Is this a hobby

[Philippa Jane]

Hi everybody.
Here is a word that has been used in a number of posts and it is one that leaves me a little uncomfortable.
Do you regard dressing as a "Hobby"?
I for one do not.
A hobby is some thing you do in your spare time for fun, and yes while I do enjoy what I do it does not fit in the catagory of a hobby for me.
I consider dressing as part of my inner self which I have only a small amount of control over.
Any views on this please.
Philipa Jane

[Emmalee_Summers]

OMG no for me this is a lifestyle. if i could i would choose to be a woman. i feel more comfortable as a woman then a man. and anyway i have a lot of other hobbies and dress is not one of them

[Sara Jean]

well I think so some it may be a hobbie or at least they think of it like one. I know whatever you want to call it it's part of me as has been as long as i can rember or had a name for it

[MissConstrued]

Do you regard dressing as a "Hobby"?


No, it's a necessity. Dresssing when I leave my house keeps me from being arrested when I go out in public.

Now, cross-dressing... yup. That I do for fun. :)

The minute it ceases being fun is the minute you should quit it.

[Jeanna]

A hobby is some thing you do in your spare time for fun,



Exactly and this is why some people call it a hobby.
It's my hobby and I have fun doing it.

[Mirani]

I dont do it for fun.

I have fun whist I do it!

[Keely]

Not a hobby for me. I have hobbies and I'm sure I could stop doing them if I wanted to.

Now this is not something I could stop for very long. Do I get enjoyment out of it...absolutely.

[DAVIDA]

Not a hobby! This is who I am. There is nothing that I can do to change.
Now, shopping is a hobby!:thumbsup: I do that because it is fun! Especially when I am adding to my shoe collection!:D

[[alice]]

Aye, for me this is not a hobby - I don't get to do it very often, but when I do, I do it more for my own sanity than anything else. Every moment I spend in the clothing of my physical gender is a moment I am lying to myself.

But for others, it may be different. There are many out there for whom CDing is just a fun diversion, and there is nothing wrong with that.

The same as with other things in life. I went to tech school to learn mechanics and work on cars, but I don't want to become a professional in the field - for me, cars are a hobby. One I am very passionate about, but a hobby nonetheless.

:3

[erickka]

I'm with most of the rest. I consider it a big part of my total being. When I do get some time to dress, I feel as if I am a complete person. My classic car tinkering is the hobby in my life!

[CharlotteW]

"Is it a hobby"?......I like this question.

I was discussing this very subject with a kinky lady friend just last night whilst wearing hold-ups under my jeans with black ballet shoes (or dolly shoes if you're in the UK). I explained to her that the almost unisex shoes with a hint of nylon on view was just perfect for me. I quite like the idea of 'OK you've spotted me, but only because you were looking at me anyway'. Perhaps it's a touch of exhibitionism, a smidgin' of suggestion and a dash of femininity, just me being who I am happy to be.

Now, when it comes to dressing, it's more about the exhibitionism combined with covertness. It's a strange mix but I like it. So fully dressing is actually more of a hobby for me. I like the idea of changing into someone else. I'd love to walk past people who know me just to see the look of confusion on their faces, then see them again later in the day, in male mode. Imagine listening to their story of "hey I saw a woman earlier, well actually I think it may have been a crossdresser".

[TSchapes]

The connotation of a word can have an emotional component to it. Sometimes the word "hobby" in the context of cross-dressing is used as a weapon, such as, "it's just a hobby, get over it".

The denotation of hobby is it's spare-time recreational pursuit. So for me, cross-dressing does fall within those parameters.

But the reality of the situation gets missed for me when this word is used. I have no choice about the thoughts that run through with my mind at any given moment, and they do have to do with dressing and feeling feminine.

I'm not hostile to the word in general, I just don't think it covers the true nature of our condition.

-Tracy

[Stephanie Stephens]

I I I I N E E D T O D O O O I t

[MarinaTwelve200]

Exactly and this is why some people call it a hobby.
It's my hobby and I have fun doing it.

