Dr. Grunewald was the psychologist that had helped me when I was attacked on campus. When she had hypnotized me, she had a big surprise, she met Tammy and talked with her through me.

Larry and his girlfriend, Kelly, had talked Amy and me into attending the seminar, or at least the session where his paper would be presented. And we had agreed to come. The session that we were going to was right after lunch on Saturday.

On the Friday before the seminar, the mailman delivered a package. It was for Kai, and it was from New Mexico. Amy looked over my shoulder as I opened it. In it was a note, that said:

Kai, When they were cleaning your room, they found this pair of glasses. I know Tammy wears them, but Kai doesn’t. And I figured that you’d like them.

Love,

Aunt Ruth.

Ps. We miss you kids.

I dug into the box, and as I pulled Tammy’s glasses out of the box, I said, “I forgot all about these.”

“It looks that way.”, Amy quipped. “And won’t you need them tomorrow?”

“Why would I need them tomorrow?”

“Isn’t Tammy going to the seminar tomorrow?”

“I don’t know. Should she?”

“Larry’s paper is more about her than Tommy. So don’t you think she would like to be there? Besides, Tammy hasn’t been out since we’ve been back.”

“I know. It’s just felt good being Tom after being Kai for a week.”

With a sexy look, Amy said, “You were Tommy enough for me while we were in New Mexico.

“You’re bad.”

“Only for you.”

On Saturday when Amy and I got up, she asked, “So, are you or Tammy going to the seminar?”

“I don’t know.”, I replied.

“I know that Dr. Grunewald hasn’t met Tammy. She might like to.”

“I don’t know if I want to be around all those people as Tammy.”

“Why not. You were around a lot of people in New Mexico when you were Kai.”

“I know. That was Kai. I think Kai is more self-assured than Tammy is.”

“So Tammy doesn’t believe in herself?”

“I think she does. It's that she's just a private girl. And Kai just seems to be more confident and outgoing.”

“Do you think it’s because Kai has been out in public more than Tammy has?”

“Could be.”

“So don’t you think that Tammy should get out more?”

“Yeah. Maybe you’re right.”

With an adorable smile, Amy said, “I’d love to go with Tammy.”

“Tammy would love to go with you.”

Knowing that there would be a lot of academic types at the seminar, I decided to dress up. I’d never worn the navy blue, midi dress with three-quarter sleeves that I’d bought for Polly’s wedding, so I wore that. I did my hair very nicely. No wig today. It was the blue-eyed, blond, girl today. I added some cute jewelry including the silver feather earrings. And the pair of three-inch pumps that I’d also purchased for Polly’s wedding. I even did a very sophisticated job on my makeup. And if Amy hadn’t of reminded me I would have forgotten my glasses.

Amy also looked very lovely dressed in a pants suit. She had her hair in her signature ponytail. And she was wearing a pair of dressy flats.

Amy and I were meeting with Larry and Kelly for lunch at the university. So as we walked through the house and into the kitchen, my mother saw us, and said, “You two look great. Where are you off to?”

“Today’s that seminar that we told you about, where Larry’s paper is being presented.”

“That’s right. Why so dressed up?”

“I figured with all the academic types there, that we needed to look our best.”

“Dressed like this you’ll make a statement alright.”

“A statement?”

“That you are two pretty girls.”

“Thanks, Mom.”, Amy said. “It’s fun going out with Tammy.”

As we walked into the student union, we saw Kelly and Larry. They did see us right away. Kelly saw us first and pointed us out to Larry. Larry had a real surprised look on his face. As we walk up to them, Amy hugged Larry, and I hugged Kelly,

Then Amy hugged Kelly. I looked at Larry, smiled, and asked, “Is it safe to hug you?”

He answered me by giving me a big hug.

Kelly said, “You two look great.”

“Thanks.”, Amy replied.

Larry said, “Tammy. No matter how many times I see you, I’m still amazed as to how good you look.”

The seminar had set up a buffet lunch in the faculty dining room. So we walked in and picked up a nice lunch, and sat at a table for six.

We saw Dr. Grunewald walk in and pick up her lunch. She looked around for a place to sit, and Larry waved to her, she saw us and walked over. As she walked over to us, Larry said to me, “Let's don’t tell her who you are right away.”

