How many on this site consider themselves TGirls as oppsoed to CDers...???

[Sherry-Stephanie]

The past several weeks I've been talking to ememting or otherwise coming across those girls who consider themsleves as Tgirls for a variety of reasons..some have has the surgery some are on homones and others just consider themselves TG's...

In conversatiosn with them about me it seems that most feel that I'll probably be heading in that direction or see no reeason why I wouldn't or shouldn't given my particualt suitaion now...

Just want to bounce a few things off some of you TGirls to see which way you feel....

Hit me up please....

Stephanie...

[kellycan27]

bounce away......

[TGMarla]

I feel that I am transgendered, rather than strictly a crossdresser. There is a part of me that really wishes I had had the fortune of being female rather than male. The feeling never really goes away, and stays with me every day and at most times. I have decided that I will not pursue transition and SRS, though. Things are just going to have to stay the way they are physically. I'm too steeped into the life I have now to make such radical alterations to it. But it is an omnipresent regret that I can never experience true womanhood.

[MJ]

i am what i am... pre op tranny or if you prefer just a humble T-Girl

[Stormgirl]

I used to consider myself a CD but lately after a few sessions with a gender therapist I consider myself TS now.


I haven't started HRT yet though due to my job.

*sighs*

[MiraM]

I have known for a long time that I was born into the wrong body. I was on hormones and living 24/7 as my true self, until some medical issues forced me to give up my transition and go back to presenting outwardly as a male. In a way, I feel like I am crossdressing by wearing male clothes. I only truly feel like 'me' when I can present the female persona outwardly, but for the time being, I have to just be content knowing who I am and showing the true me when possible. I have, however, considered returning to therapy and possibly persuing hormones again but it is doubtful that I will ever fully transition. Like Marla, I have been able to somewhat establish myself in my life, and transitioning at this point would likely have serious reprocusions.

Just remember, people on the internet are not qualified to tell you that you are or are not TS and should persue HRT, etc. The only one that can tell you that is you.

[Miranda-E]

crossdressing early in life led me to the eventual realization of being transgender.

[Megan70]

Just an ole hoe CD formerly known as transvestite in the old days. My hormones are multivitamins. Am not into any other direction thank you... to each their own.

[Alessandra]

i havent really been thinking about it but somehow part of me want to be male yet the other part wants to feel what it is like to be female and wants to be one but im probably going to be stuck in my current shape.

[Deborah Jane]

I'm just a bona fide crossdresser me, i enjoy being a guy to much to give it up :)

I enjoy dressing in feminine clothing when i can, but not enough to give up what i have already as a guy.

[docrobbysherry]

being a CD! :brolleyes:

I have no idea of what being TG feels like!:eek: (Yet)!?:heehee:

[SweetCaroline]

I think of myself as being "female gendered" regardless of hormones or organs, therefore I tend not to think of myself as a crossdresser. Caroline to me is not another personality or a costume that I can change into and out of. She's who I am regardless of how I'm dressed. Tho, I still like my male body and have no desire for any sort of surgery or physical change.

T-girl or Transgendered is about right for me.

[Sammy777]

Me? Well a boy that once though he was a CD who grew up and realized he wasn't really a he after all and has accepted that he has always been a she.

Or the short version - I am a TS :D

[Joni Marie Cruz]

T-Girl.

Hugs...Joni Mari

[karenstidham]

I consider myself a transexuall and I have the D-cup to prove - by the way they are home grown

[Gennifer]

I feel that I am transgendered, rather than strictly a crossdresser. There is a part of me that really wishes I had had the fortune of being female rather than male. The feeling never really goes away, and stays with me every day and at most times. I have decided that I will not pursue transition and SRS, though. Things are just going to have to stay the way they are physically. I'm too steeped into the life I have now to make such radical alterations to it. But it is an omnipresent regret that I can never experience true womanhood.

Marla, this is exactly where I am. I crossdress but what I am really focus on is the feeling of being female, even if I don't look like one. So, my crossdressing is not about just dressing up, it's more about finding the clothes, look, etc, that reflect the feminine/female me.

[danielle_from_cal]

If I would have grown up about 20 years later (in a time when I could get on the internet and see that I was not alone) I might have pursued hormone therapy or a sex change. It seems like it is too late now, so I am content as a CD. Plus I have grown to appreciate the convenience of being male occasionally (peeing in the woods for example).

[Julogden]

The term T-girl has been very vaguely defined, and is, AKAIK, a very general catch-all, slang term. I don't see why anyone would argue that they're a T-girl when the term is so vague.

Maybe its meaning has evolved and I'm not aware of it.

Carol

[countrygirl]

Crossdresser for me.

[Joni Marie Cruz]

The term T-girl has been very vaguely defined, and is, AKAIK, a very general catch-all, slang term. I don't see why anyone would argue that they're a T-girl when the term is so vague.

Maybe its meaning has evolved and I'm not aware of it.

Carol

Do any of the terms generally bandied about, except possibly "transsexual", have an exact meaning? Definitions that are generally agreed on by everyone? Just curious. Most of the labels I've run across in various groups seem kind of nebulous and subject to personal preference.

Hugs...Joni Mari

[Hope]

I have always felt trapped in the wrong body. I am not currently transitioning, mostly because, like others, I pass very well as a man - but it is growing increasingly difficult.

Honestly, I don't really understand the urge to crossdress - unless by crossdress you mean me walking around passing as a guy.

[Joy Carter]

I'm a stuck up snob. But in real life I'm a "trans woman." :heehee:

[Kimberly Marie Kelly]

On hormones and slowly transitioning, someday will have SRS. :battingeyelashes:

[Michelle S]

The term "tgirl" is ambiguous. It could mean TS or TG. TG is an umbrella term that covers both TS and CD. I regard myself as CD and hence as TG. I would never give up my male side. I sometimes think of myself as bi-gendered, although that term is used in different ways.

[jennCD]

After many years of contemplation, understanding and self awareness, I can say that for me, it is far more than "just about the clothes" so I cannot simply consider myself a crossdresser.

:)
jenn

[linnea]

I feel that I am transgendered, rather than strictly a crossdresser. There is a part of me that really wishes I had had the fortune of being female rather than male. The feeling never really goes away, and stays with me every day and at most times. I have decided that I will not pursue transition and SRS, though. Things are just going to have to stay the way they are physically. I'm too steeped into the life I have now to make such radical alterations to it. But it is an omnipresent regret that I can never experience true womanhood.

I have reached a similar state of resignation, though in my own case I'm not sure that I'm not just rationalizing. I believe, quite sincerely, that if I were forty years younger, I would be transitioning fully (if only I had known then what I know now).

[Stephanie-L]

As others have posted, it is definatly about more than the clothes. If I had been born some years later I would have pursued transitioning much more actively. I do not consider myself transexual in that I do not wish to have SRS, but I do wish I could express my female side more fully, and would consider Breast augmentation, FFS, hormones and probably going full time. So I am definately in the TG camp. And I somewhat agree that TG is a spectrum, from occasional crossdressing for whatever reason, to full SRS, and most of us fall somewhere in the middle.....Stephanie

[Nicki B]

The term "tgirl" is ambiguous. It could mean TS or TG. TG is an umbrella term that covers both TS and CD. I regard myself as CD and hence as TG.

:yt:


As others have posted, it is definatly about more than the clothes.

Is it ever really just about the clothes? Clothes send powerful signals, both to ourselves and others.. Surely they're just a symptom, not the underlying cause.. :strugglin

[Karen564]

The past several weeks I've been talking to ememting or otherwise coming across those girls who consider themsleves as Tgirls for a variety of reasons..some have has the surgery some are on homones and others just consider themselves TG's...

In conversatiosn with them about me it seems that most feel that I'll probably be heading in that direction or see no reeason why I wouldn't or shouldn't given my particualt suitaion now...

Just want to bounce a few things off some of you TGirls to see which way you feel....

Hit me up please....

Stephanie...

There's not much to bounce off you really... Only YOU know in your heart of hearts what you really are..
I KNOW without a doubt what I am, and always have, but fought it off since early childhood.. But then it became so apparent & overwhelming because I felt like I was losing the battle & the war as time past, so I had to finally face to truth and myself in order to make a decision..Like, Do I really want to continue to abuse my body & mind and ultimately a tormented souls death in mans body by my own hand??, OR do I want to face the facts and choose life...and bring my body into alignment with my brain to live the rest of my life as a woman as I was truly meant to be from the very start, & feel complete in my body, mind & soul..

I decided to go the hard way & chose life over death..:straightface:

[christinek]

It sucks hard, I was born wrong and I have to live with it. However I love my wife so much I will never screw that up. SO I was born wrong and lesbian! :Angry3:

[kellycan27]

The term T-girl has been very vaguely defined, and is, AKAIK, a very general catch-all, slang term. I don't see why anyone would argue that they're a T-girl when the term is so vague.

Maybe its meaning has evolved and I'm not aware of it.

Carol

I take it as meaning transexual...like me. it someone wants to split hairs,more power to them.

