DLV 2006 participant survey report, part 2 ...

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Annie
----------

This is the second of two reports, and gives the textual comments
received on the DLV 2006 participant survey.

These are presented as received with no discussion. I'll comment on some
of these in a separate item.

The activity suggestions and general comments were very mixed in nature,
so they are being combined into one general category here. The restroom
comments appear toward the end.
. . . . . . . . . .

General and activity comments:

In no particular order ...

Those cross-dressing should either dress appropriately for the occassion
with that which a normal member of that sex should wear. No individual
should attend with female wig and male dress or vice versa. Or no wig
and and inappropriate dress. This should group shoud strive for
class. This does not mean expensive!
. . .

Having just attended my first DLV, I know what to expect but at first I
was somewhat confused.
. . .

I had a wonderful time and hope to be able to attend next year. Everyone
was fantastic!
. . .

Not complaining - but I usually come to DLV on a Tuesday and don't get
there until very late afternoon. And DANG, I have missed some of the
most cool things that you do. Example: Death Valley Tour, Lake Mead Boat
Tour, Area 51 tour. I'ma bit of a Nature and history lover and regret
missing those events. Otherwise you girls do a fantastic job !!
. . .

Great job, well done as always !
. . .

Can we have more non-smoking events please. It was getting real bad at
times.
. . .

If someone has a bad 'hair' day, PLEASE bring up the subject, as they
may have a plan B available...
. . .

I think it would be a great idea to include for each activity not only
the start time, but also the estimated end time, that way it should be
more obvious how certain activites can fit together in sequence.
. . .

I was so impressed before attending at how organized and well put
together this was, but when I arrived it was so disorganized. I never
got a name tag. Nobody know where anything was or who anybody was. I
never got a map or schedule. It was a real mess!
. . .

The activity organizers need to have the name tags and sign in sheet
availabe at all activities.
. . .

The Limo Tour might be improved with one less stop and to end at a
designated venue where everyone can mingle. I saw girls on the limo tour
that I didn't see at any other time and this would give the opportunity
to get to know them.
. . .

Limo Tour - eliminate Freemont Street, add either the South end of the
strip Mandalay Bay MGM area or Rio Palms
area.
. . .

Kareoke night at the Imperial Palace front room.
. . .

I would have like to have done both the ballroom dance and English
High-tea but they were scheduled at the same time, so my only suggestion
is to try and avoid having events at the same time, otherwise DLV is the
BEST!
. . .

Need to get the word out somehow so that more people know about DLV
. . .

It would be great to have one event where everyone got together, perhaps
on a Friday. It would be great to meet everyone and get a huge group
pic.
. . .

I like having alternatives happening at the same time, gives everyone
something they like. I did miss one daytime activity Art Tour because I
didn't wake up on time. age??
. . .

I like to see we can maaybe rent a party bus for trip to Soiled Doves.
. . .

In 05 we had a dance night at Krave love to see that again. I miss Mindy
graden party I was thinking maybe we could replace it with picnic or
cookout in a park.
. . .

Confirm dates eariler, August 1
. . .

Only that we will be back for the whole week next year. 4 days too
short....
. . .

When I tell people that I was a part of DLV I say it with pride. I like
to see when someone wants come to DLV that they know we have rules on
dress and how to act When they are with the group. I hate to see the
group go crazy with rules. If was to stand out or look out of place
would like to know. I would feel bad if I wasn't told until after.
. . .

What can I say... well done Ladies. I my Partner and I had a wonderfull
time and shared a lot of experiances with the other girls.
. . .

I attended, as the SO, and spent some time with the other woman chating.
and of course taking pictures. best time I've had in a while..
. . .

I had a GREAT time in Vegas and would do it again in a heartbeat if I
can work it into my schedule
. . .

And just ONE other comment that isn't about Las Vegas There's no suooprt
groups or socila groups for Crossdressers TV gurls in Phoenix ... I
whish I had somewhere to meet other CDs or TVs other than in bars and
night clubs.
. . .

Third time at DLV and the volunteers, attendees and events remain
excellent. The size is being handled effectively with alternatives for
everyone.
. . .

