in 1989, as charles r. maguire, she ran unsuccessfully for the city council of houston as a self-described transvestite. during this campaign the american television program a current affair ran a segment on mcguire and the contradictions and difficulties she had as a "cross-dressing" candidate. her transition was filmed for a pbs documentary. "the last days of charles/kathryn mcguire." her son, james, wrote a play about her, "daddy kathryn", which ran at the theater here in new york.