Yep, its FUN for me too! Let us not forget that Cross-dressing is symptomatic of a variety of different "conditions" that people may have. It can range from a fun "hobby" to an "irrestable drive" or " psychological necessity", depending on the underlying reason one cross dresses.

We are not dealing with different "degrees" of a singular condition but rather a secondary act or symptom (CDing) common to many diverse underlying causes that have varying degrees of importance and significance to different individuals.

[Mary Jane]

I consider it as a hobby but at the same time I have a real NEED to dress from time to time. It satisfies a deep need to express the fem side of myself. Sometimes words have different meanings for different people.

[Wen4cd]

In my life I've went through so many "hobbies" I can hardly recall them all.

I've built and raced cars, built giant telescopes, put together aquariums, made pirate radio stations, built and used my own handmade sailboats, explored wild caverns, climbed rocks, learned three instruments and played in several bands, become obsessed with archery, built guitars, bows, model airplanes, tinkered with electronics, built computers, played chess, collected comic books, LP's, books, and baseball cards as a kid, learned to sew professionally, sculpt professionally, photograph professionally, draw, write, sing, bake, garden, backpack, camp, bicycle long distances, raise birds.....the list could go on, and I'm but 35 still.

My house is full of the remnants of one obsessive hobby after another, and 90% of them come on like a fire of passion, and then leave me just as cold after a bit.

I got to thinking, what has always been there through all of the rest of it, that has never left me cold? What is actually not a 'hobby,' in my life of ever-changing hobbies?

1. My wife and family
2. My closest lifelong friends
3. What I do with mirrors.
4. My dreams.

(I sometimes refer to cross-dressing as 'what I do with mirrors.')

"Hobby" has a bad connotation for me these days, being synonymous with "medium-term obsession." Cross-dressing doesn't fit the bill, it's just part of who I am, one of the good parts.

[Olivia]

It's not a hobby for me.


(I sometimes refer to cross-dressing as 'what I do with mirrors.')

Now, I love that line. Very nice.
:) O

[Princess Chantal]

I consider my crossdressing to be a hobby and there would be no problems in leaving it. Like I've said several times, "Once the passion and fun of crossdressing stops, I'll stop and seek something new to spend my spare time".
However, I don't consider other people's crossdressing to be a hobby unless they say so.

[Marisa_M]

For me it's not a hobby.

It's the lifestyle I love so much and make me happy of what I am.:daydreaming:

[Joni Marie Cruz]

Yeah, it's a hobby for me. Kind of like breathing is a hobby. I can stop it for awhile but then I just have to do it again.

Hugs...Joni Mari

[TGMarla]

Hobby>obsession = obsession<hobby.....I'm guessing that lots of people who are into model railroading or airplanes (or whatever) and consider themselves hobbyists would also say that it's something that lives deep within their souls. This is an activity that I think about daily, and pursue in my spare time. So even if it's a manifestation of what is a big part of my soul, others could say the same thing about their more conventional "hobbies". Perhaps it's accurate to say it's something more than a "mere" hobby, but something less than total obsession. Or maybe not. Because there are times when the obsession seems to take over.

[Deborah Jane]

My big hobby is modifying cars, how does crossdressing compare?.....

Modifying cars
Crossdressing

Is it fun?.....

Yes
Yes

Do I spend as much time as possible doing it?....

Yes
Yes

Do I spend any money I have spare on it?....

Yes
Yes

Does my S.O. enjoy my interest as much as I do?....

Yes
Yes

Would my S.O. like me to give my interest up?....

No
No

Could I give up my interest?....

If forced..Yes
If forced..No

Conclusion....I guess crossdressing is more than a hobby!!

[Tracy_Victoria]

to me My crossdressing is just a hobby, so I suppose I differ from many above.

Yes, I do crossdress, but it is not something I need do daily, in fact I have not dressed for weeks now, due to the school holiday's in the UK, and won't for nearly another month yet!

At present the chance to dress is just not there, and I just get on with it, and accept that when the time comes I will be ready, in fact one of the last things I did before there break was to have a good sort out, of my stuff. however I know I will get to the end of there holiday time, and if I'm not ready or feeling like I want to dress, then I won't.

