LIFTING THE TRANS-VEIL: Uncovering what life is like for any fringe community can be a challenging task. But when writer and psychotherapist Michael Seabaugh met some transsexuals as part of a UCSB project, he knew their story needed to be told, and soon realized that they too wanted to get the word out. “I found that the transsexuals I met were very eager to talk, as they were aware that ignorance breeds contempt, and they were dedicated to educating the public,” said Seabaugh, who’s lived in this area since 1998. “However, they were very concerned about exposure making them unsafe, even in Santa Barbara.” His story of these “very courageous” souls begins here.