I have the following issues with this survey

Unable to indicate Planned to Attend for the following events Glamour
Boutique Open House, Big Show Pity Party, Happy Hour, Going Away,
Farewell at Hard Rock Cafe. I planned to attend these events, and was
not able to attend them, and would like to have had my survey reflect
that.

You allow a primary means of transportation to DLV activities of
walking, but don't allow walking as a primary means of transportation to
get to DLV itself. This is inappropriate for some locals, though
clearly you didn't expect that answer from non-locals.

I never did see Annie's phone number in the mailing that it was supposed
to appear it -- the one that was not archived online. Had no trouble
reaching Mindy or Nora.
. . .

Screaming Trannies, Hookers on Heat and the femme neutral look need to
be stomped on. They are an embarrassment to us all.

There are also one or two males that never dress properly but love to
hang around. Dress or go home to misquote Charles Barkley.

Specifically many of the taller girls seem to sepcialise in wearing
short skirts that make them look like whores. They need to dress more
appropriately.
. . .

Many thanks to the volunteers that made DLV a success again special
thanks to Annie, Nora, Tootsie and Jamie Renae. Although I was not
feeling up to par and therefore limited in the events that I could
attend, I still had a great time and I am already looking forward to
next year.
. . .

I am neutral on the Sahara because I've stayed there before and knew
exactly what it would be a run-down dump that's seen better days. Hey,
it's cheap, and all things considered it's still better than the IP.
. . .

Just thanks to all the organisers for making this the best girl-time I
have ever had.
. . .

In general, the best DLV of all times!
. . .

I would like to note that Fitzgeralds was my second hotel I stayed at
while visiting the DLV events and would like say I enjoyed it much more
than I did the Sahara. Also I went shopping at a suggested shop Bad
Attitude Boutique and met the owner which was fantastic and very
helpful.
. . .

I'm curious. Question refers to, among others, Crossdresser and
Transvestite. Is not transvestite a Latinized way of saying
crossdresser? TransAcross Vestments Clothing Not criticism.
. . .

I had a Big Sister assigned well prior to the event and had made contact
via email. After arriving and settled into the Sahara I sent an email
to this person, whose hotel-registered name I didn't know, advising her
of my arrival and room number. I never heard from her, but on the final
evening she was pointed out to me. For what it's worth.

[ Moderator's note: Our Big Sister Coordinator would like to know the
details about this (and any other Big Sister issue) so things like this
do not happen again. A note to bigsister@geekbabe.com would be
appreciated. Confidentiality will be assured if requested. ]
. . .

In regard to award ceremonies and plaque presentations, I sugguest that
more consideration be given to the wait staff. Obviously Annie should
be recognized for all her hard work over all the years of Diva Las
Vegas, but I thought it was very inconsiderate of the wait staff to
begin the presentation just as the staff was bringing everyone's dinner
out, not to mention that it was inconsiderate of those waiting for hot
food which was going cold. I'm sure it wasn't intentional
thoughtlessness, but it was thoughtless.
. . .

I was very impressed. Also at how laid back everyone was. I was sitting
right next to the Chief organizer for an hour or so and never knew it.
You have no idea how much differenc you have made in so many girl's
lifes.
. . .

Thanks to ALL fo you wonderful volunteers for what was obviously ALOT of
hard WORK!!!
. . .

The service at the Blue Ox was EXCELLENT.
. . .

You've got to do something about those who don't look somewhat normal in
everyday public. Even insist they go guy mode until they get their act
straight. You need a beginner makeup class at Glamour Boutique. Also
that half guy mode half girl mode stuff has got to stop! One way or the
other, please. Girl mode and no makeup or hair looks AWFUL
. . .

Thanks again for one of the best experiences I have ever had!!!!!!!
. . .

This was Diva Las Vegas number 5 for me. There is no other transgender
event that even comes close ! The format is superior and the execution
is too! The creativity and energy generated is awesome!
. . .

My first DLV was a great experience! I made wonderful friends, and
gained much confidence and knowledge. I laud the organizers for their
efforts.
. . .

Thankyou to all the DLVORG girls! Best time of my life!
. . .

the apparent attempt to keep the group invisable with a couple
exceptions seems to defeat getting the general public to accept
crossdressers. don't go anywhere in groups,don't do anything to
attract attention ect.
. . .

