The Google Test

[Veronica27]

I decided to do a web search of various terms to get an impression of what the general public might find when attempting to find information about this phenomenon of men dressing in women's clothing. The first word I tried was "crossdress" and came up with these 11 sites (other than the usual highlighted ads). I have used the names given for the sites rather than their web addresses.

1. Crossdress - Sissyboy, sissy galleries, sissy training, sissy ...
2. Free Crossdress Porn Pics and Movies | Sissy Pictures And Videos ...
3. Images of crossdress
4. Crossdress Porn, Crossdresser Porn
5. Crossdress World - Crossdresser Tubes, Movies and Pictures
6. Flickr: "crossdress"
7. Crossdressing Sissies - Crossdress Sex Pictures and Movies!
8. Crossdress Porn - Men in heels and hose, m2f dressing, feminized ...
9. Crossdresser Heaven
10. Crossdress Porn, crossdress sex, crossdressers
11. Cross Dress TGP - Crossdressing Porn Pictures and Movies!

Other than crossdresser heaven, (#9,really) these are not the sites that I would recommend for gaining some knowledge. I then realized that I had used the Bing search engine, so I then tried Google and came up with:

1. Cross-dressing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2. How to Crossdress: 19 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow
3. Crossdressing: Lingerie for Men, Men's Lace, Men's Satin & Panties
4. Flickr: "crossdress"
5. cross-dress - definition of cross-dress by the Free Online Dictionary ...
6. Male to Female Pink Dress 2 crossdress - YouTube
7. Pink Dress , white heels crossdress - YouTube
8. Ontario crossdress classifieds, find crossdress in Ontario - Kijiji ...
9. Crossdressers.com - #1 Community & Forum for Crossdressers ...
10. Lisa's crossdress dreams

A slightly better mix of sites, including this forum at number 9, but heavily slanted to Google owned properties or sites with mutual connections. It gave a much greater commercial slant than Bing. I checked out number 10, but I don't think it is what most wives would hope to find on a search for information.

Next I tried the word "transgender" on both engines with the following results:

Bing

1. Transgender - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2. Transgender - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
3. Transgender - Susan's Place Transgender Wiki
4. News about Transgender
5. Transgender - T-Vox
6. GLAAD's Transgender Resources | GLAAD
7. Transgender - Psychology Wiki
8. Transgender - how to video tutorials Transgender (Most viewed)
9. Answers to your Questions About Transgender People, Gender ...
10. transgender - definition of transgender by the Free Online ...
11. Transgender | Define Transgender at Dictionary.com

Google

1. ‎Transgender - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2. Answers to your Questions About Transgender People, Gender ...
3. News for transgender
4. Drop No. 6 as transgender code in forms: Karunanidhi - The Times ...
5. Transgender - Merriam-Webster Online
6. Images for transgender
7. Transgender | Society | The Guardian
8. Belleville Transgender and Friends | Facebook
9. Transgender Health - Programs & Services - Vancouver Coastal ...
10. Transgender artists stripped of right to fly | Toronto Star
11. What's the difference between being transgender or transsexual and ...
12. The Transgender Law and Policy Institute: Home Page

The point of this is that searching under transgender results in a more serious sounding group of sites than you get with the word crossdress. But those transgender sites, while purporting to be all inclusive, as in an umbrella term, are heavily slanted toward the TS side of things, especially those dealing with health and the law. The number 2 Google site gives this definition of transgender:

" Transgender is an umbrella term for persons whose gender identity, gender expression, or behavior does not conform to that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth. Gender identity refers to a person’s internal sense of being male, female, or something else; gender expression refers to the way a person communicates gender identity to others through behavior, clothing, hairstyles, voice, or body characteristics. “Trans” is sometimes used as shorthand for “transgender.” While transgender is generally a good term to use, not everyone whose appearance or behavior is gender-nonconforming will identify as a transgender person. The ways that transgender people are talked about in popular culture, academia, and science are constantly changing, particularly as individuals’ awareness, knowledge, and openness about transgender people and their experiences grow."

There is a contradiction in this definition. The first two sentences imply that everyone whose gender expression does not comply with their birth sex is expressing their gender identity and hence is transgender. The second last sentence states that not all such persons will identify as TG. In other words, the definition is saying you are whether you like it or not, or choose to use some other terminology.

People who crossdress, but do not experience any sense of gender identity other than their birth sex, are being increasingly marginalized it seems, both inside and outside of the community. Many of the members of this forum identify as male, while enjoying crossdressing as relaxation, stress relief, sexual stimulation or a host of other personal reasons. These CD's are mostly closeted and appear to be more adamant about it now than ever. About ten or fifteen years ago, being "out" on these forums usually referred to one's ability to get outside of their home and in public. Now it seems to mean being able to disclose to a loved one that you are a crossdresser. Has the public's perception of the word "crossdresser" been debased by the internet and by the increasing level of political activism within the community's leaders?

Veronica

p.s. The TG artists who were stripped of their right to fly, had nothing to do with their being TG. They were performing a strip tease act on a previous flight despite being asked not to do so, and to the discomfort of the other passengers.

