Is there a different acceptance level between the Americas and Europe?

[JeanetteX]

Back in the late 80´s I did some extensive travelling around the US for 6 months. I had a fantastic time but I always thought that Europe was a much more liberal place in most respects. However after reading numerous threads since I joined this forum I can´t help but feel that there is much more acceptance towards CD´s going out fully dressed in the US and Canada than there is over here in Europe. It seems to me that Americans have much less fear of walking the streets en femme. I could be totally wrong about this and of course there will be the occasional bad experience in the US and Canada as well (I remember Isha´s horrible story from a few weeks ago) but still I feel American CD´s have more freedom and are accepted a lot sooner than us Europeans.

Any of you have any thoughts or opinions about this?

[Dianne S]

I think it depends where in Europe. Britain, for example, has historically had a pretty high tolerance for eccentricity so I bet it's safer to walk around en femme in London than in a more conservative place like Rome maybe. Disclaimer: While I have traveled quite a bit in Europe, I've never dressed in public there. I did see some crossdressers in Stockholm and nobody seemed bothered by them.

But Europe has an immigration problem. You have a large group of immigrants with extremely socially-conservative values who are refusing to assimilate into their new societies, and European politicians are too afraid to do anything but appease them.

Europe has to start addressing this problem now if it doesn't want extreme social discord soon.

[kimdl93]

Pretty difficult to gauge, I think. Certainly, there are places where acceptance is predictably high, such as most major American, and probably most major European cities. What surprises me is that one can encounter tolerance in the smaller and even more rural areas.

For example, I had car trouble whilst traveling en femme. I broke down in a small town just north of Muskogee I had no male clothes with me, and simply had to pull into the first garage I could find, which happened to be a GM dealer. The entire staff treated me as warmly and respectfully as any other woman could have wished. And it challenged a preconceived notion I had about tolerance in this rural part of the US.

[Beverley Sims]

Jeanette,
Having tramped around the country side I have thought as you do.
One thing I did find was that the Netherlands were tolerant of all things except dressing.
There seemed a more liberal attitude to drugs, tattoos, prostitution, gays, and lesbians.
You only have to walk around the streets and shops to see most of the liberal attitude.
Those that dressed seemed to be put down by those that I spoke to.
I found dressing in the U.K. and U.S. was more liberating than Europe.

Scandinavia may have been a little better but I never spend long enough there to be sure.

[Teresa]

Jeanette,
I guess from a UK or European point of view we think America and Canada is so big you can far easier go off and do your own thing ! I guess in the UK living closer together something out of the ordinary is soon passed off as acceptable ! I think the stiff upper lip image is a false one because of our sense of humour ! ( Who gave the World Monty Python !) We can all name no-go areas no matter where we live so we know when to be more cautious !

[Jenniferathome]

Perhaps is comes down to the notion of a 'melting pot' that has made America great. We have to be tolerant to some degree. That stated, we have backlash to foreigners like every country but I think tolerance is in our DNA.

[Sarah-RT]

Id actually perceive britain to be the least tolerant due to the football hooliganism thats quite common but ultimately i would say its where you go, there are places in every corner of the world where people treat each other as best as possible and then there are other places where life has no value.

[KlaireLarnia]

I always considered the USA to be more tolerant but not because they are accepting but for fear of being sued if they did not or breached someone's rights if they treated them wrong.

The UK can be OK. We expect and sometimes embrace those who make us take note of them (Eddie Izzard and Richard O'Brien spring to mind). The younger generation whilst sometimes vocal generally don't care as they have other things to deal with.

[Katey888]

I really think it depends on the specific locality as to how much acceptance there is - very hard to generalise when you have a country as diverse as the USA both geographically and demographically... and Europe too... :thinking:

Tolerance is perhaps a better expression to consider: acceptance to me implies a more positive, pro-active feeling from people - as in: "I accept MtF crossdressers in society". I think in most cultures what we're actually seeing is "So you're a guy in a dress? I don't much care as long as you don't do anything really weird..." Klaire's point about legal protection might be relevant but then there may also be aspects of general crime that make some regions intrinsically safer than others.

Quite honestly, I suspect we're such an infrequent blip on the muggles' radar we're probably in the same category as folks that like to dress as Spongebob squarepants or Dino the Dinosaur from the Flintstones... just a curiosity that requires a passing moment of tolerance or recognition, nothing more... :daydreaming:

Katey x

[Gillian Gigs]

The three most important things to remember about real estate are, location, location, location. The three most important things to remember about going out in public are, location, location, location! Anyone can get beat up anywhere at any time, regardless of how they are dressed, one always has to be careful. I would say that this is true at any location on this planet.

[justmetoo]

I think Katey said it well. The US and Europe are both such big diverse places I think it's next to impossible to say which is more or less accepting. A lot will depend on specific locations. And other factors, as well, like the specific individuals involved. My experience with being out en femme are limited to a few parts of the US and Canada (mostly the west coast). There are places I wouldn't try to go out en femme. Then again, it seems like many people here have been out and about in various parts of the country (US) with little or no hassle. I'm sure the same is true for the UK and for Europe. But to what degree are people hassled less in one place or another? I don't know. :) I only hope more people are accepted or at least not hassled in more and more places as we progress as a society and as human beings.

[Jilmac]

Jeanette, I have never been to Europe so I can't know what the acceptance level is in European countries. However I have been out numerous times in different areas of my state and can say with relative certainty that acceptance is based on popular beliefs. By that I mean that many of the larger cities in my state are an eclectic mix of diversity, but the more rural areas may be much more conservative in their beliefs. From my own experience I try to avoid places where transgender people are looked upon with scorn, and I'm sure if I ever had the chance to travel to Europe I would practice the same caution as I do in the states.

[susan54]

I have only been out dressed in Scotland and England. The English excursions included Newcastle and lots of trips in York, and I live in N Scotland and often visit shops in Highland villages. These are all places people think of a dour and disapproving of diversity. Not only have I never had problems, but people are actively nice. I have seen a cross-dresser in Amsterdam who was ignored in the same way all other passers by were. The only time I have felt uncomfortable because of being stared at and people making comments (admittedly quietly) to their companions was Castle Urquhart, one of the main tourist attractions on Loch Ness. I recall an American friend responding to my comment that only the eductaed Americans seemed to travel, not the red-necks, by sayig they actually export the rednecks in bulk on cruise ships, and this crows could have been off a ship. I will stick up for the UK as a very liberal place.

[pamela7]

I have travelled the world reasonably far and wide, and found the people are fine everywhere, but governments suck, but when i meet people from the gov's they're also fine. I did once escape from a cowboy bar in Phoenix just in time - in drab I might say. The backstreets of Bangkok felt safe at 2-3 in the morning.
Generally where there are many people about it is safe, and where you're alone with few/no witnesses there is the greater possibility of ambush.

I feel there is a sea-change going on in the world, at least where I live, and I thank Eddie Izzard among others for their pioneering. It's getting safer and more accepted.