Why is it mostly a male thing??

[Tinkerbell-GG]

I've been given so much great information here since joining and read some fascinating threads (thanks Isha, Jenniferathome and many others for helping me see this another way) There's just one nagging question I had to put to you all before I give up trying to understand all this and go live life with my H instead :)

Why don't more women crossdress?? (Or put another way, why DO more men crossdress than women?)

I mean, I vividly recall moments in my life when I thought being a boy would be SO much better. I didn't want to wear the restrictive dresses and shoes or sit like a 'little lady' while the boys climbed trees. I wanted to climb one as well! Then, enter the monthly nightmare all GGs are forced to live with and I swear that day I looked at my carefree male cousins frolicking in the sea (yep, we were on vacation, just to make the whole thing worse!) and I was done. I wanted to be a boy because boys got to stay the same!

But, I guess I got over it? I mean, I never tried my father's clothes. I never even thought of presenting as a boy even though my curiosity sounds similar to many here. I actually think I hated being a girl on these days more than some here hated being a boy. (And once a month I feel it all over again!) And I will always wonder what it's like to live the more carefree, hormone-free life of a male. But I still never started crossdressing.

Why???

(Of course, if you can answer this, you've probably solved the whole thing and we can close the forum and all go home, lol)

[Babbs]

Woman/girls can dress as men everyday, and they do, and no one notices because its the norm. Jeans, t-shirt and sneakers for example, worn by men and woman every day without a second thought...oh no makeup today, no big deal for a woman, just like most men...but put lipstick on a man and watch out.

[Ezekiel]

This is equal to the argument that there are much more MtF transsexuals than there are FtM, atleast on some level.
Some will say here that there is no such difference, that there are as much females as there are males that crossdress, and they will give you the next reasons:

- They go easily unnoticed because females wearing male clothes are much more accepted and overlooked.
- Since males are thought to tend to be more individual and less empathic, they are doing something else than spending time in forums. They equal this to FtM crossdressers as they would have male characteristics such as the ones mentioned, and thats why you don't see many arround here.
- Some will even dare say "Look at butch women!"

My opinion? I think crossdressers are mostly male because of a mix of being unable to dress like a woman and go unnoticed (hence why we think there are more crossdressers on the male side) and because there is a sexual component for many that there isn't in women it seems. So crossdressers are crudely divided this way:

- Sexually driven
- Emotionally, aesthetically or expression driven
- A mix of the above on many degrees.

In females crossdressing goes unnoticed and there does not seem to be a sexually driven variant or mix of FtM CDs.

[PaulaQ]

There are women who present as men - trans men, for example, will present as men while they transition. There are some very butch lesbians who wear significant amounts of male clothing. There are drag kings - lesbian women who impersonate men for performance.

There are fewer trans men than trans women - a lot fewer. Nobody knows why.

Some would argue that there are really NO female CDers, at least not in the same way as there are male CDers. One big difference is that crossdressing for men tends to be highly sexual, at least at first, whereas for women, it's almost entirely a matter of identity.

[Kate Simmons]

We are here to learn about feelings and emotions in the illusion of linear time. This is the way we learn and evolve as a person. Many of us will learn more than others but one of the greatest lessons is that regardless of what we are physically what we are capable of is only limited by our own imagination. What choices we make and how we respond and react to different situations is totally our own choice.:)

[Rachelakld]

men used to wear the wigs, makeup, tights and jeans long before women, yet for some reason it's okay for women to take these from us and now wear these things, just like it's okay to do what was once mens work (police, military, accounting, managing etc).

Women always take what was once "mans" so which sex is the best or smartest?

Also XY chromosomes are not as stable as XY (or XY is actually a failed XX chromosome)
Remember "the grass is always greener on the other side"?

While women can now climb trees, wear jeans, join the military and do everything men can do, having dual personality means I can do everything they can do as well, including hopefully look pretty

[noeleena]

Hi,

Why do men dress in clothes that represent women, iv heard many thoughts and idear's as to why. yet you know what i do not understand i doubt i will, one reasion being im not a male,

i did think i had a few clues and knew a bit about men what made them the way they are and why they did things like they do so i looked hard at the Psychologically Mentally and Emotionally side of men,

talked to many men spent time discussing , what makes a man the way he is, and more so on the many forums im a member of and in regard to why do men like our clothes ,

you know what because i dont relate to or with men, i have struggled .

I know some women get on well with men and have told me they would rather be around men , no answer for that, i dont know maybe they are wired differently,

I know im different and should be able to see it, nothing.

Go back many years say ya ya youll know what ill say, 1400 to 1700 what did many men dress in then skirts dress's makeup heeled shoes wigs and so on were they trying to be like women or like how a female is or was, they did not wear breast forms and try to look like women,

so a ? that would go with this is when did men start trying to be like women .
i know a few did and some women dressed as men and passed as men till the sexual elliment came into it by force,

So it does come back to the three big words P, M and E, in my line 4,

how a person is hard wired, or mixed wired,

Or as had been said many times men are sexual by sight and thats the turn on, as i had been told any thing with a skirt on is fair game, except they took it further so to be more sexual they dress like a female or woman,
there is a deeper detail to this as well concerning the male brain and how it works as in the stirrings in the sexual nature of most men,

oh well.

...noeleena...

[Ezekiel]

Also XY chromosomes are not as stable as XY (or XY is actually a failed XX chromosome)

We still get that X full of femenine genes. Human males are genetically half females. Maybe this explains the higher ratio of MtFs compared to FtMs? Who knows...

[Lynn Marie]

I'm very simply emulating the women of my dreams. It feels sexy and alluring to be her! My chances are pretty slim of attracting her so I became what I think she is! Minus the hormones and monthly difficulties, etc. Even if I was able to attract this gorgeous woman, my chances of actually being able to happily live with her becomes just about astronomical! A little makeup, lingerie, heels and a dress are so much easier, I don't have to buy her a house, and the divorce is relatively painless. Now that's a dream girl.

[Tinkerbell-GG]

It's true that wearing lipstick makes a man stand out in the crowd. Still, women wear pretty much what they want these days because we broke down those barriers, (you boys really need to get on that! :) ) yet like Paula pointed out there really are no true crossdressing women as those growing beards and hiding breasts etc are transmen and never were women. The rest of us are just flexing our fashion muscles when we wear pants or shirts - we're not presenting as men.

So maybe the sexual component mentioned here explains this phenomenon? Or, maybe the chromosome explanation is the best? If there were YY men walking the earth, would they be as disinterested in crossdressing as XX women?

Ha, I feel like a mad scientist meddling in human genetics. Maybe we should concoct a YY man, follow him around and see what happens!

Edit: Lynn Marie, I think I like your explanation the best. Who doesn't want a sexy, simplistic relationship! It's just a pity I look as far off George Clooney as you can get, otherwise I might consider this option.

