Book excerpt: My Husband Betty is the first book to explore the relationships of crossdressing men and their female partners. Known traditionally as transvestites, men like Helen Boyd's husband are starting to come out and win the respect of friends, family, and society - even if their behavior still baffles mental health professionals and the crossdressers themselves. Boyd explains the "taxonomy" of the transgendered, the distinct societies within the transgendered community, the effects of the closet, sexuality, and the issues faced by the wives and girlfriends of crossdressing men. Helen's own experience is at the heart of this book, her story complemented and contradicted by interviews with crossdressers, drag queens, "tranny chasers," and other transgendered couples.