You need to have some kind of a special event for those going out for
the first time or those who are scared. You can't just dump them out
dressed in Main Street and expect them to look and act natural. They are
scared sh*tless and how are they ever going to look natural?
. . .

Those cross-dressing should either dress appropriately for the occassion
with that which a normal member of that sex should wear. No individual
should attend with female wig and male dress or vice versa. Or no wig
and and inappropriate dress. This should group shoud strive for class.
This does not mean expensive!
. . . . . . . . . .

Restroom comments, again, no particular order ...

Being Post op. Welllllll..
. . .

Is there any way you could make arrangements for safe potty breaks at
some of the things?
. . .

The only issue I had was that you were so snarky about it that I was
afraid to use them even at the gay bars. Is it necessary to scare us
away from them?
. . . . . . . . . .

Again, thanks to everybody who participated in DLV, and thanks to those
who gave us their most valuable input via this survey! :)


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(This posting was entered by Annie, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Annie
----------

>And just ONE other comment that isn't about Las Vegas There's no suooprt
>groups or socila groups for Crossdressers TV gurls in Phoenix ... I
>whish I had somewhere to meet other CDs or TVs other than in bars and
>night clubs.

One of our volunteers has contact information for three Phoenix area
groups. If you are interested, please write to dlv@geekbabe.com and
we will get the information to you.


----------
(This posting was entered by Annie, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Annie
----------

These are some of my comments to the various survey comments ...

From an organizer's perspective, the verbal (textual) comments are
most helpful in that they give us feedback that we can act upon.

Although the comments cover many topics, there are a few recurring
themes, which indicate some items of concern that are shared among
several of the attendees, including ...

Appropriate dress ...

>Those cross-dressing should either dress appropriately for the
>occassion with that which a normal member of that sex should wear.

>Screaming Trannies, Hookers on Heat and the femme neutral look need to
>be stomped on. They are an embarrassment to us all.

>Specifically many of the taller girls seem to sepcialise in wearing
>short skirts that make them look like whores. They need to dress more
>appropriately.

First of all, I'm sure (I sure HOPE anyway) that all of these refer to
mainstream venues and not things like NSD and the Alternative Bar Crawl,
where appropriate dress does include things like mini, fishnets, 6"
heels worn by somebody who is 6'12". :)

This indicates that even though we have given attention to dress that is
appropriate for time, place, and circumstance, some believe that this is
still an issue.

Although the group as a whole has made a commendable improvement from
2003 to this day, when only just a few dress in a manner that attracts
attention, members of the group who are dressed properly are also the
target of this attention, and want something to be done about it.

In 2006 we had our first and only case of telling somebody who was
dressed inappropriately to leave. Hopefully this will not repeat.

There's also a recurring theme regarding an issue with those who either
try to be very natural or else try to adopt a neutral or unisex ("Pat
look"?) type of look:

>No individual should attend with female wig and male dress or vice
>versa. Or no wig and and inappropriate dress. This should group shoud
>strive for class. This does not mean expensive!

>You've got to do something about those who don't look somewhat normal
>in everyday public. Even insist they go guy mode until they get their
>act straight. ... Also that half guy mode half girl mode stuff has got
>to stop! One way or the other, please. Girl mode and no makeup or hair
>looks AWFUL

>... and the femme neutral look need to be stomped on.

Not to show my true age, but I've observed this look now for over 30
years, and in many cases it's done by somebody who is considering
jumping on the transition track and wants to exchew such things as
makeup, wigs, padding, etc.

Unfortunately, this look very seldom "works" and it's been my
observation that those who try it are often totally oblivious
to the fact that the look does not work.

Pardon the length of this, please ...

GGs are often lucky enough to be able to get away with a short hairstyle
that requires little maintenance, minimal or no makeup, no padding or
control, and still present a feminine image, but it is extremely rare
for a MtoF TG to adequately present such an image without a little help.

The MtoF TG (still) has the 46,XY karyotype, and along with it such
things as a larger frame, the masculine skeleton, body and facial hair,
a typically larger face with stronger features and a coarser complexion,
larger hands and feet, and the tendency toward pattern baldness.

