In Fifty Years ...

[CynthiaD]

I was just thinking about something that happened when I was in college. This was in the mid 1960's, nearly 50 years ago. A friend of mine decided to grow a beard. It was neat, and well trimmed, not unkempt or scraggly. And my friend was not a radical. He was, in fact, rather conservative. When he went home for Christmas, his family's reaction to the beard was quite negative. In fact his grandfather told him sadly, that he never thought he would see the day when a member of his family would grow a beard.

From today's perspective, this seems just nuts. Why would anyone care about someone growing a beard? But at the time, the grandfather's reaction would have been understandable to anyone, young or old. And no one would have been surprised by it.

Now fast forward to today. Suppose a male college student came home for Christmas wearing a dress. It's not too hard to imagine his grandfather telling him sadly, that he never thought he would see the day when a male member of his family would wear a dress.

In fifty years will the reaction to the dress become just as incomprehensible as the reaction to the beard is now? I wonder.

[Dianne S]

I don't think cross-dressing will ever be as "ho-hum" as a guy growing a beard; the psychology is completely different. Society is becoming more tolerant of transgendered people, but not to the point where it becomes a fashion statement not even worthy of mention.

[lingerieLiz]

Started to say not in 50 years. But, I'm not sure. Things are changing faster than the last 50.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Cynthia, I don't think that I can hold on that long.

[Persephone]

As you well know, the 60's were politically and socially turbulent times and a beard or long hair had great meaning. Impossible to know what the future may bring.

One of my friends used to say that the difference between the 60's and today could be summed up by a teenage boy walking into a store. In those days he would loudly tell the clerk,"I want a package of Marlboro cigarettes!" and then in a whisper, "and a package of condoms."

Today he would loudly exclaim, "I want a package of condoms!" and whisper, "and a package of Marlboros."

Hugs,
Persephone.

[Dalva]

What about a crossdresser with a beard? Now that's just downright unacceptable!!

:eek:

[sandra-leigh]

If the grandfather never expected a member of the family to grow a beard, then the reason would have to go back further than the 60's.

Hypothesis #1: Old military family where all males were expected to serve. Clean shaven can be a requirement in some branches.

Hypothesis #2: When two cultures are in conflict and one of the cultures requires men to grow beards (e.g., orthodox Jewish; Sikh) then it is not uncommon for the other culture to adopt the practice of shaving, to make visible differences between the two. Reduces fraternization, makes it easier to spot potential enemies at a distance, etc.. Thus not having a beard can become an important cultural tradition.

Dalva, a crossdresser with a beard may be unacceptable to you, but you should not be making judgements about what is unacceptable to them or other people. You will find that some of the members here go out Dressed with a beard. They aren't usually trying to "pass", just to wear the clothes they enjoy. Isn't wearing what you enjoy the major point of cross-dressing?

[Barbara Maria]

I won't be around,but if I were,I wouldn't be a bit surprised if it is.There are many,many things that were completely unacceptable in the 60s that are now commonplace,all in only 50 years.When you think about it 50 years isn't all that long a time for all that change.

[Mink]

in 50 years there won't even BE crossdressers!

[Oddlee]

Dalva, a crossdresser with a beard may be unacceptable to you, but you should not be making judgements about what is unacceptable to them or other people. You will find that some of the members here go out Dressed with a beard. They aren't usually trying to "pass", just to wear the clothes they enjoy. Isn't wearing what you enjoy the major point of cross-dressing?

Thanks for voicing this perspective, Sandra.

[Beverley Sims]

In fifty years?
Reading posts here I find there is a very different view after two years.
Old posts make interesting reading.
People outlook, advice and aspirations do change over time.
Gay people are not pilloried any more, or haven't you noticed? :)

[Karren H]

"I can't believe that a grandson of mine would grow breasts!" lol

[Frédérique]

Now fast forward to today. Suppose a male college student came home for Christmas wearing a dress. It's not too hard to imagine his grandfather telling him sadly, that he never thought he would see the day when a male member of his family would wear a dress. In fifty years will the reaction to the dress become just as incomprehensible as the reaction to the beard is now? I wonder.

It may happen. In my family, and in my experience, a beard on a male is STILL repulsive. Fifty years from now, the way it’s going, people will be covered with tattoos, or holograms, or all manner of sculpted body hair – a dress may represent a breath of fresh air, and a new day may dawn, but I doubt it…
:doh:

[franlee]

Freddy, I think you may very well be right. I would never have thought my kids would get tattoos much less piercings. I can remember when pierced ears for GG's was a big deal. But times are changing and we will see more unisex styles that will afford males in dresses or skirts to dress without the dismay.

[Joanne f]

Well I do not want to worry you but over her a man by the name of ( second thoughts I don't know if I should say a name) a man that reads the news on Newsnight BBC turned up with a beard and all hell broke out , seems like people did not think it was the done thing , maybe one of them should try a dress and see if it cause's as much as a reaction as the beard did ,he was aloud to keep it in the end .

[Mink]

call it a total generation gap lapse but i have no clue why a beard was a big deal back in the day... uh... what?

long hair too to some extent... i mean looking at history and how many respected figures had long hair!

but even more so beards! ... golden generals and manly men and the like!

what the heck!

that line in planet of the apes always threw me off ... heston saying "back where i come from only kids like you have beards!"

and i remember thinking "wah? how does THAT work!"

beards are an older man's game! ... and hipster / bear snobs just the same!