[kimdl93]

My guess is that crossdressing has it's origins in the womb. As a fetus develops, we know it's exposed to various hormones that influence stages of development, mental as well as physical. For a small proportion of fetuses, this hormonal influence may alter the gender identification of the child to some variable extent. Since all fetuses begin as females, this factor tends to be expressed more in males.

[Marcelle]

Hi Tinkerbell,

I personally believe there are a lot more FtM CDers out there than we think. I don't have statistics to back (not like it is a question on the annual stats survey :)) I do not include our FtM TS brothers in my response because they are men just trapped in the wrong body so their reasons for dressing are different from a CDer.

I think it is a matter of perception. With the exception of a few very young MtF CDers very few of us truly pass. For most while we can blend close visual inspection reveals we are men. Now it can be argued that for women trying to emulate men it will be just as obvious. However, if you take a 30 something GG, put her in guy clothes, no make-up, cut her hair in a boy fashion, teach her the proper mannerisms, walk and speech, it is likely she will pass quite efficiently as a young man. You can argue what about facial hair? Heck, until I was 22 I barely had to shave a quick run on the chin and just below the lip and I was done. As well, there are lots of guys who genetically have little facial hair. On the other hand there are very few women our there sporting a five o'clock shadow at 2PM and trying desperately to hide it with a ton of foundation. Breast on FtM CDers may cause a bit of problem but then can be bound or hidden (depending on size) under baggy clothing. Crotch area not a big issue as the average male is not packing a "cod piece" sized howitzer which will show in baggy jeans. So aesthetically, I think is far easier for FtM CDer to blend/pass and slip under the radar as younger men or metro dudes. As such, the perception is they are fewer than MtF CDers.

The other aspect could be tolerance. I think society is less tolerant when men deviate from the gender norm than women (I am not talking about sexual preference but gender expression). A guy in a dress no matter how good he looks is just a guy in a dress with make-up on - claxons sounding - pervert, creepy, weirdo :devil:. So we MtF CDers are more known that FtM CDers by virtue of us bucking the social norm (hand in your man card boy you be wearing panties :)). A woman dressed "en boy" could be just that a young boy or even a woman who likes to wear guy clothes. Highly unlikely anyone is going to notice if a girly looking guy is picking up a package of tighty-whiteys and some runners. However we will all notice the guy in drag rifling through the panty bin and trying on size 11 heels. As such, you are less likely to notice the girl in guy jeans with short hair and no make-up than you are the guy in a dress with a ton of make-up and a wig.

So I personally believe there are more FtM CDers (again not TS) out there than we think. Do they want to be men? Not sure. I guess some like us MtF CDers may start with dressing and move down the TS pathway. Others may do it just because it is fun to do or just feels right. However, I just think they don't get noticed as easy as MtF CDers.

Hugs

Isha

[MissTee]

Good question, Tink. I'm thinking in a small way many do, and we just don't notice as much. Heck, girls even have imitation guys clothes (boy shorts, boyfriend shirts, etc.) I can imagine the stares a guy would get if he showed up at a tailgate party in a soft pink "girlfriend shirt." Likewise, I think girls/women are expected to gender bend a bit. I remember in high school and college we would be at a dance and two girls would dance together and nothing was ever said. They're just girls, right? If two guys danced together it was time to break out the heavy artillery and destroy them and the surrounding area so we didn't all get contaminated. (No offense intended, just how it was/is where I grew up.) I can see where a girl would have to push harder on the gender line to get noticed, too. A full beard, coveralls, combat boots and an affinity for fart jokes would have people wondering, for certain.

Lastly, for all the reasons you mention I do NOT want to be a girl. I just want to dress as one on occasion.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Tinkerbell, I guess that the GGs' just one upped us on the CDing thing.

[Wildaboutheels]

Women [with very few exceptions] are not VISUAL creatures like most men are. [To meet their most basic programming which is to impregnate as many females as possible]

It's just that simple and this site provides INFORMATION in all manner of ways that supports it.

It's true what someone once said. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink".

[Sarasometimes]

Women have the freedom to express through their clothing, appearance and activities that show a masculine side that is typically frowned upon when if men do that in a feminine way. Essentially my society encourages masculine behavior by both genders and only feminine behavior and qualities by members of the female gender. Desires for men to do or behave femininely is not looked upon favorably.
A woman can proudly announce that she got a better deal on the men's jeans and top she is wearing. A guy would never get that kind of feedback. My wife walks into Kohl's and the whole apparel inventory is hers to pick through. Not for me (unless I want to be viewed as a Crossdresser.

My spin!

[sometimes_miss]

Evolution also plays a part. Throughout history, males have been depended upon to protect their tribes, or societies. Back in the days of massive hand to hand combat, each man was relied upon to defend both himself and the men on his left and right, as breaking the 'line' of defense would allow the enemy great advantage by attacking from both front and behind. So; female behavior is considered submissive, especially the sexual part. Any male displaying ANYTHING FEMININE would make him suspected of potentially behaving in a submissive way to another man, potentially destroying the tribe he was in. Which is why homosexuality, crossdressing, etc. is all so very bothersome to the average straight man, and also to a lot of women. It is seen as something that could possibly break down their lifestyle, whether they have any direct contact with that man or not. I'm not saying that it's a correct assumption; there are plenty of gay men in the military that would never, ever give way to an enemy and would defend their brothers with their lives. But even the potential that it might happen would mean a greater chance of death to the other guys, so in eliminating ANY possible threat that might get them killed, they simply err on the side of caution, and don't like or trust males who display any effeminate traits (consider the continuation of the armed forces derogitory remarks about new recruits not being tough enough, as being called 'ladies', 'girls', or even 'pussies'); I don't see our society changing much in this way in the near future, as most of the world is still ruled by the same type of masculine war societies that have always existed.
So in this way, it's become acceptable for women to adopt the roles of men, as it's seen as if the man's role is simply more important (and has greater status, it's always desirable to increase one's status) to the societies continued existence, where as if YOUR army overruns the enemy, they kill the males and then take the females as their own. This is in a historical context, not necessarily today, yet less than 100 years ago, both the german and japanese armies killed the existing populations many times when conquering, usually only allowing select females (those who would willingly submit to the incoming army's officers/soldiers) to live.

[Ressie]

Women probably don't get sexually aroused wearing men's clothing. And men do have hormones - just not the same mix that women have.

[Katey888]

I'm in the corner with Kim and Ezekiel on this one... has to be a biological basis...

I feel that the bias is simply too skewed towards the male-->female transform to be purely sociological. It may play a part, but I think this has a biological base in humans where the predominant influence from foundation egg is female... us unlucky males just pick up something left behind genetically, hormonally or chromosomally to have this penchant to carry through life... be a darned sight easier if it wasn't there at all... and yes, on the flip side, women do have hormones to reminder on a frequent and regular basis of their gender...