I think crossdressing can obcess people, and to some it can become an obsession, even in my case, I have to many clothes and far to many wigs (to the point I'm going to thin those down in time) but to me Crossdressing is no different from my other "Main hobby" and I suppose the fact that in the last month I've spent about £20 on my dressing and far more on my other hobby, surely must mean to me, it's just a hobby.

[Jenny Brown]

Call it a hobby or whatever you choose to call it. CD-ing is definitely a choice.
It's not something you're physically forced to do, so it's a personal choice.
Yes, I already know this thread will go exactly the same route all other threads like this go. :doh:

[sandra diaz]

Hobby is something you do in your spare time. If I could spend the rest of my like as a woman, I would do it. If’s my way of life, part of myself:daydreaming:

[Tracy_Victoria]

Hobby is something you do in your spare time. If I could spend the rest of my like as a woman, I would do it. If’s my way of life, part of myself:daydreaming:

You see that were I differ. I have no desire or wish to be a woman. I love my life as a Man, and I love being able to appear to change gender, but have no wish to do so for real.

Therefore thay why I call my dressing a hobby, ie I can deside to do it, or not, as the mood takes me, with the kids being off school I have not been able to dress, but I just accept that and know in a few weeks time the chance to do so will come, if I wish to do so.

ie I control it, not it controls me, but I do all the same have a need to do so, but it certainly doesn't have to be, every day, once a week, or even once a month. Ie I'm happy to wait until I can enjoy it fully!

[Greymancd]

At this point in time I would call it a hobby I do it in my spare time and I do it because I am drawn to it an d it makes me feel good and I have fun. Then again I think of it as more than a hobby because it is something inside me coming out (somedays I wish I could come out). I guess we can put any title on it we want and it does not change anything it is what it is just enjoy it!

[MichelleP]

Hi Philipa,

Ugghh, I really don't the terms "hobby" and "choice" when it is applied to CDing. It's not a "hobby" by any means with me. I realize CDing spans a broad spectrum of people and I am one of those girls nearer to the full transition end of it. I dress because the need to be feminine absolutely overwhelmes me. I really don't like it when people misconstrue all of us with "hobbyists" or say pfffh, it's their choice that they dress.

Hugs,
Michelle

[Joni Marie Cruz]

Hi Michelle-

Hey, hon, how's things going? I so agree with you as far as the "oh, you have a choice, no one makes you dress like a girl" thing goes. Hell, almost everything we do in life, except for basic biologial functions, is a choice of some sort. Life is a choice, for that matter and so is how we choose to live it. We can choose to make pointless, snarky remarks about people and their choices or we can simply let others be how they are.

Speaking only for myself, if I were told that, for whatever reason, I could no longer crossdress, I would be able to live with it, but I would be very unhappy and would feel as though a large part of who I am had been taken from me. In many ways, while these sorts of discussions are sometimes fun and interesting, especially in regard to seeing someone else's take on it, they are also rather fruitless.

Hugs...Joni Mari

[Ralph]

Call it a hobby or whatever you choose to call it. CD-ing is definitely a choice.
It's not something you're physically forced to do, so it's a personal choice.
Yes, I already know this thread will go exactly the same route all other threads like this go.
Not that I disagree with you, Jenny, but good luck with that. Send me some of the more interesting flames you get as a result of that remark :D

Bottom line, as we have learned EVERY time this question came up is, there's no one-size-fits-all answer (just like with clothes! At my size, "one size fits all" means "way too small"). For some, it's a hobby and they can do without as long as necessary due to the circumstances. For others, it's a passion and giving it up would be like going on bread and water for the rest of your life. For others, it's the only thing keeping them from suicide or chronic depression. Others believe they are so hard-wired to crossdress that they are physically unable to stop, any more than they can stop breathing.

