March 9, 2005

VR: Who is “Ar”lene and why did you decide to spell your name that way?
Ar: Taken from a early person whom I admired Actress: Arlene Dahl. I (myself) believe I am a lady of true smooth refinement. I decided to split with quotes the name, because I was playing Women’s Fast Pitch Softball. There where two Arlenes and I did not want my middle name used as my name on the team. So, I took “Ar” and that’s how my nickname became “Ar”. One of the team’s I played with had Joy Shaffer, who later became the famous Doctor Joy Shaffer, MD, who now has an office in San Jose, California. She was also a client of mine during those years while I also facilitated the Los Angeles TS Rap Group from the Health Center on Melrose. This is the same group Joy Shaffer, Jude Patton, Sister Mary Elizabeth (aka then) Joanna Clark and Carol Katz. One time Canary Conn with Dr. William Raider, MD visited the TS Rap Group. This group had many invited guest speakers like Lawyer Marvin Donine; my surgeon Edwin Marcus, MD; Dr. William Raider, MD; Dr. Paul Tobias, Psychologist; who I helped get involved with the TG community. All arrangements were made by me to visit our group. This is the group that gave Sister Mary Elizabeth (aka Joanna Clark) the inspiration for her to go forth to start the first ever letter writing campaign for California State Legislature to change the Birth Certificate Law for Transsexuals.
Dr. Paul Tobias, Lawyer Marvin Donine and a group of us including myself, the elected President of the Southern California Gender Identity Group, began touring colleges, the California Psychological Convention in San Francisco and the American Psychological Symposium in San Diego.
I was peer-counseling at the Gay Community Center. The CETA program came to employ and train individuals. The program was to go to Gays, ten jobs, I convinced the center to give up some jobs to the TG community, thus the first jobs for CETA went TG’s in transition that needed it. This was a new beginning for our community.

VR: Where are you living these days and what kind of work are you doing?
Ar: San Diego Area, called Mission Valley.

VR: I know this is a hard question, but can you tell us what your life has been about?
Ar: At age 9, I was seeing a Psychologist (MD), until age 14. I played like other children and attended Elementary School (up to 8th grade) for the Disabled called Luther Burbank in Chicago. I attended on Friday nights from ages 14 to 15, a neighborhood school social activities, including dances. Moved to Southern California in 1964. I went to U.S. Grant High School in Van Nuys, California. I was on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand from 1964 to 1968. Worked part time from May Co Department Store until all classes completed. In 1967 through 1969 took classes in Theater Arts and Motion Pictures, learned Make Up especially under Michael Westmore. In 1969, I attended Beauty School, Marinello and Comer from 1969 to 1970. Worked at Salons to 1972. In 1972, started HRT. Lost Salon job and was out on the street on Welfare. I did drugs and prostituted in Hollywood. Came close to going to jail, but stopped after my car a VW Super Beetle which was fully damaged in a chase with a purse grabber cavalier with his sword, my roommate had in our apartment. I was involved in this, when he was seen in Hollywood by my roommate. The cavalier nut case had also a VW Super Beetle. Stranger then fiction this was.
After SRS, I when to school at Los Angeles Trade Tech College, this is where I was trained to be an Electrologist. So in 1977, I became the first Post-Op TS ever in the United States to be State Licensed as an Electrologist.

VR: When you were growing up and each morning you would look in the mirror did you feel that was the wrong person looking back at you or were you a macho little boy in your early years?
Ar: I was forcing macho early life, I hid my real feelings, but at age 9 they came out.

VR: At what age did you come out to your family and friends?
Ar: It finally all came out at the start of HRT at age 22. Many hints and other things in life put this puzzle into the early thoughts of my family who saw and questioned things in my teens.

VR: I know you transitioned at an early age. Did you do that with the support of your family?
Ar: Not at first, but time the SRS came, they were finally supportive. They thought I would change my mind, “No Chance, I am to be completely a woman ”.

VR: Did you start transitioning while seeing a doctor or did you start taking hormones on your own?
Ar: Dr. Lawence, a popular MD in Downtown Los Angeles, started me on the HRT (hormones).