[Starr]

Maybe it is just me, but I feel I am more Transgender then CD.. I shave my entire body, I let my nails and hair grow long. I work on walks and body movements that are more female then male. I have always looked at CD ing as just wearing the clothers.. Dressing as a female only. When you work to appear female.. or as some say pass then I see you as a Tgirl.

[AmandaM]

I used to think I was a CDer. Now I think I am TS. I wish I came to this understanding when I was 17. Dammit. But now, I don't know if I'll ever become a woman. Too much time under the bridge with family, etc. If I could magically change and have my family recognize my new self and forget the old self. I would do it right now.

Oh yeah. I can't stand being a guy. I feel like it's a facade, like I'm in some weird Twilight Zone episode. Indeed, I have never felt happiness going back to guy mode for any reason.

[Nicole Erin]

Important thing is to live as you see fit.
LAbels are silly and basically if one claims a label, it just causes arguments.

"You are not a real TS if...." gets rang too often on forums or real life.

Live as you need to

[AmandaM]

Important thing is to live as you see fit.
LAbels are silly and basically if one claims a label, it just causes arguments.

"You are not a real TS if...." gets rang too often on forums or real life.

Live as you need to

Labels to me are just an attempt to understand my inner self, they don't define me.

[Kristen Kelly]

Reminds me of the joke whats the difference between a CD and TS.......about 3 years.

Non-Op TS here altought not presenting as female full time that is my own shoulder lenght blonde highlighted hair, smooth and hairless here, mannerisms are more female than male, oh almost forgot 2 years on HRT

[cindyc6]

I feel like a crossdresser who sometimes feels like a TG. MMMM you know maybe I am cd on her way to being a tg?

[tiffany_marie]

The past several weeks I've been talking to ememting or otherwise coming across those girls who consider themsleves as Tgirls for a variety of reasons..some have has the surgery some are on homones and others just consider themselves TG's...

In conversatiosn with them about me it seems that most feel that I'll probably be heading in that direction or see no reeason why I wouldn't or shouldn't given my particualt suitaion now...

Just want to bounce a few things off some of you TGirls to see which way you feel....

Hit me up please....

Stephanie...
idk the technical diference between the terms. all i know is that i am a beautiful girl. surgery or not. doesnt matter. you cant put a lable on me baby. (unless its gucci!) lol

[Raychel]

Just a gray haired old crossdresser here. No real internal feeling about being female, Just must rather would be dressed iin female clothing. I just love he feeling of them much better than mens clothes.

[daphne g]

i think the fantasy of being tg sounds like fun
but in reallity if i were tg and started that jeorney
the magic would end and what then
for me is deffinatly a fun thing ,a cder
i am what i am and love it

[Edwina]

TG or not TG, that is the question? (Sorry Will)
I vaguely remember trying to look like a girl when I was pre-teen (such a long time ago) and wondering why I couldn't wear pretty things like they did. Now at the other end of the time line I love to dress completely and look like a woman (and fool myself occasionally that I feel like one too:daydreaming:). Unfortunately that happens far too infrequently nowadays. :sad:
So I guess I am just a CD.

:love:

Edwina

[vivianann]

I consider myself as transgendered, I identify and dress as a woman most of the time, I do not want SRS, I am happy with my plumbing.

[Rachel05]

I am a cross dresser and love my time dressed, it is an amazing feeling, but mine stops at cross dressing, no wishes or needs to take it any further

[Mary Morgan]

IMHO, most of us aren't sure what we are, and many of us have changing notions about it. I believe that we are all part of a TG (transgender) spectrum. Some of us are okay with an occassional "girl day", and some of us must live the life 24/7.

The key is for us to support each other regardless of our personal need and try to put our best face forward as a tolerant and loving community.

[Lisa Golightly]

Well... medically defined I'm transsexual... I kind of see myself as being defined by two words the first beginning with a capital F and the second word is up. I'd not wish transsexuality on anyone, but I don't rightly know what 'T-girl' refers to... It's a bit of a buzz word really... Another vague umbrella word that muddies the water further.

So in medico-legalese I'm a transsexual. I'm kind of just trying to be a Lisa though.

[Kate Simmons]

Dropped that premise long ago. I'm a person first and foremost, this that ot the other thing second.

[Sally24]

When talking with people I more often refer to myself as a T-girl.

Tranny seems like an unfriendly word thru it's uses sometimes.
Transexual really doesn't fully apply to me. No plans for 24/7.
Transvestite is just an old, medical term that I dislike.

Crossdresser also of course applies to me, but doesn't describe me as well as T-girl. I try to fully feel and display a female when I'm out. I walk and move as a female as best I can. I even try to work the voice into a female mode when I can.

[Fab Karen]

Transgender: crossing gender. T-Girl: Transgender Girl, aka not born biologically female. They are not specific terms ( as in TransSexual ).

[Megan70]

The term T-girl has been very vaguely defined, and is, AKAIK, a very general catch-all, slang term. I don't see why anyone would argue that they're a T-girl when the term is so vague.

Maybe its meaning has evolved and I'm not aware of it.

Carol
Boy (or girl) do I have to agree with you on that thought there Julogden. I've always been confused as to what the hell that meant. It was really vague and seemed to paint everyone with a generalized gender brush. 20 years ago when I was just getting used to being a TV, it gets changed to politically correct CD, then someone at a TV?CD meeting comes along and mentions the TG abbreivation and I ask "what the hell is that'? I know what the CD is and TS is in a class of its own as a transexual, but now we get a TG? , now its shortened to T-Girl. WTF?
Don't shoot g-men?

pretty Boy Floyd

[Sherry-Stephanie]

Now that marriage is down the tubes and I will be changing jobs soon (hopefully) and more than likely moving out of this area and starting anew I am faced with this situation....

I think I can pull off dressing enfemme pretty good...so that being the case and I am being told by a few people that "I'm more than just across dresser...I'm a Tgirl" do I want to kick this up a notch or two....do I want to take hormones which my understanding is it will make my hips and but more fuller and woman like...give me some increase in my breast where I can get cleavage naturally it will smooth my skin and amybe do afew other things...

I will never have another relationship with a woman, not because I don't want to but because I am a non fuctioning male. Am illness 10 years ago left me incapale of being able to do the manly thing..so what woman would be interested in me. I'm not interested in totally transitionng and have the plumbing removed because I am not opposed to my maleness...I'm just thinking of improving on my female presentation...

To be honest about the whole thing I'm not sure exaclty what I am suppsoe to be in reference to "your a TGirl"....is it something I am not yet???? or is it something I'm trying to go to... a point I'm trying to reach and I need to do soemthing new to reach it i.e. hormones????

I have a lot of things on my plate at the moment, so no decidion is forth coming or required at this time...but I am obviously in a major transition of my life at the moment....so it's more of a journey at this time...a process jsut as it's been a process the first time I fully dressed to where I am today. I would like to hear from some of you who have been in this situation for which I am sure there are some who have similar experiences to what I am going though at this time...I'm not confused as much as I am not exactly sure what I want to do or how to get to where I am suppsoe to be going now....time will tell and thought and information and guidence will determine where i go...

I want to sit to think to ponder and to talk so if any of you can take the time to sit with me and be a sounding board to me I'd appreciate it....it's a journey for me with no guide, no mentor, no friend...and I guess I need one of those in my life...for Steve has been cast aside and Stephanie has been rejected...so now I need to know and discover who is left...so I can become who I need to become now....

Thanks....

[Nicki B]

I take it as meaning transexual...like me. it someone wants to split hairs,more power to them.


When you work to appear female.. or as some say pass then I see you as a Tgirl.


i think the fantasy of being tg sounds like fun
but in reallity if i were tg and started that jeorney
the magic would end and what then
for me is deffinatly a fun thing ,a cder
i am what i am and love it

Wow.. Yet again, divided by a common language. :rolleyes:

I've never met people before who define TGirl as equivalent to TS - it's always, IME, been intended as a wide, catch-all term for everybody? The T, btw, can stand for whatever you want - the whole point is, it's intended to be inclusive.


I guess I am just a CD.

My highlight, above - to me, this is precisely the problem with the way labels get used - to imply a hierarchy and exclude people. :sad:

[Nicki B]

I think I can pull off dressing enfemme pretty good...so that being the case and I am being told by a few people that "I'm more than just across dresser...I'm a Tgirl" do I want to kick this up a notch or two....do I want to take hormones which my understanding is it will make my hips and but more fuller and woman like...give me some increase in my breast where I can get cleavage naturally it will smooth my skin and amybe do afew other things...

So - what's your definition of TGirl? It sounds more like it's something very close to 'a woman'.


I will never have another relationship with a woman, not because I don't want to but because I am a non fuctioning male. Am illness 10 years ago left me incapale of being able to do the manly thing..so what woman would be interested in me. I'm not interested in totally transitionng and have the plumbing removed because I am not opposed to my maleness...I'm just thinking of improving on my female presentation...

