Crossdresser or Transvestite

[RachelPortugal]

I have often wondered why the term crossdresser has been adopted by this "community" rather than transvestite.

I had thought about it from an etymological aspect as crossdresser is of Germanic origin and transvestite is Latin, but we use other Latin origin terms transgender, transexual, transition.

I personally do not like the term "crossdresser" but use it because that seems to be the done thing now. When did we stop being transvestites?

Rachael

[Felicity O]

I too wonder this sometimes, as I personally don't have a preference. Most people I know usually say "Tranny" instead of "transvestite", but generally use "crossdressers."

[Mandy]

[SIZE="3"]Sorry

But I prefer the term crossdresser, as I dress as a woman Part time.

Transvestite, makes me feel sick just typing the word, its a nasty horrid Slang term that gets blown out of all proportions.[/SIZE]

[Loni]

terms like

"transvestite" brings to mind the classic guy in a black corset and skimpy panties, torn nylons with a whip, doing kinky gay sex.

"cross dresser" brings to mind a guy trying very much to look and act like a real woman.

but in fact they are the same words just from different worlds.


Loni

.

[Ms Jennifer]

I think crossdress is a non-sexaul theme no matter what your oreintation is. Where transvestite seems to be dressing purely for sex. Thats why I enjoy this site so much since it is dedicated to dressing up.Then you can go do whatever thing you do after .

[Edwina]

[SIZE="3"]Sorry

But I prefer the term crossdresser, as I dress as a woman Part time.

Transvestite, makes me feel sick just typing the word, its a nasty horrid Slang term that gets blown out of all proportions.[/SIZE]

I feel the same an I don't really know why. A while ago I posted in a local (for me) TG site and I introduced myself as a cross dresser and asked if there any others like me as the majority of contributers seemed to be transitioning or post op.
I received one reply in which the writer used transvestite a number of times in reference to me and I felt somehow dirty. I cannot even remember the gist of her post but it certainly wasn't a warm welcome and I have never gone back.
Perhaps one reason for my distaste for the word is due to it being used in the press whenever some pervert in a dress does something to warrent media attention. It is never used in a positive sense.

[Joanne f]

I guess it is one of those personal things as they really both mean the same but i do not like the term Transvestite because it is used as an insult by other people like (look there's a, or that Tranny).
I am 3G (3rd Gender) so which ever way you look at it i am never cross dressing (well that's my excuse)

[Jess81CD]

I always saw transvestite as someone who is more closely associated with transgender where as crossdresser is someone who wears the clothes off the opposite gender.

I know from one of the other threads that i'm in the minority in this thinking.

I call myself a crossdresser mainly because i don't think i'm good enough at it to call myself a transvestite

As for what we should call ourselves? anything you fancy!

[BRANDYJ]

The term transvestite is clinical sounding and usually is thought of as a sickness. The newer term crossdresser or cross dresser (never know what spelling is right...my spell check says 'crossdresser is incorrect) anyway, it sounds less clinical and nicer to me. I do not like the word transvestite.

[Billie1]

[SIZE="3"]Transvestite is the classic terms used for many years to describe one who wears the clothing of the opposite gender. It seems to carry with it a sexual/fetish connotation, much along the lines of The Rocky Horror Show. It is the same ilk as 'Drag Queen', which is, as we know it, over-the-top crossdressing.

Crossdressing, and more recently and dare I say it, more PC, transgendered, are softer terms that seem to include more of the lifestyle characteristics that many members of our community here seem to share. They are less threatening terms that I only can hope that are more readily acceptable to mainstream culture, and may, someday, lead to a greater acceptance in general society.

Be well,
Billie [/SIZE]

[charlytuna]

go and google tranvestite and see what come up. To me that what tranny means to me . I myself is a crossdresser, which seem to fit for me

[Natalia]

Most people I know usually say "Tranny"

That word, in the LGBT community, is viewed (and rightly so) as the gender equivilant of the N word in racial parlance.

[PretzelGirl]

Rachael, one thing you aren't seeing here is someone bringing up locale. In Europe, it seems that transvestite has become a more normal term. In the US, as you can see from a number of posts here, transvestite has been used as a derogatory term in the past.

I can relate as before I came here, I didn't call myself a transvestite because of the ways I had heard it and tranny used in the past. So it seems that for us in the US, crossdressers is a more mellow, middle of the road term that hasn't been dragged through the mud.

