People With Issues

A more ornate, dedicated subset of cross-dressers — “living dolls” or “maskers” — was captured for a British TV documentary in January (likely to appear on U.S. TV soon). “Secrets of the Living Dolls” follows ordinary men (one, a forklift operator by day; another, divorced and 70, whose daughter knows he’s a “doll” but otherwise maintains a “don’t ask, don’t tell” relationship) who come alive several nights a month when they don expensive ($800-$1,800), tailored, head-to-toe silicone bodysuits that feature breasts and genitalia, to party as young, glamorously dressed women. Two of the men lamented the dolls’ lack of full acceptance into the transvestite or transgender communities — though much of that distrust may stem from dolls’ use of masks (perhaps similar to the backlash faced by clowns).