And what about GG tomboys? Plenty of those around in my youth - can't see how that's changed much but you don't get many of those carrying that over into maturity.. of course, it's also true that female fashions have 'borrowed' certain male traits without very much migrating in the opposite direction... so to some extent a female can wear male fashions with relative impunity... :devil:

Another of life's little mysteries, really...

Katey x

[natcrys]

With respect to what I like to call the garden variety crossdressing... I don't know any FtM dressers actually and I've been to a lot of support group meetings and parties.

I do know a couple of FtM transmen myself.. and one of my friends (MtF TS herself) who runs a youth CD/TG/TS support group in one of the bigger cities in the Netherlands.. she tells me that the majority of those kids/teenagers/young adults consists of FtM transpeople.

I also wonder why that is.. ?

[Confucius]

There are many ways of addressing this question.

1. Cross-dressing is a fetish and all fetishes are predominately male things. Males have fetishes because they are biologically designed to need sexual outlets.

2. Females can wear men's clothing without any social ramifications. Females challenged social convention and won because when they wear pants and other men's clothing they do not pretend that the clothing magically transforms them to men. When a woman wears pants she doesn't lower her voice, adopt a male name, and pray she passes as a man.

3. Evolution's role: We are still biologically the same as we were in the caveman days. Back then men's role was to defend the clan against all dangers and they practiced polygamy. The most dominant males (the alpha) were the leaders of the clan and they pretty much got what they wanted and rewarded their loyal lieutenants with valuable property (women). Many men did not get mates - that is why males have fetishes. And that is why more males than females are homosexual, and transgendered. There was a role in the caveman days for gays and transvestites. They practiced castration (eunuchs) who were also loyal to the dominate male and protected his property (women) while he was away leading the men. Today men are still attracted to women who are in their childbearing years, and today women are still attracted to alpha men (the famous, the rich and otherwise influential).

[sandra-leigh]

It is difficult to get reliable figures on the ratio of MTF TS vs FTM TS. The figure I have seen most often is 6:1. However, every once in a while I come across a study that indicates that there are slightly more FTM TS than MTF. Multiple times I have seen it claimed that FTM TS tend not to go through much of a cross-dressing phase, and instead tend to go relatively directly to transition activities.

My experience in Winnipeg is that in the trans health clinic and at the transgender day of remembrance (TDOR), that the FTM tend to outnumber the MTF quite notably.

Every once in a while in Winnipeg, I see someone I think might be FTM -- but I do not see them at TDOR or the trans health clinic, so I don't know. At a party earlier in the year I met a number of "gender-queer" people born female whom I would not have known identified as non-female if they hadn't told me.

[LilSissyStevie]

The answer to the question is another question: What could a woman possibly wear that would be considered crossdressing? A couple years ago Anne Hathaway and James Franco did a little skit at the Oscars. Anne was dressed in a tuxedo and James came lumbering out in a dress and wig. I'm sure nobody "got it" that she was supposed to be cross dressed until James came out. The overall effect wasn't two CDs on stage but a woman in a tux and a crossdresser.

[NicoleScott]

Because there are many reasons we crossdress, there must be many causes. It's understandable that GM's who have a strong feminine identity would want to wear feminine clothing. There may something genetic, or hormonal imbalances in the womb (I'm not pushing those explanations, just recognizing what others have said). But for those with strong masculine identities who dress for sexual reasons, the explanation must certainly be different.

[JanetM.]

LilSissyStevie is right. Women can pretty much get away with wearing anything including male shirts or whatever and it is accepted and often found sexy. Guys try to do the same with female clothes and well you know the perceptions.

[Michelle V]

Other than the stated reason of woman being free to wear men's clothing without being questioned, dressing in women's clothing is awesome, you ladies have the pretties things and everybody knows women are just beautiful, can't say the same about guys.

[Beverley Sims]

Tinkerbell,
What a thought provoking question.
I never worry about thinking anything!!!!!
But to answer your question....
For me it may be the fascination of girls and liking them so much that I want to be like them.
I always have liked their company and do interact with them well.
Even today,now that I am married.
I really don't know as I don't think about it. :)
I consider girls to be the best thing since sliced bread.

[Teresa]

Hi Tinkerbell,
I sent you a PM along these lines but I don't know if all my messages are being received , but I'm with Confucius on this one.

[raleighbelle]

As it has been so well stated above, women can wear men's clothing and have no repurcussions from that - in fact, no one even knows they may be 'crossdressing'. They look like any other woman who wears mens clothing, which is fully acceptable in our society. About the only mens clothing item I can think of that a woman could wear that would be considered crossdressing would be a jock strap. And then it would be considered cute, not disqusting. How many traditional womens clothing items, or makeup, or hair styles can men use without being noticed, and without generating usually adverse emotions of others?

[Melissa in SE Tn]

Confucious nailed the correct answers; notably responses # 1 & 2. I am glad to hear that you are becoming more at ease with your cd spouse. Maybe you could post a journal about your gg evolution to cd acceptance ? Peace , mel

[Nadine Spirit]

I would agree with what many others have said, in that as a female you can do traditionally male things and nobody thinks twice about it. Why? As a gender more have you have stood up for yourselves and demanded the right to be able to do what you want with your bodies.

In society (in general) it is more accepted for a woman to:
- paint your nails or not
- have long hair or not
- shave your body, or not (not always socially accepted but increasingly so)
- wear pants or skirts or dresses or shorts or leggings
- wear jewelry or not
- wear bright colors or not
- wear a variety of fabrics or not
- etc

Men are fairly limited in what we are socially "allowed" to wear. If females want to be a girly girl, then that is okay, if you want to be a "tom boy" that is okay also. Men are supposed to be men and that is our only socially acceptable avenue. If we veer outside of it, then we are weird. It takes quite a bit to dress in a weird way for a woman. You have earned your dressing freedom through hard work and effort. Men won't stand up for their own rights. (In complete and total general terms, meaning nothing I wrote should be interpreted as always applying to everyone!)

[devida]

I guess nobody on this thread follows the tumblrs ungendered and genderfork. If you did you'd find the majority of the posters are ftm cross dressers, and beautiful they are. There are many young women who would rather present as male, some of whom go as far as top surgery but most just wear binders. In my little town I just never see male cross dressers but I see plenty of young women who present very male and might as well be cross dressing. I do sometimes wonder whether anybody on this board is paying any attention to what people under 30 are doing. They are not acting or talking about gender the way you all are.

[Wildaboutheels]

Forgive my confusion here...but I get confused every time I see people whine about about how it's OK for women to wear men's clothes and "society" is ok with it.

