The next generation?

[Ze xx]

I have been involved in a couple of conversations recently about friends sons who, at the ripe old age of 4-6 like nothing better than to dress up as fairies or princesses. It was on a thread on a parenting forum that I'm on and also today my dd's school had a 'weird wednesday' where they get to dress up as something weird. One of dd's boy-chums went in as a girl, and his mum said that he does it all the time.

As a result of these conversations (none of whom know my stance on cding btw) it seems that the prevailing attitude amongst the mothers is to let them get on with it, it's either something that they're going to grow out of, or something that's inate in them anyway. (The fathers tend to be the ones to say 'no you're a boy, you do not dress in girls clothes').

My SO started to dress at around that sort of age, and of course he was told that it was 'wrong'. So although it didn't stop him, he did it in secret. The mothers that I've spoken to recently are more likely to say, hey you want to wear a dress, here, knock yourself out!

So, hopefully, it's a way forward for future cder/transgenders (whatever, not making any distinctions here) to be both more accepting of themselves and more accepted in society. May come a bit late for some of you, but it shows me that in much the same way as now most people would accept their gay son, will it really be that long before the tg son/daughter is more easily accepted. :)

[Krista1985]

The younger generation seems to be more enlightened when it comes to differences. Be it race, religion, orientation or crossdressing, kids and parents today just don't have the built in bias us over 20's were programmed with. I too am hopeful that this trend will change the world for the better.

Thank you for sharing, it is good to know that younger folks in our situation are receiving help and support instead of the usual dose of shame and guilt so many of us swallowed as lads.

[battybattybats]

That is awesome.

But the problems TG kids endure in schools are massive http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103313
So I think we owe these TG kids some effort to make sure they are better off.

Like for example supporting this TG-inclusive bill about to be voted on in North Carolina http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/11373/nc-school-violence-prevention-act-heads-to-final-house-vote-stop-the-bullying

Or the Transgender Youth Family Alliance's Amethyst Ribbon Campain on TG youth suicide awareness http://www.imatyfa.org/news/ianbensonprelease.html

Helping the next generation of TGs may even help us by making TG more socially acceptable in total. But even if it didn't surely we can and should help these kids go through less fear, suffering, closeting and bullying than we did?

[Alana65]

I truly hope that is a sign of a changing perception in this world, and that future generations of TG people will someday be able to freely go "about" WITHOUT the fear(s) of negative repercussions. Nice story, Ze xx......thank you for sharing, hun. :hugs:

[Carol A]

Well for what it's worth my mother caught me at age 14 and she said" if you want to be a girl OK". Well little did I know she would make me go everywhere with her dressed as a girl.

Hay this was way back in 1956 and things just went from there, I believe todays people just don't give a hoot about you as they have problems of there own.

When out in drab I wear my bra all the time, people look and just move on nobody cares anymore. :hugs:

[Gabrielle Hermosa]

I really do think that the younger generation will be (and already is to some extent) a lot more accepting of differences in others. I've known for a long time that is where we are heading.

What I really want to figure out how to do is get the older generation to learn a thing or to and become more accepting themselves.

I know in the future, crossdressing will be seen as no different than anyone's personal choices in attire (regardless of gender). I just hope that it is not limited to ONLY the younger generation. I'm getting up there and would really appreciate some acceptance among my own age group... or maybe I just need to start hanging out with much, much younger people. :heehee:

[dawnmarrie1961]

Forces of nature being powerful and unrelenting I seriously doubt that either parent has any control over a child's desire to cross dress. It is nature, not nurture, that ultimately guides the choices that are made. Variables come in play that can not be anticipated. For better or worse people become who they are, not who we want them to be.