Sarah, back to your point in the OP about the media using the term "transgender" synonymously with "transsexual". I think a few pages back I suggested that if the article had been about a crossdressing child, the media might still have used the term "transgender".
This morning I came across an article in Toronto Life about a fairly visible philosophy Professor who teaches at York University (student pop 54,000), in Toronto. He sometimes crossdresses to teach class. Other than the word "naughty" in the article's headline (which I object to, but this might well have been done as a hook), if you read the first paragraph Dr. Gilbert is also characterized as being transgender:
http://www.torontolife.com/features/naughty-professor/
I'm suggesting that we look at a variety of articles, not just the ones who refer to transsexuals as transgenders.
Professor Gilbert has also written an excellent article about what it means to be a "committed crossdresser". This link was posted in another thread by a new member, ElizabethAmy:
The Transgendered Philosopher
Prof Gilbert writes about the meaning of transgender, the controversy, and he also acknowledges there are individuals who dress but who do not fall under the transgender umbrella: "
... female impersonators who look upon dressing as solely connected to their livelihood, actors undertaking roles, individual males and females enjoying a masquerade, and so on."
The above article is well worth reading. It is one of the best articles I've read that defines the various ways of being a crossdresser, even though the bulk of it is Prof Gilbert's own story.