I have yet to see a woman out in the RW wearing something obviously made for a man, AND with her breasts bound and packing "junk" up front. [Do they sell fake "junk"alongside forms maybe?] And what kind of "makeup" would she wear to make people think she is a man? Of course she would also need to walk and talk like a man??????????????????????

Maybe "those" women ARE plentiful and a dime a dozen all over the world but we just don't have them in Florida.

That's GOTTA be it.

Maybe we even have some law against a woman trying her best to.....

[Tina_gm]

I think Nadine made some great observations. Its actually harder for women to simply CD. they still can and some do, but I do think that the ones who do are typically to the point of being TS rather than being somewhere mid scale on the TG spectrum. Also T- you made some good points about how and why there were times where you wished you were a boy, maybe not because you felt like one inside, but liked the advantages that come with being male. There definitely are some and one of the reasons why I do not wish to transition. I like those advantages as well. But women have them too, and I think the freedom to be more expressive in both clothing as well as personality is women's advantage gender wise.

[Nadine Spirit]

In my little town I just never see male cross dressers but I see plenty of young women who present very male and might as well be cross dressing.




Maybe "those" women ARE plentiful and a dime a dozen all over the world but we just don't have them in Florida.



Does anybody else see the humorous irony in these posts being one right after the other?

I guess we all just see what we want to see?

[sanderlay]

Tinkerbell,

Excellent question. My theory is they are out there in nearly equal numbers. But they currently have the advantage of being able to wear clothes in public to satisfy their gender identity's needs, even if they may not understand why. They may not have needed to work as hard to suppress this need to display some or a lot masculinity. Think about all the Tomboys you might know or know of.

Now I'm a person, with a male body, who wears a mixture of men's and women's clothes to satisfy my gender identity. I do tend to stand out in public and I'm known by society as a CD, cross-dresser.

But what if I had a female body and had GIN, gender identity needs? I would wear female and male clothes to satisfy my gender identity. I might be know as a Tomboy by society, and more than likely blend to a great extent.

The facts are we do not know the why some males and females get GID. I don't know if Tomboys have the same characteristics as a CD, that they must wear some male clothing for their GIN or have gender dysphoria. We do know this gender identity issue happens in males & females and it does happen to great and lesser degrees. And there are examples of this through out history in both males and females.

So I personally don't think this is just a male thing because of the usage of the words cross-dresser. :)

[carhill2mn]

One answer to your question is that a girl could be a "tom-boy" whenever she wanted to be. Then she could switch back to being a girl whenever she wanted to be that. It is/was nearly impossible for a boy to sometimes be like a girl and sometimes be like a boy. Society frowns at this; sometimes withe dire consequences.

Also, there is nothing particularily interesting about male clothes. While women's clothes are quite fascinating as well as being pretty and feeling good to the touch! So, there is not much incentive for a female to crossdress.

[Dana M]

Like most have already stated, women are allowed a much greater range of clothing options then men. I know for me as a CDer, I like allowing myself the same options that women have without having the society bat an eye. I like the feel of some of the different fabrics. I was surprised by Sandra comment that there appear to be large numbers of FTM in Winnipeg.
Tinkerbell-
As far as your mad scientist comment about making YY men. well it won't work because geneticly speaking the Y chromosome only carries gene to express male characteristics, whereas the X chromosome is larger and carries genes for more than just female characteristics. Plus All human babies start life as female and only develop male characteristics later on in development if the Y chromosome is present.
Just my Biologist training showing

[Eryn]

Why don't more women crossdress?? (Or put another way, why DO more men crossdress than women?)

Because we can! :) Well, actually it is because wearing anything borderline feminine is not allowed for males so those of us who do cross the border tend to go whole hog. If I were to simply wear a dress as a guy I would be ridiculed or worse so I do my best to blend or pass as female. That means I add bra, forms, shapewear, makeup, and wig or I do nothing at all.

Females can live at the boundaries without ostracism so most of them can satisfy their desires and curiosities without declaring that they are crossdressers. Any woman can cut her hair short, wear men's jeans and shirts, etc. and it isn't likely that she would be ostracized for it. Only the few that are on the far TS end of the spectrum feel any need to define themselves as TG.


I mean, I vividly recall moments in my life when I thought being a boy would be SO much better. I didn't want to wear the restrictive dresses...while the boys climbed trees. I wanted to climb one as well! Then, enter the monthly...I swear that day I looked at my carefree male cousins frolicking in the sea....I wanted to be a boy...

Ah, but these days females aren't restricted to dresses, they can climb trees, and there are products now readily available that allow you to frolic in the sea at any time. There is no need to crossdress to have those freedoms. When women were more restricted there was some social resistance to women who did masculine things. They were called "tomboys". I don't hear that term used much these days because women are allowed and encouraged to do all manner of masculine things.


...And I will always wonder what it's like to live the more carefree, hormone-free life of a male....

Males have their own hormone problems. Ours may not be cyclic, but being continuously pumped with something that encourages sexual arousal and aggression and having to control these to in order to live in society engenders its own problems. And carefree? Hardly! Our societal imperative is to be in control of all situations, to be the protectors, to be the person who steps in to put things right, etc. This is a continuous and stressful responsibility.

Another way to think of it is to consider that a "grass is greener" situation is in play, but those who may easily sample the other side of the fence often find that their own side was more palatable. Those of us who put a lot effort into sampling the other side are more prone to embrace what we find there.

[Jenniferathome]

and Tink, why are the overwhelming majority of sex changes male to female? Has to be a hormone cocktail where testosterone is the major player. We will never know, I think.

[Lacy PJs]

I've quickly read through all of the replies to the original question and there is one thought that I don't remember seeing anywhere else.

For a long time, society has looked at males as being the stronger, "protector" and provider person. So, for a guy to don women's clothing, it's almost like it's a step backwards socially whereas if a woman dresses in some guy garb, she is "moving up" in the world. So a woman who pulls on some coveralls and pitches in is just trying to be one of the guys... kind of a step up. Besides, "tom boy" isn't quite as derogatory a term as sissy.

Another thought: There have been lots of questions here about whether or not guys would wear women's clothing made for men. And, generally, the response has been no, that if it is made for men, it's not really women's clothing. Yet, women have "generally" accepted certain male garments cut especially for them. I mean, you see jeans, pants suits, trench coats and other male vestiges made for women and those have been accepted by women. But generally, men haven't yet accepted women's clothing styled for them. So a woman dressed in some men's clothing isn't as socially "shocking" as a man dressed in women's clothing.

this has been a good discussion; I hope it continues...

Lacy PJs

[Sally24]

Why don't more women crossdress?? (Or put another way, why DO more men crossdress than women?)