To be honest about the whole thing I'm not sure exaclty what I am suppsoe to be in reference to "your a TGirl"....is it something I am not yet???? or is it something I'm trying to go to... a point I'm trying to reach and I need to do soemthing new to reach it i.e. hormones????

Forgive me, but who are you doing this for and why? Do you want to make yourself more like a woman because you can't be a man, successfully, by your definition? :idontknow:

Perhaps that requires a different solution...


I want to sit to think to ponder and to talk so if any of you can take the time to sit with me and be a sounding board to me I'd appreciate it....it's a journey for me with no guide, no mentor, no friend...and I guess I need one of those in my life...for Steve has been cast aside and Stephanie has been rejected...so now I need to know and discover who is left...so I can become who I need to become now....

I hope you take these questions in a constructive way - that's how they're intended. :battingeyelashes:

[patricia 402]

im just a confused littel girl that looks kike a guy:battingeyelashes:

[Sherry-Stephanie]

So - what's your definition of TGirl? It sounds more like it's something very close to 'a woman'.

Honestly I don't know....it's all over the board but it's somethign above CD and below a surgically transformed male to female I guess....where I fit in the equation at this moment I don't know....

[PaulaJaneThomas]

It sounds more like it's something very close to 'a woman'.

Isn't that a Tea Lady? :D (can't find a photo of Mrs Overall though :()

As for labels, Dual-Role Gender Variant does me very nicely :D

[Sophie_C]

I think of myself as being "female gendered" regardless of hormones or organs, therefore I tend not to think of myself as a crossdresser. Caroline to me is not another personality or a costume that I can change into and out of. She's who I am regardless of how I'm dressed. Tho, I still like my male body and have no desire for any sort of surgery or physical change.

T-girl or Transgendered is about right for me.

I'm sort of along the same lines, although obviously did not transition at a young enough age (it just right before the internet). IMO, unless you have unbelievably feminine genetics or transition as, at least around being a teenager, you're not going to look female worth a damn, and therefore when you attempt to transition are not going to EVER experience living as one.

But, for the record, I have been consciously aware I was a woman, not a crossdresser, since I was probably 12 or so. The clothing has always been a comfort thing, not something that i'd get off on, hence the reason I don't need them in the way crossdressers do. I know what I am. I have a feminine nature to myself, that no matter what I do, I can not escape it, shake it, or change it. It's me.

[Marisa_M]

I feel that I am transgendered, rather than strictly a crossdresser. There is a part of me that really wishes I had had the fortune of being female rather than male. The feeling never really goes away, and stays with me every day and at most times. I have decided that I will not pursue transition and SRS, though. Things are just going to have to stay the way they are physically. I'm too steeped into the life I have now to make such radical alterations to it. But it is an omnipresent regret that I can never experience true womanhood.

It's amazing...this is EXACTLY how I feel.
I'm sure I will be a great woman in my next life. I only need to be patient and wait :battingeyelashes:

[Juanita O]

I feel that I am transgendered, rather than strictly a crossdresser. There is a part of me that really wishes I had had the fortune of being female rather than male. The feeling never really goes away, and stays with me every day and at most times. I have decided that I will not pursue transition and SRS, though. Things are just going to have to stay the way they are physically. I'm too steeped into the life I have now to make such radical alterations to it. But it is an omnipresent regret that I can never experience true womanhood.I totally agree with you

[Patty-Fay]

Unlike some of you, I don't feel the least bit trapped in the wrong body. I enjoy my male body, but also enjoy occasionally becoming a woman.

That being said, I will say that I have had breast-envy from the time I was quite young. As young as 6, I would pray to God every day to let me grow breasts. He never answered my prayers, so I had to buy some when I got old enough (and had enough money).

[kristinacd55]

It's amazing...this is EXACTLY how I feel.
I'm sure I will be a great woman in my next life. I only need to be patient and wait :battingeyelashes:

Marla, Gennifer, & Marisa, I'm on board with ya'll! :hugs:

[LilSissyStevie]

I'm a fairy, sissy, pansy, Nancyboy or whatever you want to call it. It's the other gender whose name we dare not speak. I think of it as being to the left of female.
:love:

[Jonianne]

I crossdress because I like to identify "with" females, but I don't identify "as" a female. I am male, I have never thought otherwise, but on the emotional level I feel closer to females than males. Mentaly and physically I identify as a male. I don't think there is a hard and fast defination for me or probably anybody here. Probably a little more than just a crossdresser, but that is close enough for me.

[Nicki B]

Why does it have to be 'above' or 'more than' a CD?? :sad:

That so often repeated notion of a hierarchy is so VERY devisive.. :(


Surely by now we know there aren't hard and fast lines between people - which is why 'transgender' is so often used to cover everybody? :)

[Gabrielle Hermosa]

How many on this site consider themselves TGirls as oppsoed to CDers...???

I usually refer to myself as a crossdresser, but sometimes I use t-girl or part time t-girl instead.

Honestly, I'm having trouble with the terminology and figuring out exactly what it means. There seems to be some debate, or at least different usages of terms.

As I understand it, a t-girl, or trans-girl, is a genetic male with an unaltered body (or mostly unaltered) who dresses up like and tries to look completely female in outward appearance either part-time or full-time.

Of the self-proclaimed "t-girls" I communicate with, all have been people who live their daily lives as men, and transform into their feminine appearance in their free time. That is a good description of how I do it.

I try to appear completely female (even been working on my femme-voice) when I crossdress. I often just dress in clothes (without makeup) because of time constraints in my busy life, but my preference and desire is to go full makeup, nails - the works, and appear as female as possible.

[Miranda09]

I usually refer to myself as a crossdresser, but sometimes I use t-girl or part time t-girl instead.

Honestly, I'm having trouble with the terminology and figuring out exactly what it means. There seems to be some debate, or at least different usages of terms.

As I understand it, a t-girl, or trans-girl, is a genetic male with an unaltered body (or mostly unaltered) who dresses up like and tries to look completely female in outward appearance either part-time or full-time.

Of the self-proclaimed "t-girls" I communicate with, all have been people who live their daily lives as men, and transform into their feminine appearance in their free time. That is a good description of how I do it.

I try to appear completely female (even been working on my femme-voice) when I crossdress. I often just dress in clothes (without makeup) because of time constraints in my busy life, but my preference and desire is to go full makeup, nails - the works, and appear as female as possible.

I'm in the same frame of mind as you Gabrielle. Not sure what I would refer to myself as, CDer or TGer, but right now I'm not concerned with labels. Just exploring my feminine side in any way I can and have some fun with it.

[JulieK1980]

Well if I was forced to carry a label, I'm fairly positive I would classify in the realm of TG, but I prefer to just be me.. :)

[Sherry-Stephanie]

The reason I proposed this question is it was brought to my attention of late that I'm not a CDer as I am a Tgirl...

The way it was explained to me is a cross dresser wears women's clothing and looks basically like a man in a dress....doesn't try to really conceal his masculine side while dressed....but the Tgirl is one that not only tries to look femine but also tries to totally erases her male identy in the process and then goes out and is out in the public as a girl...be it shopping clubbing or whatever...

So I got thinking ..am I a crossdresser or am I aTgirl...

Honestly for me I feel like I'm a bi gendered person who has a male side and female side and when either one comes out I tried to authentica either one as best as I can....CDing seem to be the elsser of what I am now....I think I'm trying to become TGirl and be able to be out and about as Stephanie...will I go beyond the Tgirl aspect and use any enhancements?? Probably not..age and cost being prohibited...

But I just wanted to see how you all looked at this question/topic...

[Joni Marie Cruz]

I usually refer to myself as a crossdresser, but sometimes I use t-girl or part time t-girl instead.

Honestly, I'm having trouble with the terminology and figuring out exactly what it means. There seems to be some debate, or at least different usages of terms.

As I understand it, a t-girl, or trans-girl, is a genetic male with an unaltered body (or mostly unaltered) who dresses up like and tries to look completely female in outward appearance either part-time or full-time.

Of the self-proclaimed "t-girls" I communicate with, all have been people who live their daily lives as men, and transform into their feminine appearance in their free time. That is a good description of how I do it.

I try to appear completely female (even been working on my femme-voice) when I crossdress. I often just dress in clothes (without makeup) because of time constraints in my busy life, but my preference and desire is to go full makeup, nails - the works, and appear as female as possible.\

Thank you so much, Gabrielle. This is exactly how I feel about describing myself as a t-girl. Even though I'm not TS and have no plans for SRS, I do feel as though the feminine aspects of my personality and psyche far outweigh the masculine side. When I'm Joni I do my very utmost best to be as much like a girl as I possibly can given the rather poor quality of the raw materials I have to work with. This has nothing whatsoever to do with "fooling" anyone or passing as such, it's just how I feel I need things to be. I may be a part-time girl, but I don't want to look only partly like a girl.

Hugs...Joni Mari

[Tasha McIntyre]

CD all the way for me.
Other than loving to dress, I don't have a girly in me at all :straightface:

Cheers

Tash :)

[Marcia Blue]

I call myself a CD. I really love all things fem and to dress, but I also enjoy my guy side to much, to be more than a CD.