That scale also answers the question of "What if your wife would divorce you if you didn't stop" - for some the urge is mild enough that they would rather preserve the marriage than preserve the dressing, and others would rather give up the marriage. It all depends on where you fit on that scale. Me? I'm about a 1.5 (somewhere between "It's just a hobby" and "it's a passion")... I'm content with minimal underdressing and have found a few "male" alternatives (spandex bike shorts, satiny nylon swim trunks) to satisfy the tactile need. I own one pair of tighty-whities just in case, but I've never needed them and I don't know how unhappy I would be if that's all I could wear ever again.

[Jenny Brown]

Not that I disagree with you, Jenny, but good luck with that. Send me some of the more interesting flames you get as a result of that remark :D
I would...but I don't think it would be anything you haven't seen a dozen times before. :doh:

Others believe they are so hard-wired to crossdress that they are physically unable to stop, any more than they can stop breathing.
Yes, some do believe that. But, it's all just an excuse. Think about it. In a way, that's why the fantasy of "forced feminization" is so popular. That concept removes all the guilt & shame because you are being coerced against your will and you have no choice. It's just another form of excuse.
Don't get me wrong here...anyone who "wants" to cd, I say go for it. Just don't claim it's "necessary", because it's not - it's a choice. :doh:

[TSchapes]

Not Choice.

Search for other threads that have discussed the word "Choice" to death....

[trannie T]

If you sew a dress that could be a hobby, if you then wear the dress it is more than a hobby.

[Vicky_Scot]

Hobby:An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure or relaxation.

It certainly fits the description of Hobby and so it could be classed as one.

BUT

Crossdressing is not a hobby IMO. When someone takes up a hobby it is a choice. When it comes to crossdressing that choice is not there so I would say in the true sense of the word 'hobby' as most people understand it, crossdressing is not a hobby.

You are born a crossdresser so choice does not come into it. You arenot born a golfer, stamp collecter etc etc.

Xx Vicky xX

[charlytuna]

One can call it a hobby. I use to call dresing a hobby when I could get dress on a ocasion. But as time progress I call it a lifestyle the more you dress the more you want. That what my wife tells ma all the time. With a lifestyle it's all you want

[Veronica Nowakowski]

The definition of hobby is:

"an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation"

I don't primarily crossdress, I go through my working hours in drab, and plenty of the off time too, so technically it is a hobby for me, though I've never described it that way.

[DAVIDA]

If I were to never put on anything "female" again, it would not change the fact that I am still a crossdresser.
Hobby?

[vivianann]

For me it is more than just a hobby, it is my identity as a woman, my feminine side of my personality is quite strong, so therefore it an expression of my true self.

[Jeanna]

Hi everybody.
Here is a word that has been used in a number of posts and it is one that leaves me a little uncomfortable.
Do you regard dressing as a "Hobby"?
I for one do not.
A hobby is some thing you do in your spare time for fun, and yes while I do enjoy what I do it does not fit in the catagory of a hobby for me.
I consider dressing as part of my inner self which I have only a small amount of control over.
Any views on this please.
Philipa Jane

Ya, see a doctor that specializes in trans-gender issues.

[Vicky_Scot]

If I played golf and then stopped and never played golf ever again then I would not be a golfer then. If I collected coins and never collected a coin ever again I would not be a coin collecter then. I use to play golf and collect coins.

As Davida says
If I were to never put on anything "female" again, it would not change the fact that I am still a crossdresser.
Hobby?

Not a hobby IMO. I will always be a crossdresser whatever.

[Jenny Brown]

When it comes to crossdressing that choice is not there
Of course it's there. It's your personal choice to cd. :doh:

[Sallee]

A hobby might be a stretch For me it was either cross dressing or collecting stamps LOL

[Vicky_Scot]

Of course it's there. It's your personal choice to cd. :doh:

:brolleyes: With respect I think you missed the point.

Xx Vicky xX

[gender_blender]

One of my hobbies is female modeling (photoshoots and fashion shows), but I don't consider the act of wearing clothing of any gender a hobby. I think the distinction exists if you have to travel somewhere else before you are able to crossdress.

[CharleneT]

There are as many reasons to cross dress as there are CD's... I think for many it could be best described as their hobby. Even if they would have trouble giving it up. Although not a CD, I have many CD friends here and they can be a blast to be with. For most of them I think it is their hobby. Now I also believe that they are feeding a need as well. Over time, in many cases, CDing starts as a hobby and grows to be something larger and more important in a person's life.