“Going to surprise her?”, I asked.

“Yeah.”

As Dr. Grunewald walked up, she said, “Hello Larry and Kelly. Do you mind if I join you?”

“Of course not, Dr. Grunewald. Dr. Grunewald these are our friends Tammy and Amy Young.”

“Pleased to meet you.”, Dr. Grunewald said. “You’re not psych majors, or I’d know you.”

“No ma’am.”, I replied. “Amy is in nursing, and I’m studying electrical engineering.”

“That’s an unusual major for a girl.”

I looked at Larry, smiled, winked, and then said to Dr. Grunewald, “Am I a girl?”

She looked at me for a few seconds and finally said, “You are a girl. Aren’t you?”

“Am I?”

She looked at everyone else sitting at the table, and they were all smiling. Then she looked back at me, and said, “You aren’t are you?”

“No, ma’am. I’m not.”

“Wait. Tammy Young. Young. No. You can’t be?”

“Can’t be what?”

“You can’t be Jean Young’s boy Tom.”

“Why can’t I?”

“You … You haven’t transitioned to a girl. Have you?”

“No. Under all of these clothes and makeup is a boy.”

“How?”

“It’s just me. I know you’ve read Larry’s paper and the part about the Navajo two spirit people.”

“Of course.”

“This summer I learned, and embraced, that I’m what my people call a Nádleeh or one of those two spirit people.”

“This is unbelievable. You make such a pretty girl.”

“Thank you. My girl spirit helps me be Tammy.” Then looking at Amy, I said, “And my wife, Amy, helps too.”

“Your wife. You look like this and have a pretty wife too.”

“Yes. Amy and I have been together since we were about twelve. And you met her that time you hypothesized Tom and met Tammy.”

“Oh yes. I remember that session very well. Would you please sit down with me, when we both have more time and talk?”

“Yes. We’d be happy to.”

“Why are you here?”

“Larry and Kelly invited us to see the presentation of his paper.”

“It’s not often that an undergraduate paper is presented at a seminar like this. Is Larry going to introduce you?”

“I hope not.”

“No.”, Larry said. “I just thought that since the paper is about them, that Amy and Tammy would like to be here.”

“So.”, Dr. Grunewald said, “You are, as I’ve heard, a private person.”

“I try to be. But at times it’s been hard.”

We continued to talk while we ate. I told Dr. Grunewald about going to New Mexico, finding Kai, and learning more about my two spirits. She was very interested in everything that I had to say.

After lunch, we headed back to the lecture hall where the seminar was being held. It was a small lecture hall and held about one-hundred people with sloped seating so you could see everything. Larry went with Dr. Grunewald up onto the stage and sat behind a table. Amy, Kelly, and I found seats towards the back of the room.

“I’m sensing something.”, I said. “Something I don’t like. There’s someone here that’s angry about something. I’m not sure what they’re angry about. But it’s not good.”

Kelly said, “We’ve heard that some of the people at the seminar aren’t too happy about a paper that was written by an undergraduate is being presented. Apparently, they don’t feel that an undergraduate can write a paper like Larry’s.”

“Do they have a problem not only with who wrote the paper but the subject matter? Do they think that someone else wrote it?”, I asked.

“I guess. There are a lot of people that think it’s an excellent paper. But the other faction may try to tear it apart.”

“Right here at the seminar? In front of everyone?”

“Yes. It would not only make Larry look bad, but also Dr. Grunewald.”

“Hmm.”

“What are you thinking?”, Amy asked.

“That maybe I’ll need to support my old buddy.”

“You would do that?”, Kelly asked.

“Just watch me.”

“Kelly.”, Amy said. “You should have heard Kai talk to not only the Chief of the whole Navajo Nation but a number of the members of the Tribal Council. She was firm but polite.”

“I met Kai when you came back from New Mexico the first time.”, Kelly said. “And I didn’t sense anything much different than Tammy.”

“Something happened out there the second time. Kai found herself and became a very confident girl.”

“I did?”, I asked.

“Honey. You know you did.”

“I guess.”

“No guess, sweetheart.”

Once everyone was back in the room, they got started. And the first thing on the agenda was Larry’s paper. Dr. Grunewald talked about it for a short time, and then she introduced Larry. I could tell that Larry was nervous. But he stepped up to the podium and talked first about the research he had done and how he’d met with me, my wife, and my parents. I didn’t know that he’d talked to my parents.