[Wildaboutheels]

The simple truth is that for the most part, most people have little to no interest in things that do not affect them in any way, shape or form. If they don't work with or ever see, or have a relative etc., [that is somehow obviously "different' than how MOST Humans present themselves] word of mouth is likely their only source of information and we know how that works. And let's face it, with the advent of the internet and social media and most folks obsession with one or both, fewer and fewer people desire to do any digging or research for the truth much less have any desire to read a magazine, journal, or watch the news.

Your search merely illustrated the obvious. MOST CDers [per the countless other sites] have no interest in being women, trying to "pass" as one and are perfectly happy in their houses. I would bet a years pay that very few feel ashamed or guilty for what they do unlike most at this site... Makes it an easy assumption that a "goodly proportion" here POSSIBLY "moved on" in an effort to alleviate the guilt and shame. Nothing at all right or wrong about it. Just be a good HUMAN in either mode.

I keep up with the news pretty well. I think the general public who does the same, is more likely to hear or see the word crossdresser than transgender and it's only my opinion that when an uninformed person, [99% or better of the population] hears the word "crossdresser" they probably think someone they probably won't want to hang around with.

It won't get better until more "crossdressers" actually hit the streets and SHOW the RW that CDers are HARMLESS but simply "more unique" than most others.

This ^^^ doesn't mean anyone needs to be/should feel obligated to flee their homes to help the cause just don't use FEAR of Joe Doe public as an excuse to remain closeted.

[Lucy_Bella]

You should also keep in mind that "search engines" will allow " key words" to direct searchers to theirs sites ,for a small fee of course..

[lindseycdg]

Also remember if you are logged into a search engine, like google if you have a gmail account, they will skew the results to your previous searches, and gmail inbox content.

[Beverley Sims]

Looks like Google knows all about you now. :)

[AllieSF]

Thanks for the informative comparison. I agree with what the others have said and I think Wild makes a very good point, similar to my own.

"There is a contradiction in this definition. The first two sentences imply that everyone whose gender expression does not comply with their birth sex is expressing their gender identity and hence is transgender. The second last sentence states that not all such persons will identify as TG. In other words, the definition is saying you are whether you like it or not, or choose to use some other terminology."

I think that the definition given is a very good one for Transgendered and is not contradictory. What I read is that the author is stating that the term is generally accepted, "generally" meaning that not by everyone. Thus he/she is just stating the facts as they see them where some do not use that terminology to identify themselves for whatever reason.

[Leona]

I think one of the issues you're encountering is that the word "transgender" has two capacities: a psychological classification defined by the APA, and a political classification in the LGBT coalition. You can be a crossdresser that doesn't self-identify as transgender, but still consider yourself transgender politically because to have your right to exist, you have to be able to state it politically. I say that because I view myself that way. As I told a friend of mine who was asking about it, I accept the label "transgender" for political reasons because gender is political.

[Asche]

You can be a crossdresser that doesn't self-identify as transgender, but still consider yourself transgender politically because to have your right to exist, you have to be able to state it politically.
That describes me. (I prefer the term "gender variant," or maybe "gender nonconformant", or maybe even "gender refusenik".)

And, yes, I struggle to have my right to exist (as I am, not how others would like me to be) recognized at all.

Even here.

FWIW, I accept the designation "crossdresser" on the same basis.

[Lucy_Bella]

From the GLAAD...

PROBLEMATIC TERMS

Problematic: "transgenders," "a transgender"
Preferred: "transgender people," "a transgender person"
Transgender should be used as an adjective, not as a noun. Do not say, "Tony is a transgender," or "The parade included many transgenders." Instead say, "Tony is a transgender man," or "The parade included many transgender people."

Problematic: "transgendered"
Preferred: "transgender"
The adjective transgender should never have an extraneous "-ed" tacked onto the end. An "-ed" suffix adds unnecessary length to the word and can cause tense confusion and grammatical errors. For example, it is grammatically incorrect to turn transgender into a participle, as it is an adjective, not a verb, and only verbs can be used as participles by adding an "-ed" suffix.

Problematic: "sex change," "pre-operative," "post-operative"
Preferred: "transition"
Referring to a sex change operation, or using terms such as pre- or post-operative, inaccurately suggests that one must have surgery in order to transition. Avoid overemphasizing surgery when discussing transgender people or the process of transition.

DEFAMATORY TERMS

Defamatory: "deceptive," "fooling," "pretending," "posing" or "masquerading"
Gender identity is an integral part of a person's identity. Do not characterize transgender people as "deceptive," as "fooling" other people, or as "pretending" to be, "posing" or "masquerading" as a man or a woman. Such descriptions are defamatory and insulting.

Defamatory: "she-male," "he-she," "it," "trannie," "tranny," "shim," "gender-bender"
These words only serve to dehumanize transgender people and should not be used.

[Eryn]

Search engines no longer provide the same results to all users. They evaluate your past searches and then present you with results that are most likely to have you click on one of their "suggestions" for which they get paid. You don't even have to be logged in, since they can keep track of you though IP addresses, your computer and browser info, and whatever "partner sites" you happen to use regularly. Together, these things provide a "digital signature" that is quite accurate.

The issue is, if the search engines are choosing to show you particular information based upon what they know about you, they are also refusing to show you other information! This is called discrimination.

These days, if I want to find information about a topic I visit Wikipedia, search for the topic, and then use the links that they provide.

[ninadiva]

I wrote a long winded reply and then accidentally deleted it. The gist was 'thank goodness for this site ! ' Long may we continue !