Does Crossdressing need a celebrity?

[FemPossible]

Looking through the many topics of acceptance and recognition in this forum got me to thinking. Maybe we need a crossdressing personality to help educate the public about what crossdressing is and how most crossdressers aren't anything like they're perceived. How do you feel about this? Yay or nay? Please give details on how you came to your conclusion.

[Eryn]

The problem is that a crossdressing celebrity usually becomes the butt of jokes as the scandal sheets and celebrity web sites make money from reporting the social deviations of celebs. They will hardly report it with respect.

There have been some celebrities who cross-dressed, but they aren't exactly the people I would like to see representing me in the public's eye. Dennis Rodman leaps to mind.

[Barbie Anne]

Rupaul, Dame Edna, Kids in the hall, Milton Berle, Dennis Rodman, Diane Keaton, Boy George, the list goes on but you get the point. Some of them have actually tried to "educate" the public, but the public is a funny creature made up of billions of unique and varied personalities and tastes. Rupaul actually does a lot. mainstream shows like Ellen and Rosie have are very friendly to the lgbt community and are both viewed by legions of women and men from the "straight" world.

We have loads of spokespeople in my opinion and are actually moving towards more mainstream accpetance, not just of gays and trans but also niches like hetero cd'rs.

Heck I grew up watching mash........Jamie Farr had a wardrobe to die for :)

[Adriana Moretti]

we may be adding Bruce Jenner to this list soon too..LOL As far as the rest of your question....thats an uphill battle that will not dissapear within our lifetime. To change the publics perception as a whole starts with us as individuals and how we act... I try to push for this...but this lifestyle however can crawl into some dark closets filled with sexual deviants and fantasy..and while they still exist ...true overall acceptance is not a reality. You can create your own individual acceptance by controling how you personally are percieved by the people around you.

[Beverley Sims]

Yep! Me! I need the money. :)

[Kate Simmons]

There are already a bunch of us here but as you can see, the hours are long and the pay is non-existent. :battingeyelashes::)

[Sarah Smith]

Eddie Izzard is popular in Europe, he seems to avoid a lot of negative press these days as he owns his cd. Very good multi lingual comedian well worth a youtube search! :)

[sometimes_miss]

Most of the previously mentioned celebrities are actors, who donned the female attire as part of their job (or could easily shrug it off as the reason they did it). Also, the bigger problem is that again, you're looking for the 'one true reason' why we wear women's clothing, and there is no 'one reason'. So no celebrity(s) could represent all of us here. Second, no matter what we say, it's not going to change the underlying feeling most people have about us. Men dressing up as pretty females isn't suddenly going to become a turn on to women around the world.

[audreyinalbany]

of course usually the transgendered individuals presented by the media are the outstanding ones, the mtf who are unusually attractive, the ones that the public sees and "can't believe they're really a man!" janet Mock comes to mind. The rest of us cross dressers and transgender people are usually presented for comedic effect. i'd like to see average looking, successfully 'blending' cross dressers presented in a more favorable light.

[Katey888]

I think this thread complements the 'Why is it Taboo..' thread...

Adriana highlights a key point for me:

...but this lifestyle however can crawl into some dark closets filled with sexual deviants and fantasy..and while they still exist ...true overall acceptance is not a reality.
By the same reason, why do celebrities that indulge in drug abuse, BDSM fetishes, child pornography... - goodness knows what else - why do they keep it a secret and why do we not have Ben Affleck (for example - as I like Ben...) stepping up to accept his Academy award dressed in a black latex gimp suit with a ball gag... (it'd keep the acceptance speech short, I suppose.. :)) - answer: because he would then be associated with a minority regarded by the masses and establishment as weird and perverse... and yet you and I know that there are those amongst the masses AND the establishment who also indulge this type of thing - but whoever came out would then lose almost all credibility for their main career. Even today, how many LGBT celebrities are there out there...? Not many I think, that don't actually trade on their status - and that's more accepted than what we do...
(and sorry Ben - if you're reading this as a guest :) - I was just using your celebrity status as an example... loved you in State of Play, but The Town was rubbish :D)


And Kate has nailed reality again (the voice of experience, as always..)

There are already a bunch of us here but as you can see, the hours are long and the pay is non-existent. :battingeyelashes::)

So yes, we do really need a number of CD celebrities - and for sure, statistics would seem to suggest they're out there, but will we see them jumping up to support us poor saps...? Would be great, but I doubt it very much...

Katey x

[Isa]

Alright, alright.. You've twisted my arm. I will put all my focus and attention to my soon to be Violin! You'll know when I've reached the top. ;D

[Angela Campbell]

Maybe someone like Jessica Who?

[Annaliese]

It done wonders for the Gay community over the last 10 years. I think it time.

[5150 Girl]

I think a celebrity spokesperson could help, as long as it's someone who can stay out of trouble. Steve Tyler would be a good one, he's been behaving himself lately, and is very popular.
David Bowie needs a revival!

[Brittany CD]

I don't like the idea of looking up to celebrities. Really all I want is to just be able to dress up in private and not have what I do to be in the public discourse of discussion

[UNDERDRESSER]

Yes, a few more like Eddie Izzard would help, closely followed by a bunch of us being "local" celebrities.

There is a Transexual that comes in my store, Her actual transition was recent, and over the last couple of years the presentation has improved, but the change was late in life and what she was is somewhat obvious when you've been talking to her more than a few minutes. People do adjust, and there are more of out there every day, it's an accelerating curve, keep plugging a way. If I can get the nerve up to go to work in a skirt, I will be a fairly noticeable local celebrity. I deal with a lot of people day to day, I'm sure I'll get gawkers coming in to see that "Guy that wears skirts around the store, No, well he does wear a kilt sometimes, but mostly it's skirts"