Me? Nope, definitely not a hobby, but that is just me.

Charlene

[joannemarie barker]

i can't really say if its a hobby or not.like most girls i started very young and never stopped.i enjoy it like a hobby but i'm not sure i could give it up like one

[tricia_uktv]

Not for me. Its my life!

[Rachel Morley]

Is it hobby?......hummm....this is maybe one way of putting it over to someone who doesn't really understand, or you could say it’s kind of like having a gender vacation. But for me I'd have to say it's a bit more serious than a hobby or a vacation. A hobby is what I used to tell myself it was before I accepted what it really actually is for me. It effects me emotionally too much to be a hobby, I'd have to say that (for me) it's an integral part of who I am rather than a hobby. I know I can't be happy without incorporating it (at least somewhat) into my everyday life. :2c:

[Carly D.]

No.. not a hobby.. I think of a hobby as something you can buy the makings for at stores like hobby lobby... and I don't see dresses at that store ever being available..

[Charla McBee]

For me this is kind of like a drug addiction without any harmful effects. I have to do it and I will lose my mind if I dont and it feels so good. All I did was try on a pair of pantyhose out of curiosity when I was 13, just a little taste. Then I tried on some shoes, then a skirt... Now Im buying dresses in crowded walmarts just to get my fix and damn the consequences. It never ends.

I hide it from everyone of course and sometimes go several days without it to keep up appearances but that always makes things worse for my sanity. I'm not seeking a cure though, I like my drug too much.

[AlannahNorth]

Philipa Jane,

Chances are if you've encountered any of my posts, you saw me use the word 'hobby'. Yup - I'm one of the culprits! I use the term loosely, just like I occasionally refer to some of my friends as 'gentlemen' - and they know it and get a laugh.

Hobby. Really? No - for me, more of a compulsion. The reason I crossdress is because I can't stop. It's a part of my identity - hidden - but there nonetheless. I enjoy this, and as long as I can do so on occasion, I am growing and progressing as an individual.

I use the term 'hobby' with tongue-in-cheek.

Alannah

[VeronicaMoonlit]

The minute it ceases being fun is the minute you should quit it.

Not exactly. I wouldn't call "dressing" "fun", it's a part of my identity. And sometimes thinking about "IT" can make me sad, which is of course...not fun. But I am transgendered, and a femme, and an affinity for the "femme things" is a part of me no matter what. So quitting, is not an option. :-)

Veronica
Rondelle (Ron) Rogers Jr.

[Jennifer N J]

I have had this need, or desire to cross dress for a very long time. I too have wondered if this is just a fetish that I have. But I have supressed it in the past, and still do now at times and the better part of me keeps comming back. I dont take the opportunities to physically dress up en femme very often, but that doesn't keep Jennifer from being part of my life. I am her and she is me and this I do accept and love. No, I don't think its a hobby, We or at least for the time being I am both, and trying to supress A very important part of my being makes me sad emotionally and spiritually. I love both sides of me. No its not a hobby, for me anyway.

[Diane Smith]

While the need to dress is a very deep part of me and is definitely a lifestyle of itself, I do acknowledge that there are parts of the process that I approach like a hobby. Putting together a pretty femme presentation is certainly a kind of craft, and it is true art to be able to do makeup well, or coordinate outfits. And I approach shopping much the same whether it's for pretty clothes or arts-and-crafts supplies -- I can tell you where the best deals and products are at many of the stores in town in either domain. Finally, I read lots of books, magazines and websites to learn more about my craft, whether it's styling my hair or the latest airbrush techniques.

I don't mean to disparage those who only see this as an issue of personal identity or political consciousness, as it is that to me, as well. But there is a superficial, practical layer to the craft that can be seen and practiced like any other creative hobby or club activity. And I like it when other girls show off the results of their work in the photo section here!

- Diane

[PretzelGirl]

For me this is kind of like a drug addiction without any harmful effects.