[gender_blender]

I don't consider myself a CDer. I identify as TG.

[kellycan27]

Wow.. Yet again, divided by a common language. :rolleyes:

I've never met people before who define TGirl as equivalent to TS - it's always, IME, been intended as a wide, catch-all term for everybody? The T, btw, can stand for whatever you want - the whole point is, it's intended to be inclusive.



My highlight, above - to me, this is precisely the problem with the way labels get used - to imply a hierarchy and exclude people. :sad:

What are you rolling your eyes about? Why do you even care what I call myself. You're the one who's hung up on labels and hierachys and excluding people... I don't care about all that crap I am me and I am doing my thing. I couldn't care less what other people call themselves or how they describe themselves.... It has no effect on me, so why would I even care? Why do you feel that you have to take issue with just about anybody that posts anything?Like you are right and everyone else is wrong.

[PatriciaT]

Fascinating topic and I was surprised to see how many of us are on the TG side.

I like this statement:

After many years of contemplation, understanding and self awareness, I can say that for me, it is far more than "just about the clothes" so I cannot simply consider myself a crossdresser.


For me too it's much more than just the clothes. When I am en femme I feel I am expressing and enjoying the femals aspect of my personality. I feel a kind of release from being limited to just my male aspect. I have normal male interests but female ones too.

Still, given a choice, I feel more comfortable and natural en femme 7/24.

[Jessica Who]

Labels, labels, labels...the great debate rages on.

I used to despise the idea of someone calling me transgendered until I really stopped to think about it, now I can say that I am tg with pride. I am a crossdresser and not a transsexual, to be clear, but tgirl would be a label that I would also identify with.

[DisKreeT]

I'm just a bona fide crossdresser me, i enjoy being a guy to much to give it up :)

I enjoy dressing in feminine clothing when i can, but not enough to give up what i have already as a guy.

That's pretty much how I feel right there. I'm just a guy who gets a big thrill out of what I do. :D

[Kerrie Sifton]

I was chatting with my spouse the other day about "what am I", and we had a discussion , my thinking one way, she was thinking another.
I think much of what you are is based on where you are in your journey.
The tgirl description is quite broad and even describing yourself as a CD takes on many versions.
I heard the term "gender fluid" the other day, and that is a bit like how I feel, sort of slipping between been feminine and masculine depending upon the time and place.
For me, as a tgirl, i love the crossdressing side of my life, and I enjoy being with women more than men.
It is not simple..

Ciao
Kerrie

[Sherry-Stephanie]

Is "crossdressing" what we do to be what we are? a tgirl...I feel that I am bi gendered as I've previously stated...both male and female so when I'm female I dress as a female...so I don't think that is cross dressing since I am dressing for my gender appropriate at that particular time...I take on a whole different thought feeling and expression when I'm in my female mode regardless of what clothes I have on....so think fo it...for some of us who sahre this feeling and identify with having two genders when in female mode are we really crossdressing? Some might say yes we are...but we really know what we are doing...we're simply dressing to our particular gender....nothing more nothing less I'm guessing....

I am I right here????

[Jonianne]

Why does it have to be 'above' or 'more than' a CD?? :sad:

That so often repeated notion of a hierarchy is so VERY devisive.. :(


Surely by now we know there aren't hard and fast lines between people - which is why 'transgender' is so often used to cover everybody? :)

Nicki, when I said "a little more", it was not to be hierarchal(?). It was to say crossdressing means a little more to me than just having fun dressing in female style cloths. When identity is involved, then it is a little beyond cloths, which just is, neither good or bad.

[Suzy Harrison]

For most of my life I presumed I was a Transvestite/CD or what ever that label is - but now I realise all along I was transgender/transsexual.

I'm far happier and contented now

[Kate Simmons]

I think to honestly answer the question for yourself, you have to ask yourself if you would feel the same way and be the same person without the clothes.

[Megan70]

I crossdress because I like to identify "with" females, but I don't identify "as" a female. I am male, I have never thought otherwise, but on the emotional level I feel closer to females than males. Mentaly and physically I identify as a male. I don't think there is a hard and fast defination for me or probably anybody here. Probably a little more than just a crossdresser, but that is close enough for me.

I couldn't agree with you more Joni, you are I are about the same age and are on the same wavelength. This T-girl jazz is such an imbugious term its not definitive. I'll make my own idenity even plainer and call myself a female impersonator. Not in the performer drag quen sense but to appear and act as a female and fool people by passing and getting away with it. Thats my thrill. After 3 hours, I come home, the wig comes off, the makeup cleaned off and back to Hanes briefs and t-shirt and brown socks. That'a fine with me. I am the actor/ actress part of this whole "CD?" thing.Remember when we used to be called transvestites? How goush!

Thats my gig and I'm happy with it. TO each their own, everyone has their own life style and idenity. No critcism here.

Megan

[MissConstrued]

Remember when we used to be called transvestites? How goush!



Hey, if you don't like English, then move to somewhere with a different language. I'd skip France, though, as the vocabulary is similar enough that you might still not like it.

"Transvestite" means exactly the same thing as "crossdresser." It's wearing clothing considered to be for the opposite sex. There is no further connotation to it.

[Nicole Erin]

Hey, if you don't like English, then move to somewhere with a different language. I'd skip France, though, as the vocabulary is similar enough that you might still not like it.

"Transvestite" means exactly the same thing as "crossdresser." It's wearing clothing considered to be for the opposite sex. There is no further connotation to it.

Do you have a problem with everything? :brolleyes:
Jargon and vocab change over time

[Claire3]

im ok with the balance at the moment,in another life,pure female i pray

[madison lee]

Lets face it, you are a crossdresser unless one of two things are happening. One: You are living full time as a woman and dating either of the sexes. Two: You are in the stages of SRS and completely identify with being a female trapped in a male body. Thats the way society looks at it.

But what I say is screw society and thier LABELS! I say that when you are dressed up as a female and looking good, then you are a woman and you should be proud of that! When your not dressed up, you are a man, and should also be proud of that! I KNOW that I am the best of both sexes, regardless of how I am dressed. When I am dressed en femme, I have that little touch of pride that I am a man emmulating a woman. When dressed as a man, I feel empowered that I have all of a woman's attributes to supplement me. I am a man who likes to feel girly and femminine from time to time. So what?
Be who you are, NOT what society might label you.

"Rejoice in yourselves my Sisters, for all things are possible and attainable beyond our own pre-concieved limitations!"

Quote by me Madison Lee

[kellycan27]

Why does it have to be 'above' or 'more than' a CD?? :sad:

That so often repeated notion of a hierarchy is so VERY devisive.. :(


Surely by now we know there aren't hard and fast lines between people - which is why 'transgender' is so often used to cover everybody? :)

I don't understand why you would think that that someone who states that they are transexual is trying to imply that they are above or more than a CD'er.
Transexuals and crossdressers have some of the same issues, but some different issues and motivations as well. I feel that if I know someone's motivation it gives me a better understanding of what that person feels.If labels imply some kind of hierarchy, why not just change the name of this site to "people.com"? We are all people so why not get rid of labels entirely?I don't label myself in order to establish some kind of pecking order,rather than to simply let other's know my motivation for the things I say and do.
I feel the same way about someone who mentions their sexuality... no it really has no bearing on the "group", but it does give others insights to others and other peoples lifestyles. What's next? No panty threads, no silly threads? No coming out threads, because wouldn't that imply that that person is "more" than the closeted one? Should we just all be drones...and talk about the same things? same notions,same thoughts,same point of view.
This subject is taboo,because it offends my sensibilities? This subject is taboo, because it doesn' focus on the "movement" . Wouldn't it be boring if we were just toatally the same? This group is very diverse and I see nothing wrong with individuals expressing themselves,isn't that the premise of this site? should we not deviate from the herd mentality?
Kelly

[Nicki B]

What are you rolling your eyes about?

So often, here, we are divided by an allegedly common language..


Why do you even care what I call myself. You're the one who's hung up on labels and hierachys and excluding people... I don't care about all that crap I am me and I am doing my thing. I couldn't care less what other people call themselves or how they describe themselves.... It has no effect on me, so why would I even care?

It only matters if you are saying only transsexual people can be transgender - the definition used most widely, worldwide, is that the term is an umbrella word for all of us. (a small, almost solely american, usage is to mean only those TSs in the process of transitioning.)


Why do you feel that you have to take issue with just about anybody that posts anything?Like you are right and everyone else is wrong.

I wouldn't presume to be right all the time - that's somewhat of an exaggeration, surely?

But I think the notion that some are better than others - widely expressed here in the way many people use language - should be confronted. Do you disagree with that?


I don't understand why you would think that that someone who states that they are transexual is trying to imply that they are above or more than a CD'er.

I didn't say that, though - I highlighted other people using words like 'more than' or 'above' on this thread (or, on other threads, 'only') to refer to CDs. :sad:


We are all people so why not get rid of labels entirely?