[Joanne f]

I call myself a crossdresser mainly because i don't think i'm good enough at it to call myself a transvestite

As for what we should call ourselves? anything you fancy!

You may not go to the same extreme as some of the others but you are still as good as anyone else to call yourself whatever you like

[Frédérique]

The term transvestite is clinical sounding and usually is thought of as a sickness. The newer term crossdresser or cross dresser (never know what spelling is right...my spell check says 'crossdresser is incorrect) anyway, it sounds less clinical and nicer to me. I do not like the word transvestite

[SIZE="2"]Oh, it’s going to be one of those argumentative days – I can feel it…

Personally, I prefer to think of myself as a transvestite. I have absolutely no problem with the term – it doesn’t feel clinical, and the very sound of it doesn’t make me sick. I am a transvestite, OK? Can you deal with that? I always smile when I hear the word “tranny,” so I guess I don’t take things so seriously. To me, the word crossdresser sounds like a general term (just look around and see how many different types of crossdressers are here, for instance), while the word transvestite is very specific and describes my lifestyle to a “T.” So far, since I’ve been here, this is the 8th or 9th discussion of definitions along these lines. Everybody has their own idea of what they are comfortable with, so let’s just leave it at that…[/SIZE]

[Vicki-Z]

Myself, I don’t like labels at all.

On one hand we say how unfair it is to us that society wants to label people as 100 % male or 100% female and there is no room for us, then on the other hand we try to label ourselves. We are so concerned about whether we are transsexuals, crossdressers, transgender, transsexual, etc.

I say let’s just be us. Let’s forget worrying about labels and be the person we are inside. Lets live our lives and just be happy being us.


Vicki

[PortiaHoney]

Hi Rachael.

As others have pointed out, Tranvestite is a term used freely in Europe and without derogatory undertones. Unfortunately, in many other parts of the world it has been used to undermine and belittle those of our portion in the gender spectrum.

I do not like, nor appreciate being called a Transvestite. For me it is a very medical description of a person who purely dresses for sexual gratification and that is the end of it, until the next session. I do not "dress" for sexual gratification and for that portion of my life where it did take on sexual overtones, it was still not the drive for my behaviour. I purely did not fully understand why I was driven to do what I did.

Now, with more maturity, I have come to the realisation that I am Transgendered. I identify with being a person not of my birth gender. It is not something I do for kicks, which is the main reason behind the definition of Transvestite. Psychology has come a lot further than the early days when categories were fewer and far more general in meaning.

I did identify as being a crossdresser (the reason spell check accepts the seperated words is because cross and dresser are identified seperately and the correct term crossdresser is not. You can always add it to your dictionary - and I am not angry about my dressing) for many years. The reason behind this was that I could not accept that I did what I did purely for gratification. If that was the case, then I would have accepted the label of Tranvestite. The feelings of loss when having to go back to my male life were extreme.

Ultimately, it's what you are comfortable with. If you are happy as being a Transvestite, then that's ok. Crossdresser carries less negative connotations with it, but mainly from not being so frequently abused by all and sundry.

Personally, I am a woman, who just requires a bit of adjusting of the vessel carrying me around this world. Transwoman and Trangendered are just labels that help clear up any confusion about my actual situation.

Above all, remember to have fun.
huggs
Portia

[Tina B.]

A Rose by any other name, would it not smell as sweet? Call me a cross dresser, Transvestite, or guy in a dress, I just don't see the difference. When it gets down to it, anyone that has a problem with cross dressers is not going to care what you call it, they are still going to think of you as some kind of pervert, and the ones that don't have a problem with it, well I say let them call it what ever they feel comfortable with.

[Sarah Doepner]

Will break my bones.

What was the book? "Everything I need to know I learned in Kindergarten". There have been way too many people with our general view of gender harmed by unknowing, unfeeling or angry jerks. We need to be aware of that, because it it part of our world if we choose to go out in public. We also have seen the negative impact this has on some marriages and relationships between parents and children or in the work place. There are, without doubt, many who are not just unaware but offended by people like those of us on this forum. And they can act in unpredictable or even violent ways.

