Feminism 101

It started when I realized I was one credit short of graduation .....

******

“I can’t believe this!”

“What happened, Alan?” My best friend Kate asked.

“They’re saying I’m missing a credit. I gotta pick up an extra course next term, or I wont graduate!”

“That’s not going to be easy.”

“No kidding. I better look and see what classes I could get into. Hey, here’s one. Feminism 101. I could get into that one. My mom was a big feminist, I could do okay there.”

“I took that my first year. But only girls take that class. I’ve never heard of a boy taking it.”

“They cant keep me out, that would be discrimination!”

“Not the way they do it. The class has one exam and one assignment each worth fifty percent of your mark. But the assignment is to write an essay at the end of the term about what the last four months have been like - as a girl.”

“Can they do that?”

“I guess. From what I’ve heard it was started because guys would sign up for the class thinking it would be an easy ‘A’. So the teacher now makes all the students write a diary about their day to day day experiences as a girl, and hand it in at the end of the term. “

I sat there and thought hard. I looked through the rest of the available classes, and realized they would either be in subjects I knew nothing about or need prerequisites I didnt have. It was this course, or have to come back next year, which I wasnt sure I could afford.

Kate must have seen the expression on my face, and said, “I have a crazy idea, Al.”

“If it lets me graduate this year, I’ll listen.”

So it was that I found myself back in her little dorm room in a pair of her panties and a bra stuffed with socks.

“This cant possibly work.” I said.

“Wait until we’re done. Then we’ll see how good a girl you make.”

I shook my head, but I kept thinking about my lack of choices, and gritted my teeth.

“Where did you get all this stuf from anyway?” I asked.

“Well, remember when we first met, I talked about making you a girl for Halloween?”

“Yeah, I wasnt very happy about that. I had just barely gotten over the fact you didn’t want to date me, and it felt like adding insult to injury.”

“Yeah, I realized that, so I didn’t push the idea, but I kept the stuff anyway. “

“Why are you so upbeat about turning me into a girl?”

“I ... I’ll tell you once we get you all done, okay?”

I looked at her, and decided to trust her.

“Okay.”

Finally, after what seemed like forever, She took a drop-cloth off a mirror, and let me look at myself.

Okay, so I wouldn’t stop traffic. As girls go, I was pretty plain looking.

But I didn’t look like a guy in a dress.

I really looked like a girl.

“Oh .... wow.” I managed.

“Yeah. Now, you should practice walking in those heels.”

“I wobbled around a bit, but soon I got the hang of it, and asked, “So what now?”

“Your voice. Dont try and make it high. Talk softer instead.”

I tried, and she made a tape of me talking, and to my surprise I sounded pretty feminine, and the voice didnt take a lot of effort.

We practiced for a while, and then something hit me, and I began to struggle to breathe.

Next thing I knew Kate was guiding me to a seat.

“What’s wrong?”

“I ... I’m picking this up so fast. Like ....”

“Like it suits you?”

“Yeah. How’s that possible?”

“I dont know for sure, we’ll have to figure it out. But it will be okay sweetie.”

“But ...I ‘m a man.”

“Not for the next term, if you want to graduate. You think you can pull yourself together, and survive?”

I got to my feet, and said, “I have to. But what am I going to do about my other classes?”

“Well, what’s your schedule like?”

I pulled out my schedule, and realized that my other classes were not the kind where you really got noticed - no classroom discussions, only a couple of tests for grades. It was possible nobody would notice if boy me was replaced by girl me.

“I might be able to do it. Assuming people dont think I’m a dude in a dress.”

“Wanna test that idea by going out tonight?”

I shrugged. “ I’ve come this far, I might as well try.”

So we went to a shopping mall not far from the campus, and it was somewhat surreal. We wandered around, window shopped, had a bite to eat, and then Kate pulled me into the girls washroom so I could do my business. And nobody seemed to notice there was anything odd about me, no pointing, no pitchforks, nothing.

I even got called “miss” .

I realized, I could do this.

And I wanted to.

I went back to boy clothes to finish off the term, and then spent the break between terms getting a small wardrobe together. Kate gave me a few things, I got some from second-hand stores, and I even found a place where gays, lesbians, and trans people got support.

So just before my first class of Feminism 101, I went to see the teacher to tell her what to expect when I came to class.

She said, “Well, I saw your transcript, I wondered why a boy would take my class.”

“I’m not really sure I am a boy, professor.”

“Not sure?”

“Actually .... I’m pretty sure I’m not a boy. “

Well, in that case, what do we call you? I’m assuming ‘Alan’ doesnt feel right.”

“Yes, professor. I had thought of going by ‘Alison’, but I thought that might be a cliche. So I went for something totally different. Call me ... Zaina. My friend Kate suggested it.” I blushed, and added, “it means, ‘beautiful’, she said.”

“Its a nice name. Welcome to my class, Zaina.”

And that was how everything started ......

End?