The MtoF TG will almost always need to compensate for these in order
to present a truly feminine image, using many techniques, including
a hairstyle that is unquestionably feminine, use of cosmetics to
adequately cover the beard shadow, and the presentation of a distinctly
feminine figure, using a combination of such things as padding, control,
and garment selection.

Unfortunately, if these items are not followed, the result is that the
image is that of a guy. :(

There's a concern about general personal appearance when with the group,
and the concern about giving or not giving feedback or constructive
criticism on the spot ...

>If someone has a bad 'hair' day, PLEASE bring up the subject, as they
>may have a plan B available...

One of the hardest things to do is to tell somebody that their look is
just not working. It's something that I'm afraid to do, having had my
head bitten off a few times when I've tried it. :(

I would love it if we could somehow adjust the culture of DLV to allow
us to more freely and honestly give and accept constructive criticism.

Any ideas? Thoughts?

Oh well ...

These next two items suggest some means that may help.

>... You need a beginner makeup class at Glamour Boutique.

>You need to have some kind of a special event for those going out for
>the first time or those who are scared. You can't just dump them out
>dressed in Main Street and expect them to look and act natural. They
>are scared sh*tless and how are they ever going to look natural?

I think that may be a good suggestion. Perhaps something like a beginner
"basic face" session at GB done as early in the DLV week as possible.
. . .

>There are also one or two males that never dress properly but love to
>hang around. Dress or go home to misquote Charles Barkley.

As far as I remember, it's always been cool to do almost any DLV
activity in boymode. I don't want to see this change, either officially
or by peer pressure. We've had attendees do boymode exclusively or part
time each year since 1997.

IMAO, having some present in boymode is a Good Thing<tm> and helps to
balance the group.

Also, IMAO, those who were present in boymode this year and during the
past few years have been quite "normal" in appearance. Thinking back,
one was always dressed casual-casual, appropriate for almost all venues
we used for DLV. (Might not be cool for High Tea, but ...) The other I
rememeber I would describe as "smart casual", and again, quite
appropriate.
. . . . .

Another semi-recurring theme does point to an "opportunity for
improvement" with regard to some organizational details.

>The activity organizers need to have the name tags and sign in sheet
>availabe at all activities.

.. and ...

>I was so impressed before attending at how organized and well put
>together this was, but when I arrived it was so disorganized. I never
>got a name tag. ...

This is indeed one area where we dropped the ball, and I'll take my
share of the blame for it. For two activities "check-in available" I
failed to pick up a check-in kit and had to tell people that they could
not check in. >>>SPANK!<<< :( This happened at other activities too,
unfortunately.

However, it still amazes me how many responses we've received over the
years on the survey that indicate that several are totally aware of
many of the important things. Maps, directions, phone numbers, Big
Sisters, roommates, the Discussion Forum, etc. My only conclusion is
that a certain number of our attendees just blow off reading anything
(including things like this) and show up with no clue of what is going
on.

>... Nobody know where anything was or who anybody was. I never got a
>map or schedule. It was a real mess!

<bitchmode>
You didn't get a (hardcopy) map and schedule because we didn't hand
out maps and schedules. Yes, quite a few people had them, but that was
because they followed instructions and printed them out. These were
sent out in the Large Final Mailing. Word of this was repeated
countless times in the mailings prior to DLV.
</bitchmode>

If you indeed did not get the Large Final Mailing, something is wrong
and we need to take a look at it.
. . . . .

And next a few various comments and suggestions on activities.

>Kareoke night at the Imperial Palace front room.

Actually, I have been told that this will be discontinued shortly, if it
has not been already, as they work toward the demolition/rebuild of the
properties in that area.

I think this is the first year in quite a while that we did not have at
least one karaoke session. We'll keep this in mind for next year.

I'm sure there are many Karaoke options, both mainstream and
alternative, in the area. We'll be sure to bring this up in ORG
this coming year.
. . .

>It would be great to have one event where everyone got together,
>perhaps on a Friday. It would be great to meet everyone and get a huge
>group pic.

We've sure tried, but ...

Our two largest activities this year were the Suede dinner on Monday and
the Bahama Breeze on Friday. Those only drew about 55-60% of the DLV
people and were SRO at that level. The most we've ever been able to get
together at once has been about 70-75%. Since our people arrive and
depart continuously, we'll never have more than about 80% available at
any time, and of those 80%, some have other interests or just don't want
to attend what's going on.