But words won't hurt me. On the other hand, we have seen a great number of folks who are okay with the idea or even support us. Just like we span the gender continum, so do the attitudes of everyone else. It's good to be aware when the words are a precursor to violence, but most of the time, (I think) it's just evidence of ignorance. Two very different things. Addressing the unknowing with good information may prevent the move toward fear and eventual violence. One way to do that is to first defuse those bomb-like words. We've seen it in other movements. At one time "Queer" was a very loaded negative term, until some in that community adopted it and it lost much of its power as a hate word.

Call me a crossdresser, a transvestite, tranny, girly-man, male-dyke, mister-sister, he-she, it or whatever. It bounces off me and sticks to you. Particularly if I behave myself and don't throw a fit. And if it produces a teachable moment, even better.

[celeste26]

Well it seems the mind does play tricks with us. Since transvestite and cross dresser are virtually the same thing from different origins the way we feel about those terms comes from either our own minds or from the social milieu we come from and is not contained within the words themselves. Objectively there is no difference at all.

I say use whichever term feels better and get over those preconceived notions built into our own minds.

[2B Natasha]

[SIZE="2"]Oh, it’s going to be one of those argumentative days – I can feel it…

Personally, I prefer to think of myself as a transvestite. I have absolutely no problem with the term – it doesn’t feel clinical, and the very sound of it doesn’t make me sick. I am a transvestite, OK? Can you deal with that? I always smile when I hear the word “tranny,” so I guess I don’t take things so seriously. To me, the word crossdresser sounds like a general term (just look around and see how many different types of crossdressers are here, for instance), while the word transvestite is very specific and describes my lifestyle to a “T.” So far, since I’ve been here, this is the 8th or 9th discussion of definitions along these lines. Everybody has their own idea of what they are comfortable with, so let’s just leave it at that…[/SIZE]

Amen sister. Took the very words right out of my mouth.

Natasha

[minalost]

terms like

"transvestite" brings to mind the classic guy in a black corset and skimpy panties, torn nylons with a whip, doing kinky gay sex.

"cross dresser" brings to mind a guy trying very much to look and act like a real woman.

but in fact they are the same words just from different worlds.


Loni

.

This is my opinion too.

The term transvestite is clinical sounding and usually is thought of as a sickness. The newer term crossdresser or cross dresser (never know what spelling is right...my spell check says 'crossdresser is incorrect) anyway, it sounds less clinical and nicer to me. I do not like the word transvestite.

Also this one...

Well it seems the mind does play tricks with us. Since transvestite and cross dresser are virtually the same thing from different origins the way we feel about those terms comes from either our own minds or from the social milieu we come from and is not contained within the words themselves. Objectively there is no difference at all.

I say use whichever term feels better and get over those preconceived notions built into our own minds.

And this one! You girls all beet me to the good answers!

[Wen4cd]

While it might seem that the terms are almost interchangable, (and while it is also often quite laughable and amusing to see what definitive distinctions people here come up with,) I think the thing is that 'transvestite' just has a slightly more grotesque connotation than does 'crossdresser.' 'Transvestite' is an older word, with a long history of imagery and usage, and a lot more connotative associations.

[Rianna Humble]

I have often wondered why the term crossdresser has been adopted by this "community" rather than transvestite.

Even though etymologically the two terms are very similar, I don't really like ...ite or ...tic words - they try to define pwople in terms of one aspect of their person.

Although I come from Europe where the term is less well received, I prefer to say "I cross-dress" rather than "I am a transvestite". However, I have had people from this country tell me that CD is a dirty word and I am really a transvestite.

I maintain that I am not defined by what I do any more than by what ails me. First and foremost, I am a human being. Any other label is just trying to reduce me to what someone else wants me to be. That is why I refuse to be "a diabetic" although I do "have diabetes".

Why don't we just use labels for what they are best used for - sending stuff through the post?

[Jessy]

I often wondered this too, so I once looked it up. Travesty is indeed a much older word, but often related to sexual fetishism. In the USA apparently a group of people found they didn't belong in this term, and came up with the term crossdressing, for people who just like dressing in cloths of the opposite sex without some sexual motivation.

I don't know if this goes for all Europe, but in my region the term crossdressing is completely unknown. It's all defined as travesty, and unfortunately travesty does have the same image to the outside world as it does in the USA (fetishism, "over-the-top" as someone said before). I think it might actually make crossdressers here more uncomfortable and closeted, because I can't seem to find any communities or groups about them. And it's hard to believe there aren't any...