By asking the question you already assume that this is true. I would have to say in my experience that it is not true. In an average day I see many more females dressed "manly" with crew cuts and no sign of traditional femine cues then males dressed either androgynous or feminine. Now granted, many of those women may just be choosing practical styles. I would suggest though that there is a sizable number of these women who dress in a male way on purpose. There is no way,just looking at them, to tell which reason for their choice.

As far as "real" FTM crossdresser...I know of one in the Boston area that I have met several times. He generally wears very ornate male outfits. Top hat and tails, cowboy, Victorian suit, etc. So, yes, there are definitely female crossdressers comparable to us here.

If you spend time around college towns I think you'd be surprised at the number of FTM transsexuals. Once they fully transition they are indistinguishable from genetic men. Because of that I suspect that the estimates of FTM is grossly underestimated.

[CynthiaD]

Actually, I have no idea why more men crossdress (or even if it's really true.) But the XY thing isn't the answer. Becoming male depends on a single gene which normally occurs on the Y chromosome. However, some Y chromosomes don't have this gene, giving us XY women. Sometimes the gene occurs on the X chromosome, giving us XX men. Lots if other variations are possible.

[Tinkerbell-GG]

Wow, lots of great answers! Confucious and Teresa, your explanation makes total sense for the sexual CDers and I never knew that having a fetish or even being gay has benefits in evolution. Makes sense. It takes many types to make the world go around. I'm inclined to think testosterone must have some part in all this, too. That's pretty much the difference between us, is it not?

And I think also the fact that men haven't had much freedom in fashion for the longest while has definitely got something to do with at least some of this. Who decided women can wear what they like and not men?? Seems silly and I'm all for more fashion freedom for everyone.

Still, I suspect this wouldn't change the ratio much. I think this is one of those mysteries that will never be solved. You can all relax as the forum is still needed! :)

[sandra-leigh]

I have yet to see a woman out in the RW wearing something obviously made for a man, AND with her breasts bound and packing "junk" up front.

I have some local FTM or genderqueer acquaintances. A group of them were excited a few months ago to find a source for packers. I came close to piping up with some of the information I learned from the FTM section here. My acquaintances also get frustrated at how difficult it is to find a good binder. So yes, they definitely exist here.

The discussions here about how women have more clothing choices is culture-centric, and skips over the fact that some of our members are in cultures where a GG wearing male clothes could get into serious cultural or legal trouble. The city I live in has in the surrounding areas a number of Hutterite colonies, some Amish settlements, and a fair number of orthodox Mennonites. The Hutterites and orthodox Mennonites are not uncommon in our markets and shopping malls; you can tell the difference between them mostly by the colors permitted in their dresses (always dresses, never skirts or pants.) A would-be FTM crossdresser from one of those or related religions could find themselves shunned and required to leave town if they were ever discovered.

[Ressie]

You never hear of a woman wearing men's clothing referred to as a transvestite which has the same meaning as crossdresser. When I see a woman emulating a man in clothing choice I just assume she's a lesbian, not a crossdresser. But there are female CDs from what I've read in some old psychology book. But most CDs are men.

[Sarasometimes]

Katey888
I agree with you and the biological tie and also your Tomboy comment. What is the societal name for a male who acts more female (the opposite of a tomboy)? It isn't a complimentary one in my neck of the woods, how about yours?
I know many GG's who are mature tomboys. The reason you don't think about them that way is because they are viewed as normal or ambitious... Most adult females who are drawn to typical masculine professions are most often strongly supported by their peers.
Males on the other hand most often are ridiculed. Maybe now, nursing is an exception but let's try: makeup artist, hairdresser, dental assistant or Hygenist, fashion design receptionist... Be honest what is thought about them? Dare I say, gay? maybe.
Nothing shocking here but i wanted to say it.

[sometimes_miss]

Men won't stand up for their own rights. (In complete and total general terms, meaning nothing I wrote should be interpreted as always applying to everyone!)
Lots of us do stand up for our rights, but the problem is, we don't have the right to insist on how others feel about us, to insist that women get turned on by feminine men, be impressed by feminine men, or admire feminine men. There are no such 'rights'.

[Sally24]

and Tink, why are the overwhelming majority of sex changes male to female? Has to be a hormone cocktail where testosterone is the major player. We will never know, I think.
If you count top surgery I think you'll find the numbers are not as skewed toward MTF as usually believed. Bottom surgery for FTM is still being perfected and many don't feel the need for it. I do think that there are more transwomen then transmen but I would guess it's more 2 to 1. In reality they are so much more invisible then us that I'm not sure we'll ever have good numbers to compare.

[devida]

To reinforce what Sally said there are strong arguments that the statistics regarding mtf vs ftm transgender populations are missing very large numbers of each. One reason is that if you just go by gender reassignment surgery in which there is a 3 times larger number of mtf than ftm you miss a couple of important issues. First there is no comparably successful bottom surgery for ftm as there is for mtf. Secondly, as you might have noticed it is not unusual for women to have small breasts or hardly any at all but men, in general, who want to have female breasts have to opt for forms or surgery and so there tend to be more transgender mtf recorded having top surgery than ftm. Then there are a number of socio-economic reasons that women may opt for gender surgery at lower rates than men. If you try to find good stats outside of surgery, good luck. Most of it is decades old.

I agree that there are probably more mtf than ftm trans people but maybe not that many more and that gap is certainly narrowing in the few stats we do have. Add to that societal disapproval of men acting like women but grudging approval of women acting like men and the real transgender populations are undoubtedly vastly under reported because the ftms don't need to proclaim themselves and the mtfs don't dare.

Ask a western man in the early 20th century about women acting like men and men acting like women and he'll barely know any men who act like women but be totally outraged by the numbers of uppity women denying their feminine nature and acting like men. I would argue that the proportions of gender variance have always been pretty much equal but that societal attention changes. But I could be blowing as much smoke as the rest of you because I, just like you, don't have any good data because it just isn't there.

[heatherdress]

Women don't crossdress as frequently because men don't wear heels and dresses and makeup.

[lingerieLiz]

Saw a woman cross dresser today! She was wearing a man's shirt, tie, pants, shoes, and hairstyle. Her figure gave her away. She was conversing with a service tech. It didn't seem to bother him and of course didn't bother me. I've know several women who were gay and strait who hated dresses and preferred men's clothes. They wore them with impunity, had I worn the equivalent women's attire people would be talking at this late date.

Oh, I forgot, I do and people probably talk sometimes.

[Michelle789]

And carefree? Hardly! Our societal imperative is to be in control of all situations, to be the protectors, to be the person who steps in to put things right, etc. This is a continuous and stressful responsibility.

Thank you Eryn!!! Yes, being male comes with responsibilities and stress that can be difficult even for cis-gendered males, but for someone who is trans, and has a partial or complete female identity, this can be a total nightmare.