A group label has uses - but all the subdivisions people concentrate on are surely only divisive, not inclusive? :(


What's next? No panty threads, no silly threads? No coming out threads, because wouldn't that imply that that person is "more" than the closeted one? Should we just all be drones...and talk about the same things? same notions,same thoughts,same point of view.

I have no interest in 'pantie' threads - but I don't think I'm alone in that. That just means I don't read them - why would you suggest they shouldn't be allowed?? :strugglin


This subject is taboo,because it offends my sensibilities? This subject is taboo, because it doesn' focus on the "movement" . Wouldn't it be boring if we were just toatally the same?

Here you're attributing words and motives to me I have never said.. :sad:


This group is very diverse and I see nothing wrong with individuals expressing themselves,isn't that the premise of this site? should we not deviate from the herd mentality?

Why would you think I disagree with that? And yet you're accusing me of being against diversity - whereas nothing could be further from my beliefs. :sad:

Perhaps this thread (http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98703) is worth re-reading, particularly for other's definitions of transgender? :)

[Leanne2]

I'm a computer illiterate trans-gender person that is probably TS but I'm too old to even talk to a shrink to find out. I am the happiest when I am living as a woman. I love to shop and visit with people as a woman. If I was 20 years younger I would transition. Leanne

[Nessa88]

Tgirl or Tranny is VERY offensive to most Transgendered people. Almost as offensive as the N-word is to black people.

Second off, Crossdressers and Transgendered people are NOT the same. The difference is obvious. We live as men and not full time as women. Transgendered people live FULL TIME as the other gender.

[victoriamwilliams1]

I identify as a TG and internally while dressed I am a "Lady"! I read a few years ago that you are what you think you are and since then when I dress I act like a woman and to be honest it is just a label CD/TG that is used more to identify M2F and I wonder if F2M's spend time on labels? So I say be who you want to be and in your online life you are TG/CD but publicly act as if you are the gender you are presenting then you will get comfortable in your outward presentation.

[PaulaJaneThomas]

Second off, Crossdressers and Transgendered people are NOT the same. The difference is obvious. We live as men and not full time as women. Transgendered people live FULL TIME as the other gender.

Actually there are two usages of the word transgender. One is as an umbrella term to encompass all gender variant people and the other is as you describe (apart from the fact that transgender is an adjective).

[Steffie-Lee]

When my wife gets pissed at me, even she helps with my crosdressing at times, she calls me aTRANSSEXTITE :drink:

[avrillunge]

I can't breathe................................Second Hand Words!

Semantics

Get over it Av

[Jeanna]

IMHO most of us represent our feminine personality/side,at least on this board and most of us have female names that we identify ourselves with. I feel that many of us are beyond cross dressing but that doesn't matter,,or does it? If all we talked about was putting on a pair of panties and talking sports, I wouldn't be interested! Like many of you I wonder and dream of what it would like have a real woman's body,but I'm a guy.That's why I am here. AFU.!! My wife says to me "You're so lucky to be a guy!" Oh what-ever...I like going beyond just wearing clothes. I gave myself a woman's name. I shave my entire body,I go out in public as a female and I'm learning a female voice,,,Just a little more than cross dressing huh?
I'm a T-GIRL!...I guess..:o

[PetiteTonya]

..with many labels such as CD, TG, TS and TV. I find the lines rather blurred myself but I think based on my reading, I would be considered Transgendered.

Having said that, everyone seems to apply different definitions to these labels so at the end of the equation, I'm not sure it matters, the label but rather how you feel about yourself and what label works best for your own particular definition.

:hugs::2c:

[Nicki B]

Tgirl or Tranny is VERY offensive to most Transgendered people. Almost as offensive as the N-word is to black people.

Not necessarily most? Tranny has been widely used as shorthand for transgender now, for years - go to Manchester, for example and you'll find it full of people very happy to be called Tgirls (a few thousand this weekend)..


Second off, Crossdressers and Transgendered people are NOT the same. The difference is obvious. We live as men and not full time as women. Transgendered people live FULL TIME as the other gender.

Actually, the difference between TS and what you call CD can often be very blurred..


The word with the least amount of baggage seems to be 'trans'?

[Jeanna]

TS I, thought meant transsexual (person who has changed their bodies to be the opposite sex).TG meant transgendered (person with the wrong body for their identity) and CD meant cross dresser(person who just ears clothing of the opposite sex)
T-girl confuses me. I'm really a transgendered male.

Transexual - transdendered - transvestite. Quite clear actually.

[Nessa88]

Not necessarily most? Tranny has been widely used as shorthand for transgender now, for years - go to Manchester, for example and you'll find it full of people very happy to be called Tgirls (a few thousand this weekend)..



Actually, the difference between TS and what you call CD can often be very blurred..


The word with the least amount of baggage seems to be 'trans'?

Try saying that to my Transgendered friend, she wouldn't be happy.

[Kimmy55]

Tg for me.If I could give up my birth given body I would in a heartbeat:battingeyelashes:

[Chrissie P]

A transsexual is someone who is predisposed to identify with the opposite sex, sometimes to the point of undergoing sex change surgery. ( Websters)

That sounds more like us.

[BreenaDion]

Hand the pills over.
Have the surgeon clean his Knife.
Together we make music.
Because on that day.
I will be FREE !!!

Love Bree :love:

[Julogden]

Boy (or girl) do I have to agree with you on that thought there Julogden. I've always been confused as to what the hell that meant. It was really vague and seemed to paint everyone with a generalized gender brush. 20 years ago when I was just getting used to being a TV, it gets changed to politically correct CD, then someone at a TV?CD meeting comes along and mentions the TG abbreivation and I ask "what the hell is that'? I know what the CD is and TS is in a class of its own as a transexual, but now we get a TG? , now its shortened to T-Girl. WTF?
Don't shoot g-men?

pretty Boy Floyd
Actually, the TG term began as a description of those who live more-or-less full time in a gender role opposite their birth gender without getting gender reassignment surgery. Over time it has become a somewhat nebulous umbrella term that covers everyone whose gender presentation varies in almost any way.



"Transvestite" means exactly the same thing as "crossdresser." It's wearing clothing considered to be for the opposite sex. There is no further connotation to it.
The term "transvestite" is a clinical term, originally used to describe fetishistic males who become sexually excited as a result of wearing women's clothing. The term "crossdresser" is more of a self-definition that our community came up with, something we felt more comfortable with. Yes, they technically mean the same thing, but their origins are very different, and their connotations are different, at least to those of us who have been around the community for a long time.

Carol

[Elizebeth]

A crossdresser nothing more but is it not just grand that way.

[Sarah Renee]

Hi Sherry,
This is a good question that I've thought about. I consider myself a girl and like others have said I feel cross-dressed when in male mode. I will not go as far as having SRS, however my dream would be to live full-time as a woman. Unfortunately I do not see that happening. I wish I would have transitioned when I was younger.

[KaTrina_LaNegrita]

A lot of my friends call me "Tranny"..based on the my body, but it's all natural. So Between TG & CD..I'm a proud CD:D

[Nicki B]

Try saying that to my Transgendered friend, she wouldn't be happy.

Well I regard myself as transgender... :strugglin

I know post-ops who would get violently angry to be called TS - they would regard themselves as 'women'.


The term "crossdresser" is more of a self-definition that our community came up with, something we felt more comfortable with.


By 'our community' - you mean Tri-Ess. Which is a solely US organisation.. :)

[MsJanessa]

I consider Myself both

[sarahNZ]

Ok once when I was really really young I might have told you (after watching a docco about some NZ trans sexuals) that I was one of them, but that would have gone down like a lead baloon in my mothers house! Now all these years later, after spending the last 31 years in male form, I think I can say that I am just a plain old CD'er. I enjoy dressing and feeling feminin but I don't think I would ever go further, after all even with hormones and SRS the newly found fem parts would all remain "unpluged". If I knew that the docs could make me into the woman in my dreams with all working parts intact and opperational, and give me the body that I desired then I would concider going further, but as they can't... a CD I'll stay. :2c:

[dawnmarrie1961]

I don't like labels. It degrades us all. I am simply being myself. When I look in the mirror I see who I am. It's just "Me"!

Labels are for shopping. I'm not shopping anymore. I know who I am.

[Cheryl T]

I certainly feel I am more transgendered than a crossdresser. It's not the clothes that make me feel feminine. I always feel that way.
The clothes just help me express that feeling to the rest of the world.

[Julogden]

By 'our community' - you mean Tri-Ess. Which is a solely US organisation.. :)
Tri-Ess had links with a British support group back then (early-to-mid 1970's), can't remember the name of it though (maybe the Beaumont Society?), and whether you like them or not, Tri-Ess is part of our community.

However, I don't recall that the term was coined by Tri-Ess specifically though. I do remember Virginia Prince suggesting the term femmiphile, which thankfully never caught on.

Anyway, I'm not sure what your point is.

Carol

[Deb The Brunette]

Do I really care anyway? :bovered: ............
and.....:wyla:

.