Then he talked about the research on the half-man half-woman people that the American Indians believe in. And how the subject of his paper was one of these people. Then he read two parts of his paper. And there was some nice applause.

Then as Larry sat down, a man stood up and asked to address the seminar. I saw Larry and Dr. Grunewald look at each other. Dr. Grunewald then reluctantly told him that he could.

The man walked up to the podium and introduced himself as Dr. Whitmeyer. Then for the next ten minutes or so he preceded to cut Larry’s paper apart. How could an undergraduate student write a paper this good? How that all half-man half-woman people were homosexuals. How the half-man half-women people were not treated well by members of their tribe. And so on.

Then he used the one word that just made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. He said, berdache.

I was getting madder and madder. And thinking, ‘Where did this guy get his information? Off the back of a cereal box.’ It looked like Larry was almost in tears. I leaned over to Kelly and asked, “Just who is this clown?”

“He’s a well thought of psychologist.”, Kelly replied. “A college professor. And is well published.”

As Dr. Whitmeyer was finishing his tirade on Larry’s paper, I said to no one in particular. “Well, I guess it’s time to come to Larry’s defense.” And I stood up.

Then loudly I said, “Excuse me, Dr. Whitmeyer!”

He looked up at me, and said, “Young lady. Do you have a question?”

“Yes, sir. More than one.”

By now everyone was looking at me. Can I do this for Larry? You bet I can.

“Certainly.”, Dr. Whitmeyer said. “Go ahead.”

I saw that Dr. Grunewald and Larry were looking at me in surprise.

“Doctor. Where did you do your research on the half-man half-woman person? In a library or the field?”

“I used some very scholarly works in my university’s library.”

“I see. So do you feel that those works provided you with the correct information to make the statements that you have just made?”

“Yes, Miss I do.”

“So you are saying that in just reading those, as you call them, scholarly works, that you have all the knowledge to say that Mr. Thomas’s paper is completely wrong?”

“Yes. And I don’t feel that an undergraduate could write a paper like this.”

“Well Dr. Whitmeyer, I’ve known Mr. Thomas for most of his life. And I think he was the only student to receive straight A’s in his high school Advanced Placement Class in English during his senior year. So, I feel that he is capable of writing a paper of this quality.”

At this point, Dr. Whitmeyer was glaring at me. And it made me a little nervous. But I saw the smile on Larry’s face.

I continued with, “And sir. I’m the subject of his paper. I’m a cross-dresser. I’m a boy that can look like a girl. I am a member of the Navajo Nation. I am the half-man half-woman person that Mr. Thomas wrote about.

“Are you saying that what he wrote about me, and what my people, the Navajo Nation, believe in are completely wrong?”

At that point, there was a murmur through the crowd.

I continued with, “My people believe in spirits. And we believe that the Great Spirit picks some of us to have two spirits, and doesn’t give us a choice in the matter. And we are the half-man half-woman persons. We see things through the eyes of a man and the eyes of a woman at the same time. We don’t have a choice in this, but we accept it.

“Unlike what you said, our people respect a two spirit person. We hold them in high esteem. They are medicine men, councilors, warriors, jewelry makers. Yes, some are homosexual. Some are not. I am not. I am married to a fantastic woman, who is not a Navajo, but who embraces the Navajo beliefs and my being a two spirit person."

Dr. Whitmyer tried to interrupt me by saying, "Young lady. Young lady. You are out of order."

"Sir.", I said. "You gave me the floor, and I'm going to finish!

“Now, I met another half-man half-woman person this summer, he is a medicine man, I have great respect for him, and I learned from him. And even though I’m more than thirty years his junior, he had great respect for me and learned from me.

“Dr. Whitmeyer. Sir. I suggest that you and your colleagues who are trying to discredit Mr. Thomas and Dr. Grunewald get out from behind your desks and do some field research on a subject before you open your mouth.

“Sir. You also used a term that is considered very derogatory. Berdache. The white man, by calling the people with a male and female spirit a berdache lumped them into one category. Berdache is a French term that means ‘passive homosexual.’ Sir. Believe me, I am neither passive nor homosexual.