Personally I think the gender binary created by patriarchy has created a nightmare situation for both sexes. Lots of cis-gendered women resented their roles back in the 60s, and still do in many parts of the world. Lots of cis-gendered men resent their roles today. Why does this happen? Becuase even cis-gendered men and women are not 100% male or female. We all have a little of the opposite gender's energy in us, and all of us have at least a small amount of desire to express the opposite every once in a while. If you're TG or TS, then sticking to gender binary can be a completely awful experience. And even if you transition, having to conform to the gender role of your true gender can still be difficult.

I think lots of cross-dressers have at least a partial female identity. I don't think we take on female names and try to pass as women just to wear women's clothes. There are some people who actually will happily be a dude in a dress. Either way, whether we're trying to pass as female or be a dude in a dress, there is lots of stigma to it.

I have a question for everyone, and maybe this is worth starting another thread. If you could just be a "dude in a dress" and use your male name, keep the beard, no wig or forms, and not be stigmatized for it, or not care if you're being stigmatized for it, would you do it? If you answer yes, then you're probably a male identified CD who would happily wear women's clothes sometimes. If you answer no, then you probably have a partial female identity. Even if you have a partial female identity, your core identity could still be male, which is different from being dual gender, bigender, androgynous, or a MTF TS.

I have one major issue. It's not being stigmatized for being CD, TG, or TS, it's not being clocked, it's men don't cry or men don't ask for help or men have to be macho or aggressive. My biggest issue is on a male privilege thread four months ago, I posted a viewpoint on male privilege that essentially stated that males and female both have advantages and disadvantages, and I got stomped on brutally by someone who told me that my viewpoint is that of a privileged white male. Just because I was assigned male at birth, it doesn't even matter if I identify as female or transition, I have no right to any opinion other than men have it FAR easier than women. This is essentially sexism in reverse. So if women do get the short end of most sticks, the one that any cis-gendered male or other male assigned at birth (including MTF TS) get is not being allowed to complain about how hard it is to be a man. At least cis-gendered females can complain how being a woman sucks and not get ridiculed for it. If men complain about their role, then you're labeled a chauvinist, insensitive, douchebag, pervert, creep, and at the very best, gay or sissy. God, I'm gonna talk about this in therapy tomorrow.

I want to add another analogy. California has the best weather in the world. People who live anywhere else would consider California, especially SoCal, to be paradise. Yet I hear far more complaints about the weather from Southern Californians. I once remember a TV show where a couple of cops from L.A. went to NY and it was raining and one of the NY cops called them L.A. sissies. As much as it bugs me about how L.A. people complain about the weather, and how L.A. people have no freakin idea about how bad the weather is elsewhere, L.A. people have every right to complain about the weather because to us 60 degrees and rain sucks, even though 60 degrees and rain would be called spring in other places. And for our best weather in the world, we have the worst traffic. Ask anyone who drove on the 405, 101, or other freeways today, L.A. traffic really does suck. So who has it worse, L.A. or everywhere else. We have our traffic, and other places have their weather. And we in L.A. love to complain about weather and traffic, as do people who live anywhere else.

P.S. Yes both men and women have to deal with weather and traffic. And both men and women love to complain about the weather and traffic.

[Jilmac]

Tinkerbell, I don't know if there's a valid answer to your question but I can attest to the fact that girls and women cross dress inadvertently, and have done it for as long as I can remember. I knew several tomboy girls as a youngster who wore boys jeans and t shirts, baseball caps and sneakers. There was a fad in the '70s where young women wore men's boxer shorts which have evolved into a panty style called boyshorts. One of my daughters thought it was cool to wear my navy jumper as a top when she was in school. Another daughter wore my flannel shirts and her brother's jeans on a regular basis. By the technical definition, that's cross dressing.

Perhaps we guys who wear women's clothes tend to be more effeminate than our counterparts and want to enjoy both sides of our personalities which is why many of us try to look and act as feminine as possible when we present as such. When women wear the clothes made for men, there is never much controversy or discussion, but if a guy chooses to wear a skirt instead of trousers, society has deemed him the be the abnormal one.

[Eryn]

...Yes both men and women have to deal with weather and traffic....

But, when the weather is bad or traffic is nasty and there is a man and one or more women in the same car, guess who usually gets stuck behind the wheel? Yep, it's the man who truly has to deal with it.

This applies even if we happen to be dressed! :)

[Amanda M]

Guess what, Tinkerbell? After much research, and careful reflection, I haven't got a clue! What I do have is the greatest respect gor GGs like you who care enough to ask - so stick with us, please!

[Alexand]

What excites me in crossdressing (or one of the things that does that), is exactly the idea that I do what I am not supposed to. I find this very erotic. Women can do anything they want as far as dressing goes, as many have said in this Thread. The "illegal" is sexy.

[Aprilrain]

This is equal to the argument that there are much more MtF transsexuals than there are FtM,

The current wisdom is that this is not true. There are roughly the same number of F2Ms as there are M2Fs. Transsexuals that is.

Where do CDers get the idea that a preponderance of women are wearing male clothing????
I have a lot of female friends, 2 sisters and a mom not to mention aunts, a niece and many cousins, I've never seen one of them wear male clothing let alone try to look like a male while wearing male clothing.

Just because a woman is wearing pants does not mean she is CDing!!! She is wearing pants designed for women that she bought in the women's section of a store. Or at a boutique which only sells women's clothing.

Tink, I think you need look no further than the mal sex drive to find your answer.:battingeyelashes:

[Wildaboutheels]

Ok, I can't stand it anyyyyyyyyyyy longer. Time for me to come clean. It sure looks like there are many more MtF than FtM CDers doesn't it?

I mean, rumor has it, that there are a couple of other "mostly" MtF sites out there where all they seem to talk about is...

And there just doesn't seem to be hardly any FtM sites?

Actually I own and operate a bunch of them. It's just that these FtM CDers are a very private, "secretive" bunch of gals. UNike most "normal" ladies, they don't like to yak incessantly about stuff. Especially, if it involves any battery powered devices... They don't like to refer to what they do as Crossdressing... so I have had to get creative in naming these various sites. And NO, I am not allowed to simply give out such info. Disclosure agreements and such.

But what I CAN do is offer a few "hints" on how to find them. I know what you are thinking...

I can't personally accept any money but I can give you the names of certain Foundations that you can donate to. A mere 10 dollar "donation" sounds like a good round #, so just email me if you are interested and I can point you in the right direction.

Also, did I mention that "many" of the FtM ladies are actually LOOKING to date MtF Crossdressers?

For 10 dollars, it's a win/win situation.

Isn't it?

Of course it IS OK, if you wish to "donate" more.

[Melissa_59]

I mean, I never tried my father's clothes. I never even thought of presenting as a boy ...

And all GG are identical to you?

