Crossdressed at Church
7/16/2022
My son was scheduled to take a significant academic test. I drove him to the city where he was going to take it. Then, I had about four hours to wait until he was finished. I changed into a black skirt, a black and white striped sweater/top, a beige cardigan and black flats and had a crossdressing outing. As usual for me, I did not modify my hair or face and I do not wear a bra or hip pads. I was just a man in a skirt. I started looking for somewhere to go and something to do.
Walking Around Downtown
This outing started so early, very few businesses were open. I decided to go to the downtown area of the city and walk along the scenic areas. I found a parking lot. The parking lot was at least half full. I changed clothes here. I did something more brave than usual. I stepped out of the car to zip my skirt. Normally, I do not exit my car until I am fully dressed. I felt like no one was around and I was not worried. I was covered up, I was simply incomplete. It is a lot easier to zip up your skirt when you are standing up!
When I finished changing clothes, I needed to walk to an automated parking attendant (a machine) to get the ticket to leave in my car (to show that I had paid to park here). There was a man walking to his car. I was apprehensive and waited. When I felt like he was gone, I got out and walked toward the machine. There was an exercising trail near the parking lot. Possibly twenty people walked/jogged by on that trail while I was at the machine. One group was five moms with strollers. A man and woman jogged by. Two teenage boys ran by as well…etc. I ignored them. I swallowed my fear and I used the machine.
I returned to my car on the opposite side of the parking lot to leave the ticket. Then, I crossed the lot again to go walk around town. Then, I realized that I had forgotten my camera in the car. After another round-trip to the car, I was ready to see the world.
I walked down the trail that everyone else was exercising on. It went under the road by a river. I passed water, and fountains, and restaurants, and salons, and people on park benches, and people exercising, and lots and lots of dogs being walked. When I got near a rather populated area, I changed paths and walked down the sidewalk of Main Street.
Some people looked at me and did not interact. Some people said hello. One woman, in a black top and a hot pink athletic skirt, who was heading toward me on Main Street smiled warmly at me. I said, “I like your pink!” She thanked me. On my walk back toward my car, instead of going under the bridge, I walked across the road. I felt brave!
Crossdressed At Church
It was Saturday. I knew that Seventh Day Adventist churches meet on Saturdays. I decided to try to go to “Sabbath School” there and then stay for the church service. I have attended an Adventist church only once before (also in a skirt). When I arrived, there were only two cars in the parking lot. I was a few minutes early, so I decided to wait and see. A car arrived and a man in a suit got out. Another car arrived and an older woman in a long skirt got out. A man in a polo shirt got out of the next car. A third car arrived, and another man in khaki pants and a polo shirt went in. It was not clear from the Internet whether this church still had Sabbath School. I could not be sure that these people were not the band arriving early to practice. The time for Sabbath School to start had already passed. Either this was the band, or Adventists are really late people! 🙂
A man and woman got out of the next car. I rolled down my window and asked him if they were having Sabbath School. He said, “Yes! Come on, you can walk in with me!” He was a happy, friendly, retired man in a suit. She was wearing a red skirt suit. I got out of my car. That is when they could see I was wearing a skirt. They reacted with surprise for no more than one half of a second. They started talking to me and walking in with me. If he had not been so welcoming, I probably would not have stayed for Sabbath School.
There were two classes. Both had their doors open. Eventually, 30 minutes later than their advertised time, the classes started. People kept arriving for almost the whole time I was in class. A couple of people looked into our open room and made eye contact with me and smiled. My class had five students and one teacher. No one cared that I was a man in a skirt. I relaxed. I participated in class. There was a lot of discussion. One guy, whom I will call “Mike”, mentioned Adventists a couple times in his comments.
When class ended, everyone in class spoke to me and shook my hand. The nice man who walked me in took me over to meet Mike. Mike asked if I was an Adventist. I said, “No. This is my second visit at an Adventist church.” He asked, “Do you go to Sunday Churches?” “Yes.” Then I said, “It is kind of funny, because I read Romans 14 this morning, and Paul talks about those observing special days verses those who do not.” That was a mistake.
Mike proceeded to spend the next ten minutes trying to teach me that the Bible firmly instructs us to observe the Sabbath day and that people teach verses in the Bible incorrectly to argue that it is OK to worship on Sunday… He turned to scripture (which was marked) to make his points. He was very prepared for this conversation. I just wanted to get away from Mike. It stained my whole experience. For the record, the Bible clearly says to “Remember the Sabbath Day and to keep it holy. On the Sabbath Day, you should do no work.” It never says, attend church on this day versus that day. Whether it is better to go to church on one day versus another is a man-made custom, as far as I can tell. Also, if you are going to talk to a stranger about Bible things, tell them about Jesus! At least mention Him. 🙂
I did not argue with Mike. He was passionate about the topic, and he felt like he had all of the right answers. I just tried to find the quickest path to get out of this conversation. Eventually, we started moving toward the auditorium for the church service. We parted when he entered the restroom. I found a seat that was situated well for me to leave early. My son’s test would end before the church service would end. I sat there for at least ten minutes and no one came up to me to talk to me. New people kept arriving. It was not too dark or too loud to visit people. I felt quite lonely here. I think they were not shunning the man in a skirt. Most people never looked at me to even know how I was dressed.
When the church service began, we all stood up and started singing. I snapped a couple of pictures during the singing. Otherwise, I was just at church like normal. It was nice. I was not distracted by my outfit. I was truly relaxed*.
During the singing, a woman walked toward a family she knew and she greeted them and hugged them. When she returned past me, she backed up and welcomed me. She shook my hand. She was sitting behind me a few rows and probably did see my outfit when I came in. I said, “Thank you. And, thank you for talking to me!” I was SO appreciative of her.
The church service continued and for the next thirty minutes, people kept arriving. Continually, a family arrived every couple of minutes. The room was rather full when time came for me to leave. Most of the women were in skirts and dresses. It was so nice to be among other people dressed in pretty clothes. (In all of those women, I only saw two wearing pantyhose like me. One was elderly and the other was a mom in her 30’s.)
Conclusions
- Adventists are nice people.
- They dress pretty for church.
- They are late to church, though. (This was true in the previous church I visited as well.)
- I should never mention Sunday vs. Saturday to anyone, at any place, ever again.
- Whenever you see a stranger in church –especially when they are sitting alone– go say hello and show them some love.
Footnotes
* My family gave me a fitness tracker watch for Father’s Day. According to it, I exercised a lot today. Apparently, even though I felt rather relaxed, my watch thought that my elevated heart rate was due to exercise, not anxiety!
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