Cross-Dressing Laws
One of Our Battlegrounds
A 13-Year Struggle

Below is an early local example of an arrest for dressing as the opposite sex.
While it was not contested, it documents the early harrassment.

The real battles began in 1967 when the Roaring Sixties,
a women's bar was raided, and is told in this 1980 article.

This fight was also honored with a panel for The Banner Project

The story is also told, by Rita Wanstrom, in this1987 TWT feature.
Download a PDF of the article.

In 1968 The Ladder featured a recap ot the coverage

And the city re-enforced in code their stand

next, the battle shifted from women wearing mens pants to transwomen wanting to dress as women

Richard Anthony Mayes = Toni Rachelle Mayes

Photos courtesy of Houston Public Library, from 1960s, 1972, 1978

But the struggle began anew in 1972 when Toni Mayes was arrested,
and she got a lot of publicity fast

below, end of article

So, Toni Mayes got us only part of the way there...

Link to Toni Mayes Obituary

Phillis Frye picks up the fight, and works quietly behind the scenes...

and the followup, took four years...

And, here's what a talented writer can do with the information on my site....

Brandon Wolf turned it into this excellent article
[you can also find it at This Link]

A special features by
Phyllis Frye (on the cross-dressing ordinance)
20 years later...

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