"Looking fabulous is so much easier, thanks to Miss Vera."--RuPaul

"Don't shed another tear, Cinderella, your femme fatale fairy godmother has arrived! Read this book and you'll be the belle of the ball in no time!"--Lily Burana, author of Strip City: A Stripper's Farewell Journey Across America

"Everything you always wanted to know about cross-dressing but didn't know who to ask. I'm not a cross-dresser myself--he doth protest too much!--but I do enjoy reading fun, charming, sexy, and informative books like this one."--Jonathan Ames, author of The Extra Man

"Smart girls know that a natural look requires the best tools and trimmings. Veronica Vera's dictionary cum bible teaches you how to make the most of what you've got."--Tracy Quan, author of Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl

Welcome, gender explorer. Today is the perfect time for you to become the kind of woman you want to be. Transsexual, cross-dresser, drag queen, female impersonator, party princess . . . who are you? Perhaps you're a not a boy at all, but a girl who wants to be ultra-femme, so you've come in search of tranny secrets (of which there are quite a few). Maybe you are an academic with a dissertation on your inquiring mind. Some of you can be quite pesky and determined as you seek to understand what the age-old practice of cross-dressing means today and for our future. Perhaps you feel that your physical identity (sex) is at odds with your social identity (gender). Or that your partner preference (sexual orientation) is all over the map and you'd love some reassurance that you are not alone. Whether you are dressing up for Halloween or choosing a new lifestyle, crossing the gender border for a one-night stand or a permanent stay, no matter how you identify yourself in the ever-evolving tranny lexicon, you will find plenty of information here. This book is also about transforming your life in any way. We are all in a constant state of transformation, as is the world in general. The more you are aware of that, the more you can appreciate and influence the change. These lessons are about believing in yourself.

It gives me great pleasure to be your guide. I know a lot about life, both real and imagined. As dean of Miss Vera's Finishing School for Boys Who Want to Be Girls, the world's first cross-dressing academy, which I founded in New York City (where else!) in 1992, I claim some authority. Hundreds of trannies have visited us from across the country and around the world. Thousands more have studied via my first book. The name of our school is recognized internationally. The students who visit us on campus are adult men, most of whom live very traditional lives, with jobs in the mainstream; about 60 percent of them are married. They spend anywhere from a couple of hours with us to a couple of days, immersed in classes with a faculty of deans who teach the students individually how to do their own makeup, walk in heels, go out and about town en femme, probe their erotic yearnings, network with others, and in general share and appreciate this part of themselves that has inspired them to dress in female clothing (usually in secret) since they were children. Their desire to wear women's clothing is a need to transcend the confines of gender, or "transgender." Many people besides academy students feel the need to transcend gender. When women felt it, we created the women's movement, and for every woman who burned her bra, there is a man ready to wear one. Like the big bang, these whirling male and female energies alive within each of us have given birth to a world and a culture that is the transgender movement.

Some people who transcend gender identify themselves as their opposite, male or female, and for others transgender has become its own location, not merely a temporary stop between male and female but yet a third option. Transylvania, as it was called so poetically by Frank-N-Furter of Rocky Horror fame, covers a large territory. Ten years ago, when I founded Miss Vera's Finishing School for Boys Who Want to Be Girls, I based your lessons on a philosophy of Venus envy, encouraging you with our school motto, "Cherchez la femme," urging you to look to women for role models as you looked for the woman inside. I remain staunchly behind that directive and believe that this world is very much in need of massive injections of female hormones. To me, feminine ideals emphasize pleasure and tolerance. The "femmeself" -- that amalgam of feelings and emotions that propels men to the academy in droves and inspires other gender explorers -- is a reflection of the need for more emphasis on those ideals in society. That we get students from all over is evidence that this need is international. Further proof is the present sorry state of the world, which for too long has been dominated by testosterone. There is a crying need for balance.

At the academy we believe in "sissy power." I love that endearing term. My very first best friend, Carolyn, was called "Sissy" and her brother was "Skippy" . . . I know it's a bit much, but it was the fifties. I have taken pride in the sissies of the world. Today, the operative word is "tranny." I will introduce you to women who can be your female role models and encourage you to find more. You will also find tranny role models. The time has come to update your lessons and welcome those of you who are newly enrolled.

We'll begin with some basic definitions. A transsexual uses hormones and surgery to change his body. A transvestite, or cross-dresser, changes only his clothes. Drag queens are gay. Female impersonators can be straight or gay, but they are professional performers and not turned on by their clothes (unless they are tight and sparkle). A person who is intersexed is born with genitalia of both sexes. "Transgender" is a relatively new and all-embracing term. The vocabulary grows.