VR: Where did you have your reassignment surgery and when and in what year was that done?
Ar: On May 22, 1975 at Kaiser Foundation Hospital (Kaiser Permanente) on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles is where and when the SRS was done; by a team of Kaiser doctors and an outside specialist from Beverly Hills, Dr. Edwin Marcus ( who is not doing SRS anymore)
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VR: Who was your inspiration when you were younger?
Ar: Christine Jorgenson ( who I met), Bambi (from France), Caprice and Coccinelle (from France).

VR: I know you have been married before, did your husband know of your transitions from male to female?
Ar: Yes, I met him in the Theater Arts Department at Los Angeles Valley College, as aka before I had HRT. I married him twice and both times a big mistake.

VR: What has been your biggest accomplishment in life have been to date, besides your transition from male to female?
Ar: Starting my own business as Electrologist ,Cosmetologist, Dermatician and Make Up Artist.

VR: Who do you admire these days?
Ar: Today who inspired me is Sister Mary Elizabeth of AEGIS (www.AEGIS.org ) , Amber Thorne of Dawn Media Inc. Publisher (vices-president)( http://www.sandiegogaynews.com ), Sharon May, president of the Institute for Transgender Education, Inc. (www.iteinc.org ), Lynn Conway, PhD. of University of Michigan ( www.lynnconway.com), Karen of www.KarenSerenity.com and now I added you Vicki Rene (www.VickiRene.net).

VR: Are you still married?
Ar: Looking to divorce him now. So, yes about to become available. Until then it’s a open marriage.

VR: Are you in love right now with anyone special or do the men in Southern California still have a shot with this beautiful woman <smile>?
Ar: No not in love, yet. In fact I’m dating men now.

VR: Tell us do you have any pet peeves something that really bugs you?
Ar: One night stands. I love a straight guy with great job that treats me sweet like classic lady that I am and a long lasting relationship.

VR: Do you think you are a nice person or do you think you can be a bitch at times?
Ar: Don’t ask my soon ex this about me. You know what he will say. I always try to be helpful to my T-sisters on teaching, guiding and support.

VR: What do you think makes you stand out above others?
Ar: Years of success in business and in making it through my transition, by going through it the early hard way and to help the other new women as a mentor and peer-counselor.

VR: Do you get nervous when you are asked to speak to a group?
Ar: Only in the beginning until the audience or group gets comfortable with me. I have done Colleges, Health Groups, Psychology Student Groups, Psychology Conventions, video, television and two documentary movies.

VR: Where do you see yourself in the future?
Ar: Retiring with a legacy of Transgender Centers with their own housing, human resources (for state wide employment), health center, hormones (HRT) start up, peer and family counseling, psychology services, electrology services, recreational TG teen center, social hall/ auditorium and all having a non-profit status. The future is yet to be made.

VR: As a transgendered person do you think you have received proper respect you deserve in life?
Ar: From the TG community, not until now. From early education like LATTC (Los Angeles Trade Tech College), no, because of the NewsWeek article in November, 1976. This school was very discriminating after this article. They did not know “T” until then, but time settled down to the business of learning.

VR: What do you think you have to offer the transgender community, anything at all?
Ar: The service of my years of experience as post-op TS, electrology, make up knowledge and charm school for TGs entering the new woman work force.

VR: What words of wisdom would you give to someone who is reaching out for help?
Ar: “Turn around once take a picture then count to 2(two) in years and look at yourself, if you are the same in two, do it again, turn around 2 (two) more years take another picture, if you the same do it again and so on, and so on. If lost, you are going nowhere, if you are post-op don’t stop, then continue straight to the goal of life you are looking for”.

VR: Do you have a final statement, for our readers?
Ar: “ If you choose to go stealth after blending into society as a post-op, always remember the help you got to get there and the people who will need your help that’s behind you”.

Note from Vicki Rene: Ar'lene and I have been friends now for a few months and I have to tell you, I am very impressed with this lady and someone I am proud to call a friend.