[PaulaJaneThomas]

can't remember the name of it though (maybe the Beaumont Society?),l

I've been a member of the Beaumont for many, many years and I've never heard or read of any links with Tri-Ess or any other group from the USA. I certainly don't consider us being part of the same community in any sense. Quite the reverse.

[Nicki B]

Anyway, I'm not sure what your point is.

I was trying to gently point out that you were excluding all those of us who don't live in the US...

[Empress Lainie]

Just searched to make sure I had not already posted on this thread.

I never did any CD before my transition day. I consider myself to be a woman (with some wrong parts), and hate having anything male associated with me.

[Leilani68]

As my wife and I agree, Definately a T-Girl...........:battingeyelashes:

[Hali]

I often/always ask myself whether am male or female almost every minute. When i think of myself as a guy i feel like i have some heavy load i have to carry around, but when i think of myself as a woman i feel relieved of that load, i feel light and happy.

I find it hard to live a guys life style. I dont care what is expected from men or women in any society all i know is that right from the time i become aware of myself as human i knew i didnt like hair on my body be it my face or on my arms, i like to have pretty clothes not dull, i like looking at the mirror a lot my mum use to complain, i have some sitting positions which i find comfortable which most pple feel its kinda girly, i like to cry for no reason especially when watching romantic movies, always afraid of getting bruized or hurt, i also painting my face and my nails with colors, i like to have long hair, when i see women i feel yeah thats me and i see guys i feel what is that? all my role models are women ..............yet i have my masculine side which is also always with me............ sometimes i feel like i hate myself.

T-girl or crossdresser..........i think am all at one time or the next

[noeleena]

Hi ....A transfemale who.s an andro . living as a woman ..
...noeleena...

[Barbara918]

Just a wolf in sheep's clothing here.

[Raquel June]

As you can see looking through these posts, there are a lot of people out there who call themselves crossdressers but have transgender feelings, and many of them are in a sort of state of denial because they don't want to disturb their family situation, or because they're afraid. Don't make excuses. Don't say "I'm too old" -- a 65-year-old friend of mine just got SRS two years ago. Just be honest with yourself. It's OK to admit you're afraid to transition. I'm a huge wimp, and the whole idea of being TS is terrifying.




The term "tgirl" is ambiguous. It could mean TS or TG. TG is an umbrella term that covers both TS and CD. I regard myself as CD and hence as TG. I would never give up my male side. I sometimes think of myself as bi-gendered, although that term is used in different ways.

Yeah, T-girl could mean either Transgender-girl or Transsexual-girl. But since when is TG an umbrella that covers CDs? Look at the words. Crossdressing is about clothes. Transgendered is about gender. Obviously you can identify as both a crossdresser and as transgendered, or as varying degrees of either, but the bottom line is that crossdressing simply means wearing the clothes of the opposite sex and that does not necessarily make you transgendered. TG does not include all CDs -- certainly not the fetishistic ones.




Wow.. Yet again, divided by a common language. :rolleyes:

I've never met people before who define TGirl as equivalent to TS - it's always, IME, been intended as a wide, catch-all term for everybody? The T, btw, can stand for whatever you want

The "T" in "T-girl" stands for whatever you want??? It's a catch-all for everybody? So, in your experience, people commonly call their mother, father, brothers, sisters, neighbors and pets T-girls? That's obviously asinine.

T-girl is simply an abbreviation. It can be an abbreviation for either Transsexual-girl or Transgendered-girl. The point in an abbreviation is that it is a shortening of a term that is in common use. If several members lived in the Tunisian Republic then maybe we'd start using T-girl to refer to them, too, but the "T" in "T-girl" obviously doesn't mean "crossdresser."

Divided by a common language? More like divided by a lack of common sense.




Am illness 10 years ago left me incapale of being able to do the manly thing..so what woman would be interested in me. I'm not interested in totally transitionng and have the plumbing removed because I am not opposed to my maleness...I'm just thinking of improving on my female presentation...

There are a lot of women who aren't interested in sex. Don't try to be something you're not just because you don't think people will be into you. Sure, not as many women will be interested, but if you like women then don't give up on them as a gender.




Tgirl or Tranny is VERY offensive to most Transgendered people. Almost as offensive as the N-word is to black people.

I don't find T-girl offensive. But I don't find many things offensive -- except "gurl" -- that one really makes me shudder. It's probably good to equate "tranny" to the N word. I would be very offended if someone who didn't like me called me a tranny, but among TG friends we call each other tranny sometimes in a very friendly way.




Second off, Crossdressers and Transgendered people are NOT the same. The difference is obvious. We live as men and not full time as women. Transgendered people live FULL TIME as the other gender.

Simply feeling female makes you transgendered. I would also argue that you need to have the desire to be accepted and treated as female by others. After all, we don't know how anybody feels. I don't know how the average female feels. I don't know how the average male feels. I just know how I feel, and whether that is labeled as male or female is just semantics. The point is that I want to be accepted as female.

But you don't have to present as female full time to be TG. I know many people who are TG -- many of whom are on hormones -- who do not present as female 24/7.

The most accepted definition of transsexual is:

"The desire to live and be accepted as a member of the opposite sex, usually accompanied by the wish to make his or her body as congruent as possible with the preferred sex through surgery and hormone treatment"

People have different feelings regarding whether or not you need a strong drive to get SRS to be considered transsexual, and some people even argue that you're not really transsexual if you're not full time. That's why we have the more encompassing term transgendered so that there isn't bickering about whether or not someone's really transsexual. But there's nothing wrong with anybody who dreams of being accepted as the opposite sex being called transgendered whether or not they're dressed like it, whether or not they want surgery. I usually call myself TG because I don't want to stir up the trannier-than-thou crowd of transsexuals.

[Julogden]

I've been a member of the Beaumont for many, many years and I've never heard or read of any links with Tri-Ess or any other group from the USA. I certainly don't consider us being part of the same community in any sense. Quite the reverse.
I am totally at a loss to see your logic here. Both are support organizations for transgendered people. How can they possibly NOT be part of the same community?

Are you saying that American TG people and UK TG people are different communities? I'd say that we are all part of the same global community, the differences in culture are rather minor, IMO.

I didn't say that I was sure that it was the Beaumont Society that Virginia Prince had ties with. I just vaguely remember that back in the 1970's, she visited Great Britain and had forged some sort of relationship with a leader of a large support group there, and guessed that the Beaumont Society may have been the organization as it's a large, successful organization with a rather long history. It wasn't a formal association, rather it was a casual affiliation, sort of sisters-under-the-skin sort of thing. It may very well have been a different group.


I was trying to gently point out that you were excluding all those of us who don't live in the US...
Sorry! I thought that the term "crossdresser" was used over there too. Live and learn. What I said holds true for American CD's anyway, if not for you UK folks.


But since when is TG an umbrella that covers CDs? Look at the words. Crossdressing is about clothes. Transgendered is about gender.

For several years, the term "transgender" has been a catch-all phrase to cover anyone who presents in any kind of a cross-gendered manner, including crossdressers, who are exhibiting cross-gender behavior in their mode of dressing. The term "T-girl" is more recent, and if memory serves, was originated by the purveyors of porn associated with transgendered girls. That was the first place I ever saw the term anyway, and ever since, it's carried a negative connotation for me.

Carol

[PaulaJaneThomas]

I am totally at a loss to see your logic here. Both are support organizations for transgendered people. How can they possibly NOT be part of the same community?

Are you saying that American TG people and UK TG people are different communities? I'd say that we are all part of the same global community, the differences in culture are rather minor, IMO.

It has nothing to do with being transgender.Being transgender is no more a definer of community than say having blue eyes is. For me the cultural differences are so huge that I feel no more connection with American trans people than I do with a starving child in Africa.


I didn't say that I was sure that it was the Beaumont Society that Virginia Prince had ties with. I just vaguely remember that back in the 1970's, she visited Great Britain and had forged some sort of relationship with a leader of a large support group there, and guessed that the Beaumont Society may have been the organization as it's a large, successful organization with a rather long history. It wasn't a formal association, rather it was a casual affiliation, sort of sisters-under-the-skin sort of thing. It may very well have been a different group.

It would have had to have been the Beaumont. But a holiday visit to a now long dead leader hardly constitutes an affiliation. If fact, given the overtly homophobic nature of Tri-Ess that they currently display on their web site:


An international social and support group for heterosexual crossdressers, their partners, the spouses of married crossdressers and their families.

I doubt that anyone from this side of the Atlantic would want anything to do with them. Certainly any group in the UK which advertised itself as such would be breaking the law. If you want an example of how fundamentally different UK and US society are then that's a very good example.

[Kristen-Gaye]

I'm definately a CD & I'm more than happy with that! :)

[Elle44]

After many years of contemplation, understanding and self awareness, I can say that for me, it is far more than "just about the clothes" so I cannot simply consider myself a crossdresser.

:)
jenn

I agree with jenn, but it really didn't take me long to figure it out. I dabbled in crossdress since my youth, my sister dressed me pre school in dresses, petticoats and ruffled pantie's, she was 2 years older and wanted a sister. I could go on with this, but it's a long story.