But we are not going to get caught up with labels because definitions change very quickly and the lines between them blur. For instance, a transsexual can identify as such and never swallow a pill. A transvestite may experiment with hormones but not really want to make a permanent change. Straight men in drag (which sounds like a contradiction in terms but isn't) can be referred to as queens, especially by gay queens. "Cross-dresser" is a term used to describe straight men, though not all are. And women cross-dress too. "Transgender" is a good word except that it is not very sexy, which is exactly why some people prefer it. We are not going to spend a lot of time debating the terms. Debate is so male and boring! We have much better things to do -- like progress and proceed. This book is about connections, not differences.

It's all one big tranny planet. There is no need for you to figure out where you fit in all this. If you are a tranny, you know you are. And if you are not, you can be, so don't be blue. Think pink! I prefer that you simply identify yourself as a student enrolled in Miss Vera's class. My goal is to increase your awareness of the options and encourage you to feel free to be. You can be a tranny without changing your body, even without changing your outfit. Our goal for an academy student does not stop when he looks and moves like a female but when he can take the lessons he has learned en femme and integrate them into everyday life, because freedom of expression goes beyond a fashion statement. Clothing is simply a prop, a very important prop, like one an actress might use to get more in touch with her role. At the academy, makeup and costumes are essential tools. I will show you how to use them. But the most important thing to change is your mind.

Consider this guide an academy field trip. You can wear your highest heels because your tootsies won't hurt a bit. I have included many websites because the Internet excels in precisely those areas of interest to the gender explorer: community, commerce, and sex information. The Internet can help you to connect with as many people as you choose and be totally out -- or totally private. You can make friends, find galpals, or go for more intimate relations. Cybersex is safe sex -- sex without physical contact -- but the Internet can also help you to meet a partner (or two!) and get up close and personal. You can spend a lot of money shopping or you can build a file full of frocks and not invest a pretty penny, as I will show you. With the technology of the web there is a virtual supermall of goodies and services available at your lovely fingertips, so much, in fact, that you might find it difficult to sort through it all. That is where I come in. You can think of me as your gal Friday. I have put my expertise to use, browsing on your behalf, addressing your needs. I'll present you with lots of options to clothe your body, expand your mind, and fill your spirit. The choices are up to you.

The real power of the Internet is that it enables people of like minds to go beyond geographical boundaries to form new communities or to discover communities they never knew existed. You and every other person who reads this book have become part of a community of gender explorers. You are also exposed to other communities I have chosen to include in this network: free speech activists, artists and entrepreneurs, admirable role models, friendly business owners. This networking has very far-reaching effects on our culture. We can form political lobbies, change laws; we can literally change the face, the voice, and the body of society. We already have.

It's in to be out! At the academy we like to say we put the clothes in your closet and let the girl out. In recent years, trannies have taken giant leaps forward into the mainstream. Awareness of violence and discrimination inflicted on trannies has increased. These hateful actions must stop. That is one big reason why I urge you to be out. If you are already out, good for you. I'm not surprised. Lots of people are doing it. Many of the sources listed in this book -- from dress-up boutiques to legal aid to hair removal and more have been created by trannies for trannies. Trannies are doin' it for themselves. If you feel you still need some secrecy, then please be tolerant of others. Don't overcompensate by being a bully or a homophobe. That's so sad. And you'll miss out on the best parties.

Be a sister to every tranny. Please note, I said "every tranny," not "every tranny like you." There is no room for intolerance. Sissyhood is powerful. One of the main reasons the tranny movement has grown by leaps and bounds is the breakdown of barriers among its members. Though you may differ from one another in sexual orientation, you are united by your transgender and united even further by a preference for an alternative lifestyle.

So, students, I am suggesting that you have something in common not only with every tranny but also with swingers, S/M enthusiasts, lesbians, bisexuals, gay men, and queers of every persuasion -- as many of you know, and more of you will discover when you take each brave step forward, whether you are mincing in stilettos or stomping in Steve Maddens. However you are dressed as you kick in the door of the establishment -- no matter if you are adding body parts or taking them off, queen for a day or a lifetime. The courage that it takes to trust your heart is something all the world can applaud.

