What if scenarios - the other side of the coin

[Toni_Lynn]

Because I am the person that I am, I have to present this scenario as a thought starter.

What if as part of a nationwide curriculum all high school students where required to crossdress for a semester as a part of a required gender studies class. All boys must dress as a girls and girls as boys, and live 24x7 as the opposite of their birth-sex. Would you support such a thing?

Even more important, what if you had a son or daughter who refused to crossdress as a part of this school work, even though you, yourself, crossdress. Their unwillingness to participate would lead to failing the class and would screw up their chances for university. It would classify them as 'weirdos' among their peers. Would you support them? Would you force them to comply if they were forced to crossdress?

While it is definitely the stuff of CD fantasy, I feel that given some of the trends within schools about teaching an all-inclusive curriculum that covers same-sex relationships and parenting, it is more probable than the mental illness classification of/ or making illegal the practice of crossdressing touted by some as an 'it will happen' fact.

Huggles

Toni-Lynn

[Shikyo]

No, I really don't think something like that would be good. As a idea it seems nice, but as forced it's not good. The people will start to hate which might lead to even bigger hatred towards cross dressers.

What I think would be better would be optional participation into something like this. That way there will be no hatred developing because of its force nature. This way I'm sure more than just real cross dressers would actually join a class like that.

[Holly]

No I would NOT support something like that. Forcing someone into a gender role they are not willing to be in would be counter-productive. Really, isn't that what we are fighting against... being forced into gender roles that we do not want?

[Daintre]

This thought is certainly one of fantasy. To force people into gender roles they do not nor ever wanted is both heavy handed and and naive. We have chosen this lifestyle, certainly not forced into it. I am sure this would make a good fiction story, but it has no place in real life.

[windycissy]

It's an absurd suggestion, of course, but there is a grain of truth in something Jenni said: "to force people into gender roles they do not nor ever wanted" is exactly what society tries to do to sissies and tomboys...

[Marshchild]

What an interesting idea! I shall certainly be adding it to my list of schemes to implement when I am Emperor of the World.

[Carly D.]

At the time I would have avoided this class as if it were the plague, although I would have wanted to be in it (both semesters, failed the first time and then retake it) and I'm sure my parents would have said the same, NO...

If it were up to me I would have taken the class and now I really would have taken the class.. to dress fem for 18 weeks would be just alright.. I know it would be a deeper class than just wearing womens clothes as I know being a woman is more than just wearing certain articles of clothing..

[Toni_Lynn]

It's an absurd suggestion, of course, but there is a grain of truth in something Jenni said: "to force people into gender roles they do not nor ever wanted" is exactly what society tries to do to sissies and tomboys...

Exactement! It is absurd, as absurd as the suggestions that wicked professionals and 'care'-givers are out there with a clandestine plan to force us to be who we aren't.

I guess my overall point here is that if we lop the extremes off the bell-curve of the gender-expression spectrum, we end up with the real life situations that we can and must deal with. As far as I am concerned, the core of that is just living your life, being true to yourself, and being the best CDer that you can be. There are real day to day challenges and fears to be faced that are far more important than trying to be a real life Don Quixote at battle with windmills.

Huggles

Toni-Lynn

[Lorileah]

Fascinating idea.

In my area the "force" the students to take on the role of being a parent for a week. They have electronic babies that need care like a real infant. The idea is to stop teen pregnancy. Doesn't work, the back seat of that Chevy is a lot more powerful than the course.

So forcing kids to crossdress (Not such a big deal for girls anyway) would be an interesting experiment but nothing more. There is a lot more to this than the clothes. We would have to force the females to make rude comments and sexual advancements. We would have to have the guys be mentally held down, feel less than human (try and stop teenage testosterone). A few guys would make a mockery of it.

Would you make them be homeless for a semester also?

I don't have children but I would hope I would have raised them to be independent thinkers and questioners. I would want them to be the ones who decide on their own that they were going to dress the whole semester. If they failed they did it on their own merits and beliefs. In our world, that degree from Harvard may get you in the door but that degree from polytech can get you as good a job. Besides I don't want my kids joining the skull and whatever club.

I miss the 60's (although I was just a pup) where everyone questioned authority and believed that everyone was equal. Unfortunately most of those people are now conformists who have gotten away from the Utopian society they once craved in order to be just like everyone else. Seems to me that most the clothes back then were sorta feminine too

[sometimes_miss]

Hmm, forcing kids into uncomfortable situations in the hope that they'll remarkably become more enlightened? For how long??????? Nope, not a good idea. Keep trying, I'm sure you'll come up with a better one.

[Angie G]

I would support my child either way they wanted to go on this. And I'd wish I was back in school.:hugs:
Angie

[Toni_Lynn]

Hmm, forcing kids into uncomfortable situations in the hope that they'll remarkably become more enlightened? For how long??????? Nope, not a good idea. Keep trying, I'm sure you'll come up with a better one.

I'm not saying that I advocate this in any way shape or form. What I am pointing out is the absurdity of even the thought of it as contrasted with thoughts that there are people out there seeking to 'criminalise' crossdressing (aka declare it a mental illness).

I am as well, however, asking that just as we would rebel against efforts to put us down, would we not also rebel if the opposite was true and a person was forced to crossdress. Would we as those actively pursuing our lifestyle support those who would defy efforts to make them pursue it.

Huggles

Toni-Lynn

[Joanne f]

I have always thought that one of the main ways forward to getting fun acceptance of wearing what you like needs to start at schools as in doing away with uniforms for boys and uniforms for girls to just a straight uniforms for a school , but i would not agree with the prospect of it being enforced in any way even for a short time but would be quite happy for any to do it voluntary.

[Alice B]

Can not support. Other kids would be brutal to those that participated and parents would be up in arms. As much as we all want acceptance and support, the reality is that such a program would do more harm than good.

[Toni_Lynn]

Can not support. Other kids would be brutal to those that participated and parents would be up in arms.

Ah -- but -- what I am getting at is a what if that crossdressing and gender studies were an accepted part of society and someone chose to 'opt-out' by rebelling and not CDing, just as we 'opt-out' of the gender norm. Then what. How would you feel?

Huggles

Toni-Lynn

[GaleWarning]

I'm not manipulative, so no, I cannot support the idea.

Also, in my experience, forcing people to do things they do not wish to do always produces the exact opposite effect to that envisaged by the person who dreamed up the notion.

I believe it would lead to more hard-line opposition to CDing, not more acceptance!

[Kate Simmons]

I had actually envisioned such a world Toni and there is one on another dimensional tier. If the "norm" there were for everyone to crossdress (as we see it), there would of course be those who would buck the system. I strongly suspect some of our counterparts(fractions of ourselves exist in the multiverse) on that world would be the ones to do it as we (and they) seem to be "natural born" rebels of the "status quo".:)