Learn how professional voice actors approach the process of naturalizing their speech when they take on new roles and how this can be adapted to everyday uses, like developing consistency in your target gender presentation. Participation not required but jumping in with both feet (or heels) is encouraged.


Walk and Sit Like a Lady, Please!  Lady Ellen
Lady Ellen of Le Femme Finishing School will demonstrate then lead the group in guided practice of the following skills: Movement based on the female center of gravity, proper female posture, selecting the right shoe for each occasion, walking in heels, graceful coordination of movements, natural turns, and sitting.


Walking Tour Of Provincetown
Come join us for a casual stroll down the historic streets of Provincetown. In this fascinating and informative walk, which lasts roughly an hour, you'll hear about some of the town's famous sights and notable Fair locations. This tour is an excellent way to orient yourself to Ptown and is highly recommended for everyone, but especially for first timers.


Welcoming Reception  Fantasia Fair Organizing Committee
After a long day of travel, relax with your old friends and meet your new ones. Come dressed formally, come dressed casually, come dressed as a guy or come dressed as a gal - just come by and enjoy yourself!


Welcome to Your World  Maureen Osborne
Ptown is a place where it’s OK to be You.


What Color Is Your Parasol?  Jamie Dailey
The classic job-hunting book "What Color Is Your Parachute?" by Richard Nelson Boulles has helped millions of people since it first was published over 30 years ago. The themes of the book discuss being brutally honest with yourself in order to better understand your underlying motivations. By identifying those elements in life that bring you joy and those that bring you sorrow, you can more easily pursue a career that brings the most joy to your life. Fortunately, you can apply this advice to many aspects of your life - including your own transgendered status.

This session will explore some of these themes in the context of being gender variant. These can be especially helpful for not only the transsexual but also the crossdresser, as they help you explore your limits, your desires, your hopes, and your needs. Whether you plan on transitioning or you crossdress occassionally, this session will help you get the most out of being TG.

This is a must-see for those who are new to dressing as well as those trying to get more out of their dressing while balancing it with daily life.


Young Transgenders  Stephen Whittle
The new youthful TGs bring new vigor. It is a long time since I have been young, and I can barely remember it what it was like when I transitioned. The problem with that is I must constantly ask myself whether what I am doing now is reflective of, and able to embody the experience of young trans people nowadays. Looking at a recent document produced by young trans people for the Department of Health in the UK, I want us all to look back and see if we can recognize ourselves. Also whether as we continue our activism, no matter how small, are we doing the right thing by today's young trans community members.


Your Feminine Toolkit: What every woman knows  Niela Miller
Women have and use communicative tools that men are not taught. These tools are an essential ingredient of what makes them women, and what differentiates them from men. In this session you will learn to recognize and access feelings, use signals from your body and emotions to understand yourself better, and to communicate more fully with others. You will improve non-verbal language skills, and discover how to cue as a woman in a group. With practice you can learn to incorporate these feminine skills into your everyday life.  [Limited enrolment.] (Pre-registration recommended. Write to Niela directly to reserve your space.)


Your Ideas For Fantasia Fair 2008  Fantasia Fair Organizing Committee
In order to continue and prosper, the Fair must grow along with its participants. This session is dedicated to finding people who want to work to improve and continue the Fair, as well as to collecting ideas and suggestions for improving and changing the Fair.


Your Virtual Life Is Waiting: Transgressing Identity in Alternate Worlds  Dallas Denny and Heather Kay Verdui
What would you do if you could build a world-and a perfect body-from scratch? What would it mean if you could fly? If you were fabulously wealthy? What happens to our consciousness when we can simultaneously control multiple or inhuman bodies, each with its own personality?

Computers make possible the creation of complex virtual worlds that can enrich, extend, and redefine the human experience. Linden Lab's Second Life is such a world, a three-dimensional space created entirely by its inhabitants.

The residents of Second Life, inhabiting customized bodies called avatars, live in a world that is something beyond a game, for in Second Life, there are no artificial goals or constraints. Citizens are free to do whatever they want with whomever they want, subject only to Linden Labs' terms of service, which broadly protect the privacy and well-being of the inhabitants. Within this framework, citizens talk, work, play, chat, create beautiful or purposefully ugly objects, make love, engage in commercial transactions, form social groups, and just generally live their second lives. They can walk, fly, ride, and teleport from place to place- and the places can be amazing.

Citizens are free to create avatars of either (or indeterminate sex), with bodies which are of any ethnicity, body type, or skin color, then enhance them with hair, clothing, and "skins" of varying look and sophistication. Thus, female avatars can be anonymously controlled by male human beings, and vice-versa. Citizens may have alternate or secondary avatars, which are themselves are anonymous, and they can place them in the same space and operate them independently at the same time.

The ability to anonymously engage in social interactions as a member of the opposite sex makes Second Life an enticing place for gender play- not only for the transgendered, but for nontransgendered people who would never transgress gender norms in the real world..





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