My bank account doesn't think so! :heehee:

[BettyCooper]

I, personally, do not regard this as a hobby. It it connected to the deepest part of me. Nevertheless, I have spoken to so many different kinds of girls that I realize that the spectrum goes from CD hobby, to fetish, to TV, to female side, to two-spirited, to TG, to woman born in a man's body, with many, many other gradations in between.

[Philippa Jane]

Hello and thanks to all who have replied to the question.
Wow what a cross section of views.
The outcome of this for me at least is that I shall try to be more relaxed with the word and the inferences it places on my CDing.I guess I am over sensitive.
My reason for the objection to the word"hobby" is that I felt it was a way of putting us in a category that felt demeaning to what is an essential part of many of us.
For many years I have had hobbies that have been good for awhile and have died when I lost interest in them.
I don't think the same would apply to my other persona "Philipa".
She is more of a way of life.
Philipa Jane

[Kelsy]

Call it a hobby or whatever you choose to call it. CD-ing is definitely a choice.
It's not something you're physically forced to do, so it's a personal choice.
Yes, I already know this thread will go exactly the same route all other threads like this go. :doh:

Personal choice mmm yes -physically forced ahh no but

It is a choice but the mystery lies
in the drive! What drives you to crossdress Jenny? hmm??

Kelsy:battingeyelashes:

[Jaclyn NM]

No, I don't consider my crossdressing as a hobby. It's part of who I am, and when I really think about it, if it was possible for me, I would be dressed as a female most of the time. Now that doesn't sound like a hobby to me.

["Mary"]

Color me a "hobbyist" P.C. Sums up my feelings pretty well.
I consider my crossdressing to be a hobby and there would be no problems in leaving it. Like I've said several times, "Once the passion and fun of crossdressing stops, I'll stop and seek something new to spend my spare time".
However, I don't consider other people's crossdressing to be a hobby unless they say so.

However, I think I would have some trouble leaving it behind. But if it wasn't fun anymore, I suppose it would be easier.

[Vicky_Scot]

Yes, some do believe that. But, it's all just an excuse. Think about it. In a way, that's why the fantasy of "forced feminization" is so popular. That concept removes all the guilt & shame because you are being coerced against your will and you have no choice. It's just another form of excuse.
Don't get me wrong here...anyone who "wants" to cd, I say go for it. Just don't claim it's "necessary", because it's not - it's a choice. :doh:


Sorry but what a load of tosh.

Xx Vicky xX

[Jenniferpl]

I dress because I have to.

The hobbie comes in with the shopping and everything else related to it. I can spend hours looking at women's clothes and never seem to get bored with it but I do not have to. I can spend hours looking at pictures of women, studing every detail related to makeup, hair, and how they present themselves to the camera but I do not have to do that.

[Nicki B]

The trouble with the words 'hobby' and 'lifestyle' is that they carry an implication that it's a choice...


Call it a hobby or whatever you choose to call it. CD-ing is definitely a choice.
It's not something you're physically forced to do, so it's a personal choice.


Wearing the clothes, etc may be a choice - although there are plenty I know who suffer mentally if they can't express themselves that way.. But the way you feel isn't a choice - it's the way we are made?

What person in their right mind would choose this - it's not an easy road? You can only make the best of the life you are given.. :)

[skirtsuit]

Hello All,

I can say for sure that my buying and collecting clothing is definately a hobby. A while ago, when I lived in New England and had a good job, I spent alot of my spare time collecting books - I knew where all the used book barns where and loved digging for underpriced, interesting books. It was ALOT of fun, there seemed to be an unlimited variety and supply of decent collectable books.

Today, in Philly, I find an analogous situation with the womens clothing in the thirft shops. I spend alot of time digging for good quality clothes and take home lots of it for cheap, so that's the hobbiest / collector side of CDing for me.

The rest, about why I wear the clothes and enjoy it so much, is much more complicated. I am content, however, at this point in my life, to just enjoy dressing and nights out without analyzing it too much.