And the world is applauding you. From my academic perspective as dean of Miss Vera's, I see more and more trannies on the streets of New York. It is easier and easier to take our students in their lovely outfits to dressing rooms and ladies' rooms all over the city on field trips. When a retired general visited us, we took him to the costume institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and allowed him to pass through the armor collection in his new suit of clothes. As reported by the Gender Advocacy Information Newsletter (www.gender.org), trannies have become entertainment icons (transvestite comedian Eddie Izzard won two Emmys in 2000), athletic champions (the 1996 Thai national volleyball champions, basis for the film Iron Ladies), respected teachers (Deidre McCloskey at the University of Chicago, Miqqi Gilbert at the University of Toronto, and Jacob Hale at UCal, Northridge), and in other ways, pillars of society. In 1999, Dale Stewart, a student at Arlington High School in Indianapolis, won a court decision enabling him to wear a gown to his prom. This tolerance and understanding continues to spread and join with that of others who have chosen alternative lifestyles or those who support that freedom. Each of you is a messenger, a sort of traveling salesperson, like a Mary Kay rep changing the face of humanity. The world is more ready for you than you might imagine. Believe it. Be a tranny cheerleader. Society needs you.

Life is art, and every tranny is an artist. The sooner you accept that about yourself, the happier you will be and the more others will recognize your artistry. You could have what you feel is the straightest, most boring job in the world. Caprice Bellefleur, one of the stars of The Tranny School, the British documentary about our academy, is a timid, bespectacled numbers cruncher by day. Weekday evenings, she blossoms into a disco diva. It does not matter; you are an artist. For what is art? It has been said that art is a lie that reveals the truth. Change your outer wear and you reveal the inner you. Shedding the fabric of social convention reveals the naked truth of the soul. Now multiply this by the idea that "no tranny is an island" and you can begin to understand how trannies can change the world. Where will all this lead? Trust your intuition. Wherever you are is okay.

Your class will be divided into lessons through which I will not only give you resources but also show you how to use them. In some, like the virtual boudoir, we will find items to help in your transformation -- in other words, your school supplies. We will add to your sex education, study social and support systems and etiquette and netiquette, as well as address discipline problems, update med school and law school reports, and appreciate arts and entertainment. And life might spring a test, so study hard. You will be introduced to the faculty, other members of the student body, and visiting professors. Throughout, you will be guided to sources where you can find information for your continuing education and recreation. I have used true-life stories to illustrate different concepts such as sexual evolution and prove my points. The Patti Project continues the story of Pat, who was the thirty-eight-year-old male virgin I introduced in my first book. Patrick James is now Patricia Jane, a 24/7 woman of transgendered experience. Taxi represents the drag queens who were so determined to live their own lives that they uprooted themselves and planted new family trees. Colleen describes how she and her husband, Heather, make cross-dressing work within their marriage. Gayle's wedding is yet further proof that dreams can become real. These people have something else in common. They have grown and helped others to grow with them. Just as the people in these stories have lives that touch yours, so does your life touch others. A tranny by nature shakes up the status quo. You can also understand how some people, because they are afraid of change, protest it. That is why you need a fairy godmother to help you through this process, and that's moi.

I have been asked if I ever teach women to be men or drag kings. There is information for female-to-male trannies in this book, although it is not my prime focus. Some of the educational resources listed here, such as the International Foundation for Gender Education (www.ifge.org), do include information and links to female-to-male groups, a vital area of the tranny community. You can follow these links to people with far more knowledge than me on that subject. Or just start at Female to Male International (www.ftm-intl.org). My area of expertise is female development.

I have held the hand of many ladies in waiting who visit our school. I do this with the help of the academy's faculty of lovely and caring deans (www.missvera.com/faculty), all of whom are experts in their fields, and with the support of an energetic student council (most of whom would love to have my job). You can find out more about the herstory of our academy by referring to my first book (www.missvera.com/textbook), also entitled Miss Vera's Finishing School for Boys Who Want to Be Girls. (Let's face it, the name is genius and I thank goodness for the inspiration.) It is a great complement to your present course of study and recommended reading, if you hope to pass.

Even with all of this support and with one book already under my garter belt, I am still a bit daunted by the task at hand. The tranny movement has expanded so much and so rapidly in the past few years that I can't help but be humbled. But I will plunge forward because I have been asked and because I am not one to miss an opportunity -- especially when there's shopping involved.

It is time, dear students, to accept the challenge of who we are. Why do I say "we," you might ask? I am not a drag queen, as was erroneously reported in the New York Times, and, as I have told countless radio jocks, "I am every inch a woman." I am a woman engaged in my personal evolution, just as all human beings are, and I am Miss Vera, a creature born of the imagination of Mary Veronica. Miss Vera is my femmeself; she is part of who I am. Miss Vera is my heroine, I think you can understand. Tranny is an attitude and, baby, I've got it.

That said, I ask you to light a pink candle and repeat after me: "I dedicate myself to releasing all of the juicy female energy inside me. I place my trust in Miss Vera's academy and my faith in the tranny movement. And I thank myself for this gift."

Cherchez la femme!