“My father has a saying, ‘Place brain in gear before operating the mouth.’ And that sounds like good advice to me.”

With that, I sat down.

The room was dead silent. I could feel everyone looking at me, but I could only see the shock on Dr. Whitmeyer’s face as we stared at each other.

Dr. Whitmeyer finally just gathered his papers and walked out of the room followed by five or six others. Then I heard something. I looked at Amy, and she was grinning. So I smiled. Then I looked at Kelly, and she was just shaking her head.

I asked her, “Is something wrong?”

“No.”, Kelly said. “Nothing’s wrong. But I’ve never heard anything like that before.”

“I had to stand up for my friend. He was being attacked for no reason other than he’s an undergraduate. And the person attacking him didn’t have his facts straight about the Navajo people, me, or Larry. So I had to do something.”

I finally realized what I was hearing was applause. But for what?

The applause died down, and I looked at Larry, and I’ve never seen such a big grin on his face. Dr. Grunewald was also smiling. She got up from her seat and walked to the podium, and said, “Tammy. Please come and join me.”

I just shook my head no.

“Tammy. Please.”

Again I shook my head no.

Larry got up and walked to where we were sitting, looked at me, and said, “Tammy. You need to come down front.”

“No. I can’t.”, I said.

“Tammy. Please.”

“Larry. You know I don’t like to be in front of people. I can’t.”

“Honey.”, I heard Amy whisper from behind me. “Kai was out in front of people many times when we were in New Mexico. I think she enjoyed it. You need to go with Larry.”

I turned, looked at Amy, she smiled, and said, “Honey. Go on.”

I looked back at Larry, and he was holding his hand out to me. Reluctantly I took it, and he helped me to my feet. As he did, he whispered, “I owe you a big steak dinner.”

“You don’t owe me anything.”, I whispered back. “I’d do what I just did for you for any of my friends.”

I followed Larry down to the podium and Dr. Grunewald. When I got there, Dr. Grunewald put her arm around my shoulder, turned to the audience, and said, “Ladies and gentlemen. When I first met this young lady, it was as a boy who had been severely beaten in an unprovoked attack by a group of college boys.

“To help him, I hypnotized him. And I was surprised that when I talked to him that I ended up talking to a girl. A very fascinating and confident lady named Tammy.

“I was worried that the boy had a split personality, but the more I spoke with him, the more I realized that he wasn’t. And there was more to it than that. Much more. I realized, that as the American Indians believe, that he had two spirits. I researched it more and began to find some fascinating things about half-man half-women people.

“You are meeting his feminine spirit, Tammy. And I know that she is a very private person and what she did here this afternoon wasn’t easy for her. But I’m glad that she did.”

Then Dr. Grunewald looked at Larry and said, “Mr. Thomas, do you have anything that you’d like to say?”

Larry walked up to the podium and stood next to me. I looked at him, and whispered, “Please. Not too much.”

Larry then said, “When I was growing up, I knew a boy. This boy was a terrific friend, and I only learned about the feminine side of him a few months ago. But those months were a fascinating time. I discovered that he had two spirits, a male one, and a female one. I’ve learned a lot from his feminine spirit about how people can be different and still be the same person that you’ve known most of your life.

“Recently I met another part of his feminine spirit. This part is who I think his feminine side really is. It’s a girl by the name of Kai. She is a Navajo girl. I grew up with her male side. And now I know both sides of him, and it’s fascinating. His story made a good subject for my paper.

“I know I won’t be able to talk Tammy into saying anything. But, I think we all heard about how she feels about her two spirits and her Navajo heritage.

“Tammy I want to thank you for standing up for me, my research, my paper, and Dr. Grunewald.”

There was more applause.

Very softly, I said, “Larry, I couldn’t let Dr. Whitmeyer spread incorrect information about you or my people. He was just out of line.”

Then I walked back up to where Amy was sitting, she smiled, and said, “You continue to amaze me.”

“Right now I need to get out of here.”, I said.

“Okay honey.”

Amy got up, we said so long to Kelly and walked out of the lecture hall. As we walked out the door, we found Dr. Whitmeyer and a couple of the people who’d left with him standing there. I froze.

We just looked at each other, then he finally said, “Young lady. Can I speak to you?”

“No sir!”, I said. “I have nothing to say to you.”