I would love to see at least one maximum-attendance activity at DLV, but
to make it happen, somebody's gonna have to plan something that appeals
to everybody. It will have to be "safe" enough for those who are still
shy about the public, but not cloistered to the degree that it will
discourage those who are avowedly mainstream. It will also have to have
some kind of theme or "hook" that will attract our people to it. "Free
beer" might work ... :)

As for a group photo, this is the first year since 2000 that we haven't
tried it. The group keeps getting larger and larger, and it requires
more and more room, and as we get larger it takes longer to get
everybody posed, and we hear more and more grumbling each year, and
this year nobody wanted to take on the task despite it being mentioned
in ORG several times.

The most we've ever seemed to get in any of these photos is maybe about
50% of those actually in town at the time.

If somebody wants to give this a shot in 2007, I'm all for it.
. . .

And, some different views on multi-tracking ...

>I like having alternatives happening at the same time, gives everyone
>something they like.

>Third time at DLV and the volunteers, attendees and events remain
>excellent. The size is being handled effectively with alternatives for
>everyone.

For the most part, simultaneous activities work well. It increases
overall participation and it breaks the large group up into more
manageable chunks.

It works well, except in cases like ...

>I would have like to have done both the ballroom dance and English
>High-tea but they were scheduled at the same time, so my only
>suggestion is to try and avoid having events at the same time,
>otherwise DLV is the BEST!

That is one disadvantage to multi-tracking. Some people want to do more
than one thing that's happening at the same time.

However, I think the advantages of multi-tracking outweigh the
disadvantages. I think the answer to this is to be sure that we do
not, year after year, multi-track the same things against each other.
. . .

>In 05 we had a dance night at Krave love to see that again.

This was brought up several times to the ORG group. The only reason it
didn't happen is that nobody volunteered to coordinate it.

I would suggest that if something like that is a priority for you, join
the ORG group and volunteer to make that happen again.

>I miss Mindy graden party ...

This was one activity that made DLV unique. The "kids, dogs, and
neighbors" aspect made this one special, and I'm afraid that the
setting for this will probably never be duplicated.

This was nice while it lasted. There have been some ideas, such as a
condo courtyard, but nothing's ever come to fruition.

>I was thinking maybe we could replace it with picnic or cookout in a
>park.

There may be a legal complication regarding doing any of our activities
in a public park in Clark County. If you (or anybody) want details of
this, write me off line.
. . .

And a few comments on the survey itself ...

>I have the following issues with this survey

>Unable to indicate Planned to Attend for the following events Glamour
>Boutique Open House, Big Show Pity Party, Happy Hour, Going Away,
>Farewell at Hard Rock Cafe. I planned to attend these events, and was
>not able to attend them, and would like to have had my survey reflect
>that.

I think this is just a misunderstanding of what that "Planned to attend"
box was meant for. We should probably change that to "Signed up but did
not attend", since the purpose was to track the number of those who
signed up for certain activities but did not show. This checkbox only
appeared on the activities that required a sign-up on the web or some
other kind of a hoop-jump.

>You allow a primary means of transportation to DLV activities of
>walking, but don't allow walking as a primary means of transportation
>to get to DLV itself. This is inappropriate for some locals, though
>clearly you didn't expect that answer from non-locals.

Yes, we should probably add a "local" option to this question,
indicating no significant travel to the setting of DLV itself. This was
really intended to track how many flew vs. how many drove vs. train/bus,
etc. (Hmmmm ... Since Las Vegas no longer has commercial rail service,
we should probably remove that option.)

>I never did see Annie's phone number in the mailing that it was
>supposed to appear it -- the one that was not archived online. Had no
>trouble reaching Mindy or Nora.

You didn't get Annie's number because Annie was not one of the contact
people this year. :) Nora and Mindy were. :)

>I'm curious. Question refers to, among others, Crossdresser and
>Transvestite. Is not transvestite a Latinized way of saying
>crossdresser? TransAcross Vestments Clothing Not criticism.

For the survey, we are tracking only what people say they are, and not
attempting to define the terms. There's a lot of overlap and overloading
of these terms, as well as differing, even contradictory meanings of
some of these at times.
. . . . .

