Introduction

pictured above: the origins of the term "d332" comes from the one thing that brings the most happiness into my life: my piano's concert designated serial number cd-332

Eleven years after the debut of my first website at Yahoo Geocities in 1997, the mere six page Transvestite Freedom Fighter has morphed into a veritable beast in a labyrinthine maze of links. Although all the original pages can be found archived here, the original concept of the website rests on one fundamental idea: "Never apologize for who you are, or what your website is about." I couldn't understand why transgendered people continually prefaced their webpages with an adult warning content. Transvestite Freedom Fighter was a call to stop associating one's identity in the same category as explicit and obscene adult content.

Eventually, the page changed into The Art of Not Passing. This theme inspected the whole importance many transgendered people put on passing. As a person who is on the fringe even within the transgender community, I saw passing as a curious metaphor for conforming. It wasn't that I had any problems with the notion of passing. After all, one must pass to experience as little friction in our non-accepting culture, seeing that transgender people are the final frontier for prejudiced treatment in modern day. I simply chose to inspect the idea of passing as a way to illustrate how everyone needs to "pass" according to their environment, in order to survive and function.

I believe the day everyone passes will be the day the label "transgender" gets retired. Much like a global economy and a global culture, indigenous societies and unique voices are quickly being swallowed up, losing their identities.

The Art of Not Passing then became The Solitary Arc, which was just a collection of my writings and pictures. In a way, The Solitary Arc paved the way for the self-identifying d332.com. I've always felt that with all the transgender websites detailing every aspect of SRS and transitioning, the collective perception of trans* people is that SRS and transitioning is all we talk about. So I thought I'd reveal instead, the other things that occupy this transgender person's mind.

I am driven by a sense of happiness that I derive from speaking to the people within the culture. I wanted to provide a modest but positive free website on the internet regarding the community, because we haven't really been given a fair chance in the public's eye. Most of what people get from search engine returns either adult sites or argumentative in-fighting within the t* discussion groups (and there's a lot of that).

Certainly, the group that is closest to my heart, the brash, self-descriptive gay transvestites, have been disappointingly under-represented.

So here I am.

I have been transgender for over thirty years. I don't plan to transition fully, but I'm going to get a few bumps put on here and a few bumps taken off from there. Anyway you cut it, both the male and female anatomy are gorgeously remarkable works of art. I am struck by wonder when I think about the beauty of the human body. I am not a hormone-taker, as I feel that sex drive is one of the critical lifeforce in sustaining the great human imagination.

My increasing preoccupation with the home-making Stepford Wife has made this website arrive at the point it is at today. Although I am a staunch believer in women's rights, equality, and feminism, I also believe that everyone should be able to live free and chose the life they want to lead. Stepford Wives, and more importantly for me, the docile Asian "Lotus Flower" are social constructs. The difference between the two is that one lives in comfort and modest luxury, while the other has to make do with bargain-hunting white males. For my personality type, the choice is clear.

Human beings are constantly in danger in their coexistence with viruses. But we shouldn't flatter ourselves as superior beings. Instead, we should take the path of virus mutation as an ideal, and develop accordingly. I want to continuously, energetically, and joyfully change, morph, improve, learn, and absorb knowledge, wisdom, and humane lessons with each passing day.

This, for me, is the most important transition: to be a human being first, and a transgendered person second.

So relax, make yourself at home, and enjoy!

Pristine May 15, 2008