My 2 pence

SS / Ann

[msginaadoll]

Well if it is a hobby, it is one I didnt willingly take up. Also it is one that at times Ive been fightting to stop. So for some people it is a hobby. For me it has been an integral part of who I am, even though I struggle with it.

[monika]

Yeah it is a hobby.
I don`t do it that often(CD`ing) but when I do it is always fun:)

[Angie G]

I have hobbies Them I could do without this I can't It;s no hobby PJ.:hugs:
Angie

[Jenny Brown]

Sorry but what a load of tosh.

What language is that? I've never heard of "tosh".
cd-ing is a choice. Anyone who says it's not is making excuses for what they do. Do you feel you need to make an excuse? Why not just be honest and say it's your choice to cd because that's what you want to do?:doh:

[BLUE ORCHID]

Is this a hobby?????
Hell no this is serious buisness it's a life style for me it's who I am.
.................................................. .........thanks........ORCHID

[Samantha Girl]

For me this is kind of like a drug addiction without any harmful effects. I have to do it and I will lose my mind if I dont and it feels so good. All I did was try on a pair of pantyhose out of curiosity when I was 13, just a little taste. Then I tried on some shoes, then a skirt... Now Im buying dresses in crowded walmarts just to get my fix and damn the consequences. It never ends.

I hide it from everyone of course and sometimes go several days without it to keep up appearances but that always makes things worse for my sanity. I'm not seeking a cure though, I like my drug too much.

^ Except for that sentence about hiding it I'm totally with Agnieszka Svetlanova ;) Lately, with the whole movin across country thing with no job I've been a bit stressed :eek: One of the few things that's kept me sane has been dressing up! ;) It takes me away a bit from the everyday ya know? :)

I could see how it's a hobby for some people, addiction for some and a way of life for others, individuality is lovely isn't it? :D

[Charla McBee]

nobody cross-dresses by compulsion (except in fantasy fiction). So whatever we each say, we're only expressing our own personal attitude about it because the objective truth lies between the two.

But please let's not kid ourselves that it's something we have no control over. However involuntary our emotions are, we all have control over our actions; it's called being an adult and the law will hold you to it. If you can't control your actions, see a doctor.

Hmm, well thanks for being the first person to really offend me around here. What exactly do you call it when I'm minding my own business as a man and suddenly I am overwhelmed by the urge to crossdress and until I do it I feel progessively worse?

Control? Alright, I know from the last year that I can go months without indulging any of this but to do so literally drives me near to insanity. Ask a drug addict about self-control and you might find me a kindred spirit.

If I didn't have this site, I don't know where I'd be. I have to do this and I'm not sure I would have made it without the internet. I joined because I was at the end of my rope and I couldn't do this alone anymore. I needed the support of people who knew at least to some degree where I was at, not the ridicule of an elitist.

I challenge you to avoid all things cross-dressing for a year before you get back to me officially, reporting all feelings throughout. I know I couldn't do it.

If you acknowledge that for some of us this isn't a hobby how can it not be a compulsion? Where does the truth lie for you?

[Vicky_Scot]

What language is that? I've never heard of "tosh".
cd-ing is a choice. Anyone who says it's not is making excuses for what they do. Do you feel you need to make an excuse? Why not just be honest and say it's your choice to cd because that's what you want to do?:doh:

I do not need to make an excuse my dear, I accepted years ago what I am.

You are the one that seems to be trying to justify so strongly that it is a hobby. Mabye you are the one trying to make excuses for what you do. There is a saying. 'Thou doth protest to much'. I think this sums you up.

Looks like there are a lot of people on here making excuses eh. :doh:


Tosh = nonsense, rubbish, bullshit, balderdash...

Thanks Katie.

Xx Vicky xX

[Joni Marie Cruz]

Hi Gina-

I like what you said, I feel it brings up a valid and worthwhile distinction in the debate. Honestly, would any of us "choose" being TG and its physical expression, wearing women's clothes, whether in public or in private, if it were simply a matter of "choice"? Just for grins and giggles, for the fun of it? Given the general social disapprobation of crossdressing, I seriously doubt it.