Many, if not most of the CDs on this site, at one time thought WE were pretty much alone in what we do. Or we thought there can't be that many others out there. Just because you don't see as many GGs crossdressing doesn't mean they are not out there. Plus there's the whole thing that GGs can wear jeans or men's shirts or pretty much ANY male clothing and no one really looks twice at it. There are women who show up at formal events in a Tux, it's noted as "interesting" but never as "scandal" even in the news. I've known women who have NEVER worn a skirt, they are always in jeans and boots - traditionally male attire. And you couldn't get those women in a skirt or dress at gunpoint.

As far as 'trying on my father's clothes', while some of us did try on Mom's clothes, it's because that was what was available. It's not like you can go down to the store in Irondale Alabama when you're an 8 year old male and pick up a package of hose. You won't just get funny looks, it will get back to your parents and then the belt comes out to "beat the devil out of you" because of course your super religious town believes you're sinning.

And as far as a "care free life of a male" - seriously? There are things that are EXPECTED of you when you're growing up as a male, that regardless of how you feel you are expected to perform. And if you don't do them (go out for the football team, go out for track, go out for hockey, etc - I could go on but the guys will know what I'm talking about) everyone thinks there's something wrong with you, and if that happens there's always a bunch of other guys who will meet you after school to beat the crap out of you because you're different (only happened to me a couple of times until I started taking a baseball bat to school with me, left it in my locker during the day and then took it home with me). Yeah, completely carefree, where everyone is accepting and life is roses. Not. You seriously don't have any idea of the pressures on a male in their teenage years. I wouldn't repeat that period of my childhood for all the diamonds in South Africa.

I'm sure it's not a bed of roses on the other side of the fence, but please don't think it was easy being a guy. It seriously wasn't.

~Mel

[Sissy_Michelle]

I understand how you feel. I present as a male. In addition I realize that I am not a particularly attractive male so that makes matters even worse. In my heart I know I should have been a female. When I was younger still at home it was easy to dress up with my mom and my girlfriend and her friends. It was a fabulous time, even they had remarked that I had it easy where they had that special time of the month and I never had to worry. However after I left for my previous job there was no way I could ever dress up again. I tried to under dress several times, and had enjoyed every moment... Although now that I am older, retired from that lifestyle. Even with a supportive wife, and trying to present as female. Once I am dressed and look in the mirror, my dreams float away into never never land. At least I can under dress and have my moments in time.

It is so much easier for a GG to FtM regardless how attractive they are, no one will say anything or suspect. Let me retract that. Easy on the outside but not on the inside. Just hope for a good supportive group to be with.

As for being "Hormone free"? I cannot help or advise you. I have never thought of using chemicals to change my outward appearance. A friend of mine has been experimenting with it and I keep begging him to see a doctor and get some professional help with it, but he won't listen to me. What he has done has changed him physically and mentally to the point it has jeopardized our friendship even though 30+ years of friendship is at stake. I guess I can only offer that if you do decide to travel that road. Don't do it alone nor without professional help. Keep your support group close and don't hide anything.

@--}---

[Samantha Clark]

Thank you Eryn!!! Yes, being male comes with responsibilities and stress that can be difficult even for cis-gendered males, but for someone who is trans, and has a partial or complete female identity, this can be a total nightmare.

Personally I think the gender binary created by patriarchy has created a nightmare situation for both sexes. Lots of cis-gendered women resented their roles back in the 60s, and still do in many parts of the world. Lots of cis-gendered men resent their roles today. Why does this happen? Becuase even cis-gendered men and women are not 100% male or female. We all have a little of the opposite gender's energy in us, and all of us have at least a small amount of desire to express the opposite every once in a while. If you're TG or TS, then sticking to gender binary can be a completely awful experience. And even if you transition, having to conform to the gender role of your true gender can still be difficult.

I think lots of cross-dressers have at least a partial female identity. I don't think we take on female names and try to pass as women just to wear women's clothes. There are some people who actually will happily be a dude in a dress. Either way, whether we're trying to pass as female or be a dude in a dress, there is lots of stigma to it.

I have a question for everyone, and maybe this is worth starting another thread. If you could just be a "dude in a dress" and use your male name, keep the beard, no wig or forms, and not be stigmatized for it, or not care if you're being stigmatized for it, would you do it? If you answer yes, then you're probably a male identified CD who would happily wear women's clothes sometimes. If you answer no, then you probably have a partial female identity. Even if you have a partial female identity, your core identity could still be male, which is different from being dual gender, bigender, androgynous, or a MTF TS.

[snip]


Michelle, this perspective makes total sense to me and I agree totally. I think I've struggled my whole life with being a sensitive man. I identify as a man, but I have feminine qualities. I think my interest in CD is sparked by this, but also by my life long admiration for all of the women I've encountered who are strong or beautiful, or both. I don't have a desire to be a dude in a dress. I want to be able to fully express the feminine side of my GM.

[Asche]

One problem with comparing MtF crossdressing with FtM crossdressing is that there really isn't any way for women to crossdress the way men do.

Western society presents a concept of "women" as a kind of consumer product, with men as the consumers. Women are expected to "beautify" themselves, to dress "sexy," to be desirable to men. To judge by the postings at this site, most MtF CDing is about men acting out this consumer product fantasy of womanhood -- sort of like when people go to Rennaissance fairs and pretend to be lords and ladies. They get a thrill from imagining they are what they desire. (Perhaps slighly OT, but a lot of posters also don't want to hear that the reality of being a woman is very, very different from the fantasy they're acting out.)

Society doesn't offer women a consumer product version of male intended for female consumption. They're mostly offered various options for being more desirable consumer products for men. Women's fashions are mostly designed to appeal to men, usually by displaying "the product" in the most flattering light possible, and the ones that aren't are usually pretty unpopular with the CD crowd. Men's fashions, meanwhile, are mostly designed to impress other men, not to show off the men's bodies or to make them more appealing products for female consumption. (The few fashions that do are aimed at gay men, or at least are assumed to.)

So what exactly does CDing offer women, besides possibly the opportunity to pass as male (and temporarily gain some male privilege)? Note that women who actually try pass as male, especially FtM TSs, face the danger of being beaten or killed by men if they are found out.

FWIW, my impression from other, more female-friendly sites is that the number of FtM trans people is in the same ball park as MtFs. Also FWIW, I've read complaints from FtM TSs that MtF TSs treat them pretty much in the ways that cis men treat cis women, so I would guess that they've learned to keep a low profile when MAABs (whether cis, CD, or trans) are around.

[Jilmac]

During many years of people watching I have observed females of all types wearing baggy jeans, work boots, ragged sweat shirts, many of them with short hair and walking with a masculine stride. I doubt any of those women were ever looked upon as cross dressers by society as men are, but I would say yes there are women cross dressers, just not as prevailant as men

[suchacutie]

I buy into the recent advances in biological research implying that the interruption of hormonal processes in changing the fetal brain to a male is a strong contributor to the desire to express the femininity that was not purged. The is no eexactly equivalent process in fetal girls. Thus, there will be more M2F.

