This photo of Kay, Yvonne, and Julie (l. to r.) is from the archive of the Chicago Sun-Times who ran it on June 17, 1986. The photographer is Barry Jarvinen. These lovely ladies were attending the Be All Weekend, which the Sun-Times describes as, “a gathering of 190 cross-dressers (heterosexual male transvestites) and their wives at an Elk Grove Village Motel.” The photo caption also opined that, “Most cross-dressers say they don’t know why they feel the urge to wear women’s clothing…’You go though life knowing you’re different, feeling it was wrong,’ said a cross-dresser identified as Rhonda.”
“’We’re not a bunch of sleazy perverts. We’re normal guys, whatever that means,’ laughed Linsey, a 40-year-old from Cleveland who was accompanied by his wife.”
The event was the 14th annual get-away weekend produced by the Chi Chapter of Society for the Second Self (aka Tri-Ess), an international support group for heterosexual transvestites founded by Virginia Prince. Chi Chapter is still active and is currently celebrating 50 years “providing support, serenity, and service in the Chicago area.”
