1973
Genia

After the semester had started,  Wendy was back and I was seeing her regularly at work and would often meet her and Sean for lunch when one day Wendy’s friend Genia joined us.  I immediately liked Genia, tall, thin, short dark black hair, always dressed in blue jeans and T-shirts with no bra that showed her well-formed, moderate sized breasts. I would describe her now as being Punk, but it was not a term I knew at the time.  Genia reminds me of the character Lizabeth in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Genia, in sharp contrast to my church going friends, was direct and somewhat crass with her language which I liked.  As Genia joined us for lunch more often, I begin to like her more.  The first few times at lunch together Genia seem somewhat interested in me.  But I wasn’t sure.  I wrote in my journal…

Genia didn’t see as excited over me but the other day at lunch she seemed more herself and less defensive (designed or looks like offensive) and showed what I interpreted as “slight interest” hope? Could he be what I’m looking for, like him? An ass?” Could this be signs of attraction? I hope so. I’ll have to press her a little.

After a few weeks I wanted to ask her out on a date, but I was unsure if she felt anything for me and so didn't think I should, so I asked Wendy if she thought Genia liked me and if Genia might go on a date with me.  Wendy was a little evasive in her answer and said, "She might, you should ask her." and Robin gave me her phone number. Not the answer I wanted, a yes would have been better, but at least she didn't say no and that she had giving me Genia's phone number was encouraging.  After a day or two of building my courage, I called Genia, she answered, and after talking for a few minutes I asked if she would go out with me.  She suggested that we meet at a nightclub called the Melody Club that Friday night. She had planned on going to see a show that begin at eight PM, I said OK, I could do that, and she said I should be there by 7:30 to get a table and I said I would. 

I was excited and the next day at work I told Wendy I was meeting Genia at the nightclub and Wendy looks at me head slightly a tilt, asking me if I had been to the nightclub before.  I said no, she paused for a second, and then tells me the nightclub is a gay and lesbian bar and the show was a burlesque show with drag-queens as the performers.  I ask, "Drag queens?" and she says, "Yes, men dressed up as women."   I pull back in surprise showing on my face, then Wendy says, "You should go, that she and Sean had been there with Genia and it is a quite a good show."  Well I had already told Genia I would be there so I was going. Drag Queens?  Well, that was something I hadn't seen before and thought would be interesting. The song “Walk on the Wild Side” playing in my mind…

Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her legs and then he was a she
She says, "Hey, babe
Take a walk on the wild side"
Said, "Hey, honey
Take a walk on the wild side"

Friday night came and I showed up at the nightclub, and being my usual self, arrived fifteen minutes early which meant a good forty five minutes before the show which Genia said started at eight. I parked my Camaro, got out and walked into the nightclub. I had been to a couple of bars before, most notable the Library, named so that students could tell their parents that they were "at the Library studying'.  This place wasn't much different, a bar with bartender, booths along the walls, a dozen or so small tables in the center of the room and a small stage at the far end.  I didn't see Genia, but she said to get a table so I went to the bar and got a beer then looked for a table. There were a fair number of people there already mostly in the booths but most of the tables in the center were empty, so I found a table with two chairs and sat down looking around.  It seemed no different than any other bar at first, small groups of men and women, some with only men, others with only women and others mixed. 

Genia soon showed up and came over and said hi and a few other pleasantries then said she was going to get a beer and headed to the bar.  I found myself staring at her rear and long legs as she walked away in her tight fitting jeans.  She  stopped along the way to speak to a couple of people then proceeding to the bar. Not wanting to be too obvious about watching her I turned back around, sipping my beer and observing the people around me.  The people seem a little different than what I was accustomed to, well like yeah, I was at a bar, not the Baptist Student Center.  Genia hadn't returned yet, but I didn’t notice for I was absorbed in observing the people when I begin to notice, men holding other men's hands, women holding other women's hands, a woman kissing another woman.  I found it, well, perhaps a little uncomfortable but also interesting. 

With more people arriving, the place begin to fill up when a man came up to my table and asked if he could share it with me, I replied back that I was with a friend and he said okay and walked away.  I looked around for Genia and she was standing a short distance away with a beer in her hand talking with two other women and so I watched them for a minute when Genia looked my way and smiled, then turning back to the women she was talking two and said something and they both looked my way with interesting looks on their faces as Genia turned and walked towards me, sat down and place her beer on the table. 