I was home alone at the age of 13. I put on my sisters bra, pantie's, nylon stockings with garter belt (no such thing as pantyhose or thi hi's back in '57) a dress, a pair of my mothers heels, lipstick, clip on earrings and a pearl necklace and perfume. When I looked in the mirror, really looked in my own eyes, and felt how wonderful it felt wearing feminine clothes I knew then I had the wrong body, I wanted and should have been a girl.

Now I've been to other cd sites and I see men who are, in my mind crossdressers, a pair of pantie's and or bra, pantyhose all on hairy body's, full beards and very manly. I really don't know if they feel like a woman inside like I do and have all these years.

I too consider myself Transgender, it comes from within, LOL I love Lane Bryants lingerie catalog, The Woman Within. I think some of us knew it early on in life. I just didn't wake up one day and decide to dress in female attire, cause I just want to be a female. No, no, no, if you got it there's no denying it and it's stayed with me for 65 years so far, and I love it. My men's clothes that I am forced to wear are my drag clothes and have been for many years. My dresses, skirts, nightgowns, my bra's and pantie's and high heeled shoes and my makeup are my normal clothing.

[Julogden]

It has nothing to do with being transgender.Being transgender is no more a definer of community than say having blue eyes is. For me the cultural differences are so huge that I feel no more connection with American trans people than I do with a starving child in Africa.



It would have had to have been the Beaumont. But a holiday visit to a now long dead leader hardly constitutes an affiliation. If fact, given the overtly homophobic nature of Tri-Ess that they currently display on their web site:



I doubt that anyone from this side of the Atlantic would want anything to do with them. Certainly any group in the UK which advertised itself as such would be breaking the law. If you want an example of how fundamentally different UK and US society are then that's a very good example.

I guess we have to agree to disagree then. I don't see the differences. Certainly there are cultural differences, but as far as I'm concerned, we're part of the same community. Reading this forum, I see Brits and Yanks doing exactly the same things, experiencing the same emotions. I've occasionally met British CD's visiting over here, including one who moved here to live (and was a Chicago-chapter Tri-Ess member, by the way), and never heard anything like that from them, rather they fit in quite easily and happily.

I was a member of the Chicago chapter of Tri-Ess many years ago, joined in the mid-1970's as a non-attending member, started attending meetings around 1985 and left in the early 1990's, and they were definitely NOT a homophobic group. No one was ever turned away from support, in that chapter anyway. Many, many people have received a lot of help from Tri-Ess over the years. I would urge you to not judge the organization unless you experience it personally. There's a lot of BS in print that accuses them of being some sort of evil, conservative, exclusive organization, and that is about as far from the truth as you can get. While I have no desire to be a member any more, I will defend them from such drivel when I can.

Yes, Tri-Ess focuses on issues specific to straight CD's and their SO's, but so what? That group has specific issues that other segments of the community don't have. Do you dislike support organizations that restrict membership to TS's only? If not, why not? If Tri-Ess is guilty of discrimination, then why aren't TS-only groups guilty of it too? Let's face it, focused support is NOT discrimination.

Lastly, I never said definitively that there was a formal affiliation between the two groups, rather that I thought I remembered something about some kind of affiliation. Evidently, there was no lasting affiliation. I was just making conversation, adding what I recalled from years ago.

You're certainly free to dislike us Americans, but I don't think that this is an appropriate place to be venting your bias.

Edit: I just did a bit of searching and came up with some information for you. Prior to Tri-Ess, Virginia Prince's organization was called the Society for Full Personality Expression, or FPE. She published a magazine called Transvestia, and there were a few members of FPE and subscribers to Transvestia in Europe, including the UK. The 3 UK members of FPE decided to form a UK branch of FPE in 1966, and that organization was called the Beaumont Society, so there definitely is an affiliation between the Beaumont Society and the forerunner of Tri-Ess, if not Tri-Ess proper.

Carol

[LisaM]

I have always considered myself TS.

Sometimes I have wondered if I consider myself TS because it feels 'better' than being a CD---I know that sounds silly but psychologically I always struggled with why I wanted to be a woman (my earliest memories are of wanting to be a girl). Being a CD never fit my wants, hopes and desires.

But my SO always confronts me with her opinion that I must be a CD because I never transitioned and it makes her world seem better.

In the end it really doesn't matter---I still consider myself TS. It has never been about the clothes. It has always been about what is inside my head.

[FlygrlChristy]

I feel that I am transgendered, rather than strictly a crossdresser. There is a part of me that really wishes I had had the fortune of being female rather than male. The feeling never really goes away, and stays with me every day and at most times. I have decided that I will not pursue transition and SRS, though. Things are just going to have to stay the way they are physically. I'm too steeped into the life I have now to make such radical alterations to it. But it is an omnipresent regret that I can never experience true womanhood.

Wow Marla, I haven't been on here in a while, but your statement makes me glad I visited again. I couldn't have expressed that any better, my choices in life make it unlikely that I will transition. I consider myself transgendered, and it's not about the clothes, it's those thoughts and feelings that I live with every single day, that make me pray that if I have a second life, that I will be able to live in that life as the woman I can't be in this life. At times I think that when I leave this life, God will let me live as I was meant to be, and explain it to all those who have such a hard time with this!:love:

Christy

[maid phylis]

i consider myself a crossdresser but i associate myself with the tg community.i am not on hormones but i have been dressing for so long that i feel myself being a woman more and more as the she of me takes over.love phylisanne:love:

[tricia_uktv]

Yep, I am a t-girl. No doubt about it.

[MissConstrued]

T-girl is simply an abbreviation. It can be an abbreviation for either Transsexual-girl or Transgendered-girl. The point in an abbreviation is that it is a shortening of a term that is in common use. If several members lived in the Tunisian Republic then maybe we'd start using T-girl to refer to them, too, but the "T" in "T-girl" obviously doesn't mean "crossdresser."


So "T" can be Transsexual or Transgendered, but not Transvestite...? I'm having logic fail on that one.

[Raquel June]

So "T" can be Transsexual or Transgendered, but not Transvestite...? I'm having logic fail on that one.

Sure, that's logical, but in practice, the people I've heard use the abbreviation T-girl are not people whom I have ever heard use the word transvestite.

But if people actually said transvestite then I could certainly see people abbreviating that T-girl (although it's still pretty iffy since T-girl is already in common usage among the TG/TS crowd). Maybe that's more of a UK thing ... seeing as Eddie Izzard is the only person I've heard use the term since Dr. Furter in Rocky Horror.

[Nicki B]

Maybe that's more of a UK thing ... seeing as Eddie Izzard is the only person I've heard use the term since Dr. Furter in Rocky Horror.

Like I said - CD is principally a US term - CD isn't widely used elsewhere. So T-girl is certainly used to cover all of us, just like trans and transgender.

And see - I said that without insulting you once... :heehee:

[Joan Merrie]

There's not much to bounce off you really... Only YOU know in your heart of hearts what you really are..
I KNOW without a doubt what I am, and always have, but fought it off since early childhood.. But then it became so apparent & overwhelming because I felt like I was losing the battle & the war as time past, so I had to finally face to truth and myself in order to make a decision..Like, Do I really want to continue to abuse my body & mind and ultimately a tormented souls death in mans body by my own hand??, OR do I want to face the facts and choose life...and bring my body into alignment with my brain to live the rest of my life as a woman as I was truly meant to be from the very start, & feel complete in my body, mind & soul..

I decided to go the hard way & chose life over death..:straightface:

Could not have said it better sis.:hugs::love:

[vikki2020]

Sure, I Cross Dress, but putting on clothes is just such a small part of who I'm becoming,so I'm definitely a T-Girl, or whatever label fits. Neither boy, nor girl, we are special!

[CD Susan]

T-girl, crossdresser, transvestite, transgendered all kind of seem the right words to describe me. I am not sure if I am ts or not but I will have to discover this as time goes by. I have never really cared for these different labels. All I know for sure is that I am me and that is all I want to be.

[PaulaJaneThomas]

I guess we have to agree to disagree then. I don't see the differences. Certainly there are cultural differences, but as far as I'm concerned, we're part of the same community. Reading this forum, I see Brits and Yanks doing exactly the same things, experiencing the same emotions.

A Taliban fighter would feel the same emotions as you at the loss of a loved one. Does that mean you regard yourself and him as part of the same community?


I was a member of the Chicago chapter of Tri-Ess many years ago, joined in the mid-1970's as a non-attending member, started attending meetings around 1985 and left in the early 1990's, and they were definitely NOT a homophobic group. No one was ever turned away from support, in that chapter anyway. Many, many people have received a lot of help from Tri-Ess over the years. I would urge you to not judge the organization unless you experience it personally. There's a lot of BS in print that accuses them of being some sort of evil, conservative, exclusive organization, and that is about as far from the truth as you can get. While I have no desire to be a member any more, I will defend them from such drivel when I can.

