Last night I was reflecting on the time I hung out on MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village beginning in 1968. It was the time of the hippie-rock and roll and psychedelic culture. Folk music was still going but not like in the early 60s. I felt really comfortable here (didn't know why) and loved the vibes that I felt. Friday and Saturday nights would really buzzing. I didn't walk on MacDougal; I shuffled along because the street would be so packed.
As I reflect I do remember a TGLBQ presence. I've always was drawn to people outside the norm so it was to my liking. On further thought, I wonder if the seed was planted about my gender variance. As I've said many times it was never evident to me until about ten years ago. I was a straight arrow so to speak and I viewed myself in this vein. Something always kept me coming here though. All this happened a year before the famous Stonewall Riots.
I still go to MacDougal Street. Many of my favorite places are gone. Gentrification has ground its teeth into the once avant-garde enclave, however there are still vestiges of 1968. Could those days have been the spawning of my transgender status that I enjoy today?
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