As I've mentioned before I have a few hobbies, my main one is flyfishing and flytying (yes, their tiny little legs are hard to hold), when I was a kid way back in the dawn of time I was into model cars, model airplanes and model railroads. I also love reading sci-fi and consider it a hobby. Do I feel a real need to do any of these things, do I or did I feel compelled to do them? Nope, not at all.

Do I feel a real need to express who I am in a feminine way? To be who I actually feel myself to be? Yes. Could I not do it? Sure. Just like you can be celibate all your life if you choose to do so. One only need examine recent headlines to see how well suppressing a fundamental need works out. To me this takes it beyond being a hobby...don't know where it takes it...a matter for another thread.

Hugs...Joni Mari



Well if it is a hobby, it is one I didnt willingly take up. Also it is one that at times Ive been fightting to stop. So for some people it is a hobby. For me it has been an integral part of who I am, even though I struggle with it.

[Ras]

it is a hobby and a necessity for me. But along the definition of a hobby, it one that i cannot stop nor do I want to.

[JoAnne Wheeler]

Lord I hope not - this is my life - I live to be JoAnne - no way is this just a hobby

JoAnne Wheeler

[WMassGirl]

I NEED to dress. I used to smoke and I quit that but theres absolutely NO way you can quit dressing. You can purge but you"ll regret it later. The best thing you can do is try to integrate it into your life and enjoy it. Twenty five years ago I would seriously considered transitioning but its a little late in life now. My SO understands my needs and is very accomidating. She'll come home from work and find me fully dressed and won't bat an eyelash. I understand her needs as well as she understands mine and our 35 yr marriage carries on.

[leotard fan]

crossdressing is not a hobby for me. and i only do it sometimes because i can dress how i want everytime.

[kelliboots]

No hobby here. No choice either....this isn't something you wish for and can turn off by just saying no. Doing drugs is a choice, smoking is a choice, this is something iwas born with and am not really sure how to make myself feel comfortable without doing it. I think everyone on their journey through life finds their own way of dealing with it. :battingeyelashes:

[Vicky_Scot]

No hobby here. No choice either....this isn't something you wish for and can turn off by just saying no. Doing drugs is a choice, smoking is a choice, this is something iwas born with and am not really sure how to make myself feel comfortable without doing it. I think everyone on their journey through life finds their own way of dealing with it. :battingeyelashes:


You and I are singing from the same hymn sheet Kelli darling.

Xx Vicky xX

[sherri52]

Hi everybody.
Here is a word that has been used in a number of posts and it is one that leaves me a little uncomfortable.
Do you regard dressing as a "Hobby"?
I for one do not.
A hobby is some thing you do in your spare time for fun, and yes while I do enjoy what I do it does not fit in the catagory of a hobby for me.
I consider dressing as part of my inner self which I have only a small amount of control over.
Any views on this please.
Philipa Jane

Crossdressing is not a hobby. It is a way of life, a way of letting yourself feel good. hobbies are not 24/7 ,dressing even in a small degree is

[Princess Chantal]

No hobby here. No choice either....this isn't something you wish for and can turn off by just saying no. Doing drugs is a choice, smoking is a choice, this is something iwas born with and am not really sure how to make myself feel comfortable without doing it. I think everyone on their journey through life finds their own way of dealing with it. :battingeyelashes:
I wasn't born with crossdressing, however I know that I have been born with the natural human trait known as curiousity. It was my curiousity that led to me to try on my first pair of pantyhose. Then once experiencing most of my ponderings of pantyhose, it led me to wonder about other women attire. My curiousness then led to wondering how I'd look in a mirror in a full feminine appearance. Then it led to me wondering how it would be to feel the breeze of the outdoors. Which then led to wondering how it felt to experience some stuff in the appearance of the female gender.... and on and on
It was my own personal choice to act on my curiousity and experience some of the wonders of crossdressing. It's my choice not to act on other curious pondering of crossdressing.

[Mandyflcd]

In the end I think it just all depends on the person. There is no "right" answer.

[Sandra]

In the end I think it just all depends on the person. There is no "right" answer.

That's the most sensible answer I've seen sofar