[Allesandra Rhodes]

Well Mink the forefathers wore wigs:D My day was of long hair, and punks etc and I miss my bloody real hair now ;)

[jodie k]

what in the world are manties.

hope it will be sooner than 50/
jodie

[Sheila11]

In fifty years will the reaction to the dress become just as incomprehensible as the reaction to the beard is now? I wonder.

We can only hope.

[Dalva]

What about a crossdresser with a beard? Now that's just downright unacceptable!!

:eek:




Dalva, a crossdresser with a beard may be unacceptable to you, but you should not be making judgements about what is unacceptable to them or other people. You will find that some of the members here go out Dressed with a beard. They aren't usually trying to "pass", just to wear the clothes they enjoy. Isn't wearing what you enjoy the major point of cross-dressing?


Thanks for voicing this perspective, Sandra.

I wish there was a "Don't take my post seriously, I was just goofing around" font. I was merely using society's changing perspectives and acceptances of changing norms to make a somewhat light hearted comment. To wit: beards were once considered to be worn by ne'er do wells at one time, now they are mainstream. Crossdressing still has to accepted. Imagine how long it will take bearded CD's to be tolerated.

I failed at being witty. I apologise if my post was mis-interpreted.

[DanaGirl]

in 50 years there won't even BE crossdressers!

Honestly I kinda agree there wont be crossdressers. My guess would be that in the future, children will be able to grow into wherever they fall on the gender spectrum and it will be looked at as normal. if your son wants to wear dresses as a little boy then it doesn't matter he just grows up as if he were a girl, or vise versa.
It seems unimaginable at the present because we are all looking at things based on our experiences that have brought us to the present, but future generations will be brought up in a different culture.
Just as the original post started that 50 years ago a beard was a big deal, and to those people it was a normal response to seeing a beard whereas, looking at it from todays viewpoint it seems stupid.

Maybe that was poorly written I dunno, my point is the times they are a changin

[Alice Torn]

We are entering a much different kind of period, than any of us has experienced, and mere survival, is becoming the main issue. I am afraid dressing, and other things, will not be priorities, but food, and water, and shelter, and freedom, will be. Later on, a better world will be here.

[LeahVonT]

I did the beard and dress thing for some time, caused quite a stir :D

[Veronica27]

I wish there was a "Don't take my post seriously, I was just goofing around" font. I was merely using society's changing perspectives and acceptances of changing norms to make a somewhat light hearted comment. To wit: beards were once considered to be worn by ne'er do wells at one time, now they are mainstream. Crossdressing still has to accepted. Imagine how long it will take bearded CD's to be tolerated.

I failed at being witty. I apologise if my post was mis-interpreted.

I thought it was quite funny. I keep saying we need to lighten up a little around here.

[Jaylyn]

"I can't believe that a grandson of mine would grow breasts!" lol

Karren you certainly struck a nerve with me there.... I have seven grandsons and I never thought of this till now...wow I can see me saying the exact same thing. I am the manly man to them I guess I am a hypocrite. Dang you Karren now I feel bad.

[Veronica27]

Beards were not very common between about 1920 or so until the late 1960's. Mustaches, however, were quite common. My father had a stach, but prided himself on how clean shaven he otherwise kept his face. He shaved twice a day, except on weekends when once was enough. The mid to late 1960's was a turbulent period when the first baby boomers were reaching adulthood, and because of social pressures many became quite radical. Bucking the establishment became the in thing to do, and was reflected by such gestures of defiance as long hair, beards, tattoos and so on. It wasn't that there was anything abnormal about a man with a beard or long hair, (we are capable of growing both after all); they simply had not been in fashion for a long time. History shows that there have been lengthy periods of hairy as well as shaven men.

Crossdressing is slightly different, as it has seldom been a fashion for men to wear what was decidedly female for that culture and era. There have been times when male garb resembled what we now consider to be female, but it was not considered so at the time it was being worn. Add to this the fact that much crossdressing represents emulation of the female if not an outright attempt to express a female identity. With a few cultural exceptions, that has never been considered an acceptable thing, and only in the past few decades has there been a concerted effort to alter this attitude.

I think that it will take more than fifty years for western culture to accept crossdressing as normal, but what we might find is a trend toward some sort of unisex presentation. Whatever transpires, we shouldn't use hindsight to condemn previous attitudes, as who says our opinions and attitudes are correct. Future generations might consider us to be fools.

Veronica

[Dalva]

I thought it was quite funny. I keep saying we need to lighten up a little around here.

Thank You, Veronica.:bighug:

I have a tendency to use humour too much probably. I'm a bit of a smart ass, really. But I agree with you, sometimes being serious is just too, well, serious. I like to look at things on the brighter side.

[Cheryl123]

There's been so much change in the past 50 years that I can see a world in the next 50 years where crossdressing is not considered unusual and all transgendered people will be accepted as well as anyone else. . In the state where I grew up 50 years ago it was illegal for people of different races to marry, homosexuality was a crime, all people in TV commercials (and 99% of the people in TV shows) were white. SRS was rare and the few brave souls who went public about it were considered unusual. Now it is commonplace. Now days many TV shows feature gay people and that's considered normal -- completely unimaginable 50 years ago, would probably be banned from the air. So things do change.