>the apparent attempt to keep the group invisable with a couple
>exceptions seems to defeat getting the general public to accept
>crossdressers. don't go anywhere in groups, don't do anything to
>attract attention ect.

I do hear what you're saying, but ...

Public outreach has never been a purpose of DLV. However, we want to put
forth as positive an image as we can, and in that light, the majority do
want (the group as a whole and the individuals within) to appear as
"normal" as they possibly can.

I did watch two of our people conduct what I might call an "outreach
ministry" on Fremont Street one night. That's fine, if they want to do
it, and it appeared to be received positively, but that does not appear
to be what the majority want to do.

Our group will never be totally invisible. However, what I've been
hearing over the past 10 years very consistently is that the vast
majority of our attendees want to be as nonobvious as possible and
want to enjoy their vacation without being perceived as some kind of
a sideshow. (If I'm wrong with this observation, please correct me.)
. . . . .

Restrooms. In general, I think everbody deserves a big round of thanks
this year for the lack of any significant issues or incidents. This
makes the whole event more enjoyable for all.

>Is there any way you could make arrangements for safe potty breaks at
>some of the things?

One thing that's been suggested several times is that we seek out and
list as many unisex, family, lockable one-holers and out of the way
restrooms as we can.

However, that will take a fair bit of busy work. Not to sound like a
broken record (stuck CD?) but if anybody sees something like this as
a priority, please do it.

You don't need anybody's permission to do this, just do some legwork,
make a list, and report your findings. I'm sure your efforts will be
sincerely appreciated.
. . .

>The only issue I had was that you were so snarky about it that I was
>afraid to use them even at the gay bars. Is it necessary to scare us
>away from them?

Our intent was never to scare anybody away from using a restroom when
they indeed need to take a bio break.

We do, however, need to make everybody aware that this is indeed a
very serious issue, and it is one that has totally spoiled several
individuals' enjoyment of DLV over the years.

You note "even at the gay bars" ... it's just as important to use
restrooms properly at the "alternative" venues as it is in the
mainstream venues. Two of our first restroom incidents occurred at
Keys (since closed) in 1998 and at the Freezone in 2000.

>Being Post op. Welllllll..

Uh, well? :)
. . . . . . . . . .

But by far, the most recurring theme of all years that we've done this
survey is reflected in the comments below.

These are the words that let us know that we are indeed doing something
right.

I'm sure I speak for the entire ORG group when I say that these are
always valued and appreciated, every last one of them. ...

>I had a wonderful time and hope to be able to attend next year.
>Everyone was fantastic!
. . .

>Great job, well done as always !
. . .

>When I tell people that I was a part of DLV I say it with pride. I like
>to see when someone wants come to DLV that they know we have rules on
>dress and how to act When they are with the group. I hate to see the
>group go crazy with rules. If was to stand out or look out of place
>would like to know. I would feel bad if I wasn't told until after.
. . .

>What can I say... well done Ladies. I my Partner and I had a
>wonderfull time and shared a lot of experiances with the other girls.
. . .

>I had a GREAT time in Vegas and would do it again in a heartbeat if I
>can work it into my schedule
. . .

>Just thanks to all the organisers for making this the best girl-time I
>have ever had.
. . .

>In general, the best DLV of all times!
. . .

>You have no idea how much differenc you have made in so many girl's
>lifes.
. . .

>Thanks to ALL fo you wonderful volunteers for what was obviously ALOT
>of hard WORK!!!
. . .

>Many thanks to the volunteers that made DLV a success again special
>thanks to Annie, Nora, Tootsie and Jamie Renae. Although I was not
>feeling up to par and therefore limited in the events that I could
>attend, I still had a great time and I am already looking forward to
>next year.
. . .

>This was Diva Las Vegas number 5 for me. There is no other transgender
>event that even comes close ! The format is superior and the execution
>is too! The creativity and energy generated is awesome!
. . .

>My first DLV was a great experience! I made wonderful friends, and
>gained much confidence and knowledge. I laud the organizers for their
>efforts.
. . .

>Thankyou to all the DLVORG girls! Best time of my life!
. . .

>Thanks again for one of the best experiences I have ever had!!!!!!!


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(This posting was entered by Annie, an external user of MyDLV.)