[MeganDay]

I've quickly read through all of the replies to the original question and there is one thought that I don't remember seeing anywhere else.

For a long time, society has looked at males as being the stronger, "protector" and provider person. So, for a guy to don women's clothing, it's almost like it's a step backwards socially whereas if a woman dresses in some guy garb, she is "moving up" in the world. So a woman who pulls on some coveralls and pitches in is just trying to be one of the guys... kind of a step up. Besides, "tom boy" isn't quite as derogatory a term as sissy.

Another thought: There have been lots of questions here about whether or not guys would wear women's clothing made for men. And, generally, the response has been no, that if it is made for men, it's not really women's clothing. Yet, women have "generally" accepted certain male garments cut especially for them. I mean, you see jeans, pants suits, trench coats and other male vestiges made for women and those have been accepted by women. But generally, men haven't yet accepted women's clothing styled for them. So a woman dressed in some men's clothing isn't as socially "shocking" as a man dressed in women's clothing.

this has been a good discussion; I hope it continues...

Lacy PJs

Excellent point! You see this everywhere. The idea that being a girl is somehow, "not as good." Boys are told, "Man up," and "Don't be such a girl," as if being a girl is a bad thing to be. So when a girl dresses like a guy, it IS seen as a "step up," which I personally find silly. But when a guy dresses like a girl, he's seen as somehow, not as good.

I wish these ideas would change, but I don't think they're going to any time soon.

Megan

[ReineD]

Tink, I think you need look no further than the male sex drive to find your answer.

^^ THIS.

You'll never hear a woman talk about her blue jeans and sneakers the way that CDers wax poetic about their "silky smooth legs encased in panty hose". Women do not get a thrill or feel euphoric when they wear the things that many of you in this thread ascribe to "dressing like a man".

Besides ... as a few people have already pointed out, most CDers on this site would not want to wear man-skirts specifically designed for men, like women wear slacks specifically designed for women. We cannot make a reverse comparison about the way that women dress in contemporary society and the clothes that CDers wear, it just doesn't work.

[Melissa in SE Tn]

It has & always will be , in degrees, a male sexual thing. Whether it's for sexual gratification or the joy of dressing / looking feminine, the sexual component is always present . I truly believe that more men would be cd's if they would just lower their male armor .
I would defer to the thoughts of our ftm friends as to why they crossdress. Candidly , I have no clue as to what reason (s ) a woman would want to dress, look & feel like a man . I would not understand the sexual component of such dressing . In no way , shape or form do I believe that woman who wear slacks, dress suits , etc . are cd's. I agree with Reine & April that there is no sexual component for women who dress as such. Again , I would defer to our ftm friends as to their thoughts because I honestly don't know why a woman would want to dress, look & feel like a man. Peace, mel

[nvlady]

I think this is additional indication that it is heredity rather than environment.

[Tinkerbell-GG]

It has & always will be , in degrees, a male sexual thing. Whether it's for sexual gratification or the joy of dressing / looking feminine, the sexual component is always present . I truly believe that more men would be cd's if they would just lower their male armor .
I would defer to the thoughts of our ftm friends as to why they crossdress. Candidly , I have no clue as to what reason (s ) a woman would want to dress, look & feel like a man . I would not understand the sexual component of such dressing . In no way , shape or form do I believe that woman who wear slacks, dress suits , etc . are cd's. I agree with Reine & April that there is no sexual component for women who dress as such. Again , I would defer to our ftm friends as to their thoughts because I honestly don't know why a woman would want to dress, look & feel like a man. Peace, mel

Mel, you just gave me one of those 'aha' moments, along with Reine and April.

FTM want to wear men's clothing because it gives them peace. I'd imagine this is the same for MTF TS. These are just their clothes and once on, they don't think about them again.

Crossdressers, on the other hand, feel euphoric and heightened. They think constantly of the clothing - how it feels, the sensations of the materials, the swish of earrings, the tap of high heels etc. Quite often when I read the descriptions here I feel exhausted. It must be like walking around on a 'high' all day. The only other time I've heard people talk this way, they were on drugs!

Perhaps it's back to the difference between male identified CDers and those with GD. Sex drive and euphoria drive the first group - peace and identity drive the second.

Thoughts? :)

[Felicia Dee]

Is it mostly a male thing? Really?!? Sorry, but I have to call shenanigans here... any GG who rocks jeans, sneakers and a t-shirt... a suit... her SOs or even her brother's clothes -- is technically crossdressing. It's just not seen as a social taboo for women to blur the gender line. It's usually seen as sexy or tomboyish or progressive... ;P Note exhibit A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6TzpjP2x7k

Also, I have to say that I do not appreciate the grand generalizations, Mel! Like any kind of spectrum, there are gradients. Similarities yes, but no absolutes. We are each unique individuals. Please do us ALL the courtesy of remembering that.

There is no sexual component for me when I dress. Perhaps when I was 13-16 but let's be honest -- EVERYTHING has a sexual component at that age. There is some gender play with my SO and THAT is exciting, but that is not necessarily tied to the clothes I am (or not) wearing at the time. Also, you are honestly kidding yourself if you do not see wearing "male clothes" as CDing, because it is, even if only in the technical sense...

My dressing -- being Wednesday, is an extension of my personality and an expression of that part of me that Identifies as female.

[Thom2332]

Women do cross dress, they just call it "boyfriend fit." Many women say they wear mens t-shirts and sweatpants because they are roomier.

[September]

Why don't more women crossdress?? (Or put another way, why DO more men crossdress than women?)


Tinkerbell, this is an interesting question. Society, throughout history, has accepted or even applauded female-to-male crossdressers. Think about Joan of Arc or Mulan. Women dressed as men to have power, make a difference, and fight for their ideals. As women in American society has tried to have equal ground in business, politics, etc., they have dressed like men to do so. Remember power suits in the 80's and 90's? This clothing helped women been seen as equals in a male-dominated society. Women also cut their hair in "male" hairstyles to look less feminine. Especially when being feminine was seen as being weak, fragile, or silly. Dressing like a man allowed women to be accepted as strong, intelligent, and aggressive. So...women have always dressed like men to gain ground in social situations.

I'm also wondering how many lesbians and trans-men you've met...

I understand where you're coming from, but I think you have a lot of research to do. I don't think that men crossdress more than women. But as a society, we accept women dressing as men more easily...for the most part. But we still don't accept women who look like men. Gender issues are quite complicated in many societies and people who don't fit into socially-acceptable gender boxes are pushed to the outside of mainstream society. Which is fine with me. I like being with the outsiders.