It was a few minutes before the start of the show so we sat there and talked, of what I don't remember, I was like floating on a cloud, with a beautiful woman sitting next to me.  I had finished my beer and saw that she was mostly finished with hers and asked if she wanted another one and she said yes so I got up and made my way towards the bar.  The bar area had a number of tall tables which all had several men standing around them, odd I thought, no women,  as I weaved my way between the tables I noticed more than a few men looking at me as I approached the bar.  Reaching the bar, the bar tender came over and I ordered two draft beers and  while he was filling them a man next to me asked if I wanted to join him at his table. I politely said thanks, but I'm with a friend. The bartender set the beers in front of me, I paid for them, and then took them back to the table.  Evidently Genia was well liked and known for as I approached the table there were two different women talking with her, one sitting in my chair, the other standing next to her.  As I approached she introduced me to them, with the one in the chair getting up saying to Genia, "We'll talk later."  I sat down placing the beers on the table.  Genia smiled, and said thanks for getting the beer.  I liked when she smiled at me. 

The announcer came on stage and said the show was about to start and what a great show it was going to be tonight. The lights dimmed, the music started and out comes four women  in beautiful burlesque costumes and did a wonderfully choreographed dance. It was followed by several other acts, a singer, a short skit, more dancing, ending with the classical can-can dance with them joining arms and kicking the legs up in the air.  It was really good, I enjoyed it.  I knew from the start they were all men, but like if I had not, I would not have known.  Some did looked a little masculine for a woman, but some not, all were beautiful.

The show ended with Genia and I sitting at the table we talked for a while. It was getting late, which for me meant eleven PM, so I asked Genia if she wanted to go.  She looked at me a second like she was trying to decided and then said she thought she would stay a while longer.  I was disappointed but not surprised, and then telling her I had a good time but it was getting late for me and I was going to head out.  We both stood up and she gave me a hug and said she would see me later and I turned and walked away. Just before exiting, I looked back and her two woman friends were gathered around her.   The following week when I saw Robin at work she asked me how it went with Genia.  I told her a little about seeing her, saying  I had a good time and enjoyed the show.  I then asked Robin if Genia was gay.  Robin response was, "You should ask her."

I saw Genia once more after that.  It was a cold but bright and sunny winter afternoon.  I called Genia up and asked if I could come over to see her, she said yes and gave me her address.  I drove over to her house and found she lived in one room apartment above a garage of someone's house.  I walked up the outside stairs to her apartment, knocked on the door which she answered and said come in, closing the door behind me.  She was dressed plainly, in jeans and a baggy sweater which I found attractive, I could hardly take my eyes off her but managed to and looked around as we walked in.

Her apartment was one big room, jealousy windows on three  sides making the whole room bright and sunny although somewhat cold.  There was a small kitchen on one side, a closed door next to it which I assumed was the bathroom.  Her half made bed was a mattress sitting on the floor, a small table with two chairs, a couch with a end table with a plant on it and a few other furnishings.  The room was not neat but not overly messy with clothes and things scattered around.  She had told me she was majoring in architecture in school and as I look around I could see drawings, paintings and parts of projects around the room.  I liked what I saw.

She asked if I wanted a cup of tea, I said yes and she got up and went to the kitchen area and put some water on to boil, got two mismatched cups off a shelf and place a tea bag in them.  I watched her intently, finding her movements graceful and beautiful.  The kettle soon begin to whistle, she took it off the stove and poured water into the cups and brought the steaming mugs over setting them on the table then sitting  across from me.  We continued talking for awhile, of what I don't remember, I just remember sitting there drinking our tea, talking and thinking how beautiful she was.  With our tea cups empty she said she had to go, she had to meet some other students for a project for school.  I said ok, standing up, she said give her a minute and she would walk out with me. She put the tea cups in the sink, put on a large baggy sweater, picked up a bundle of papers and said she was ready and we headed to the door which I opened for her.  After locking the door, I followed her down the stairs, where I said  I would see her later and we got into our cars and I left.

I do not think Genia was a lesbian for she definitely showed interested in me, but I suspect she was bisexual which intrigued me for I could understand why women would be attracted to other women although I didn't understand what men saw in other men.  It was from my experience with Genia that I begin to question sexuality and relationships.  I wrote in my journal…

One cannot fully develop oneself fully mentally without having a close and intimate relationship with another person. To obtain the max out of the relationship is probably should be with someone of the opposite sex because sexual experience can do much to bring two people together, closer. Whether or not two people of the same sex can achieve the same as a M-F type of relationship I don’t know, but I believe not.

Well I say “I began to question” but in reflection, it probably began when I read Heinlein’s book Stranger in a Strange Land.   My views on sexuality and relationships would change in following years and in time I thought if I would have been born a woman, I would be a lesbian.