Yes, it’s true: NRODT really did assign me
to review Michael Bailey’s book about effeminate men. I urge you to do one, or better yet both, of the
following: (a) get a subscription to NRODT so you can read my review, or
(b) buy Michael’s book. As well as the obvious reasons to buy it (it’s a
good book, full of fascinating observations and, so far as I could discern,
agenda-free), there is also the fact that Michael, the nicest guy you could
ever wish to meet, and a very conscientious researcher, is being vilified by
militant trans-gender extremists. Here is an anecdote about the book. It
happens that Michael and I share the same publisher. We had adjoining
tables at Book Expo America in Los Angeles the other day. The drill is, you
get half an hour at a table in a huge hall, where people line up in front of
the tables to get a free book (this is a trade show) signed by the author.
It’s all timed very precisely by the organizers, as they have a LOT of
authors to get through. Well, I was waiting in the green room with my
publisher’s publicity lady, to do my signing at 12:30. Michael was
scheduled to sign at the same time, but he was late. It got to be 12:15,
12:20, and the publicity lady was getting worried. Derb: “I sure hope he
gets here on time. A long line of angry transsexuals doesn’t bear thinking
about…” Fortunately Michael showed up with a minute to spare.