Yes, Tri-Ess focuses on issues specific to straight CD's and their SO's, but so what? That group has specific issues that other segments of the community don't have. Do you dislike support organizations that restrict membership to TS's only? If not, why not? If Tri-Ess is guilty of discrimination, then why aren't TS-only groups guilty of it too? Let's face it, focused support is NOT discrimination.

I've run a support group for many years. I'm well aware of the "specific issues" you mention and I know as a fact that there's absolutely no reason to exclude or discourage gay TVs in order to deliver that focused support. TS-only support groups may or may be guilty of discrimination. TSs often require specific support and advice which is outside of the scope of what general TG support groups can offer so specialist groups which can provide that support and advice are a good idea and that is how things work around here. We do have TSs (both MtF and FtM) attending our social support group but if a TS turned up seeking specialist advice we would refer them to the nearest TS-specific group.


ILastly, I never said definitively that there was a formal affiliation between the two groups, rather that I thought I remembered something about some kind of affiliation. Evidently, there was no lasting affiliation. I was just making conversation, adding what I recalled from years ago.

OK so you admit you were wrong.


IYou're certainly free to dislike us Americans, but I don't think that this is an appropriate place to be venting your bias.

:brolleyes: The only Americans I dislike are the ones who racist, homophobic or religious bigots. I'll leave it your judgement to decide what percentage of your population that includes.


Edit: I just did a bit of searching and came up with some information for you. Prior to Tri-Ess, Virginia Prince's organization was called the Society for Full Personality Expression, or FPE. She published a magazine called Transvestia, and there were a few members of FPE and subscribers to Transvestia in Europe, including the UK. The 3 UK members of FPE decided to form a UK branch of FPE in 1966, and that organization was called the Beaumont Society, so there definitely is an affiliation between the Beaumont Society and the forerunner of Tri-Ess, if not Tri-Ess proper.

Carol

The full story is here. (http://www.beaumontsociety.org.uk/history.html) No mention of Tri-Ess. There is no affiliation with Tri-Ess.

[Julogden]

A Taliban fighter would feel the same emotions as you at the loss of a loved one. Does that mean you regard yourself and him as part of the same community?

That's comparing apples to oranges dear. If there's a Taliban fighter/sympathizer in America, then I'd say they're part of the Taliban community regardless of whether they live in America or Afghanistan.


I've run a support group for many years. I'm well aware of the "specific issues" you mention and I know as a fact that there's absolutely no reason to exclude or discourage gay TVs in order to deliver that focused support. TS-only support groups may or may be guilty of discrimination. TSs often require specific support and advice which is outside of the scope of what general TG support groups can offer so specialist groups which can provide that support and advice are a good idea and that is how things work around here. We do have TSs (both MtF and FtM) attending our social support group but if a TS turned up seeking specialist advice we would refer them to the nearest TS-specific group.

I'd say that you're probably right, but in my experience (20 to 30 years ago) in Tri-Ess, it happened quite often that wives/SO's who were just informed of having a CD'ing partner were afraid that their CD'ing partner wanted to be sexually involved with other males, and Tri-Ess policy of hetero-CD's only seemed to be of some comfort to the spouses. Please keep in mind that while Virginia Prince was a bit of a homophobe, her policies were not strictly enforced by all chapters, at least not in the Chicago chapter, in my experience. Keep in mind that Virginia Prince was a product of her generation, born in 1912. Not saying that her policies were completely right, just that she came from a different world than the one we now live in, and her rules were forged in the days when gay people could be thrown in jail for assembling. And I do feel that it's time for Tri-Ess to change those policies.


OK so you admit you were wrong.
Yes, my recollection wasn't entirely accurate. I never said that I was stating hard fact, just a vague memory of some sort of connection between the clubs.


:brolleyes: The only Americans I dislike are the ones who racist, homophobic or religious bigots. I'll leave it your judgement to decide what percentage of your population that includes.
I dislike people from any country who are racist, homophobic or are religious bigots. Seems to me that you're singling out the USA for criticism here, and lumping all Americans together as a group. I'd suggest that you reserve judgment. Yes, we have our right-wing wackos here, but they're not the majority. I'd say that racism, homophobia and religious bigotry exists in the UK too, probably as much as here. The American practitioners are just more vocal, self-righteous and organized, in my opinion.

You're badly misinformed if you think that all Americans are the same. Regional differences here are often huge, similar to regional differences between one country in Europe and another. Keep in mind that the USA is approximately the size of Europe, with many states as large or larger than many countries in Europe, and the cultural differences from one region to another are often as different as between countries in Europe.


The full story is here. (http://www.beaumontsociety.org.uk/history.html) No mention of Tri-Ess. There is no affiliation with Tri-Ess.
You're splitting hairs. Clearly, the Beaumont Society originally had close ties to Virginia Prince, and was an offshoot of her FPE organization , which eventually became Tri-Ess, and like Tri-Ess, the Beaumont Society initially didn't permit gay CD's to join, says so right on that page.

Here in the USA, Virginia held the reigns, so Tri-Ess followed her lead, at least in theory. There were TS members of the Chicago chapter of Tri-Ess, and I don't recall any of them being asked to leave. They didn't usually stick around very long though, as there wasn't much of value to them in Tri-Ess other than support from other members as friends. There were members who were bisexual too, they just didn't advertise it.

While I may be coming across as a cheerleader for Tri-Ess, I'm actually not particularly a fan of the group currently. I eventually left because my issues were with gender identity and I came to the conclusion that I wasn't getting the help I needed from them, so I joined an open group in Chicago, the Chicago Gender Society. I hung around Tri-Ess a long time primarily because I had made some good, supportive friends there and really enjoyed associating with them. The Chicago chapter of Tri-Ess was a very good bunch of folks.

And I do feel that now that Virginia is gone, Tri-Ess ought to amend their policy and allow anyone to join. Here in the state of Illinois, it's illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity, so I would hope that our local chapter is now open to anyone.

Carol

[cassandra2601]

Definitely CD!

[Melissa Rose]

By my own definition, I am a cross dresser. I do not live my life as a woman, take hormones, undergone surgery or similar things so I do not consider myself to be a T-girl. However, I define myself as transgendered since I would have much rather been born female than male. While this could be considered a regret, it is not one that negatively affects my daily life or manifests itself as depression or anger. I'm very blessed and happy with my current life situation, and I do not want to alter it with such a major life changing action such as SRS. If I was much younger and not comfortably entrenched in my current life situation, I would pursue transitioning.

Not being a woman used to have a more negative influence over my psyche. I have reached an inner peace with the situation and embraced the knowledge that gender is more a mind frame and inner feeling than a physical embodiment. While I do not dress as frequently as I would like, I treat each time like a special occasion. I spend hours getting ready to look my girly best. When I'm done, I feel different...a more softer and gentle version of me. Since I can't be a woman, I have to settle for looking, feeling and acting like one on occasion. I feel blessed to be able to do that and it is enough to keep me sane, satisfied and loving life.

[StaceyJane]

Well my therapist thinks I'm TG and I would have to agree.

[Anna the Dub]

To be specific I am a transsexual, and always describe myself as such when talking to outsiders. I have never, ever used the term t-girl and doubt if I ever will, as I believe it is just too vague a term, and a little bit too flippant. I am quite happy describing myself as just a plain old TS.

[Gerard]

Visiting this forum has helped in figuring out that I am not TG, but a man who likes women's clothes.

It made me help realize that I just need to give in to my feminine side and not bother that people might perceive me as a bit girly sometimes.

Having a more integrated persona because I now recognize that, has made me much happier and more confident.

[thomasina]

:battingeyelashes:i have been cd for as long as i can remember it's just lately i have been buying panties and other outfits and costumes and really enjoy them and dress whenever i can so i think i will stay a crossdresser
thanks

[Empress Lainie]

If you have ever read my posts you have no doubt that I regard myself as woman, so TS not CD.

[Raquel June]

The only Americans I dislike are the ones who racist, homophobic or religious bigots. I'll leave it your judgement to decide what percentage of your population that includes.

A__hole fundamentalists are a pretty small part of the US population. Unfortunately they have plenty time on their hands and 100% of them vote.

[Fondew2004]

Cdr here....but a lovely one at that!

[sherib]

I consider myself a Crossdresser. I get confused with Transgender or transexual. I'm a male that like to dress in womens clothes. Transgender or transexual suggest to me a person that wants to have SRS, I don't. I love females, their bodies, and the way clothes look on them. When I dress, I try to look as good as a GG. I like the feel of womens clothes against my body. I like the feel of the make up on my face and the smell of the perfume. I guess I'll always be a CD.:2c:

[Donnadcd]

For most of my life I presumed I was a Transvestite/CD or what ever that label is - but now I realise all along I was transgender/transsexual.

I'm far happier and contented now




It's the same for me - except that I'm not happy or content yet. Gotta take the next step.

[Jaclyn NM]

I am definitely a CDer, and have no desire to change.

[Jennifer Marie P.]

Yes I'm a T-girl now that I started my transition ,taking hormones and seeing my terapist and being Jennifer 24/7 I cant be happier.