Correlation?

[Sabine Janus]

I was reading though some of the threads and started to notice a trend about those of us who are simply crossdressers vs those who are transitioning. The people who are transitioning seem much more likely than those who limit this to crossdressing to want to go out.

It makes sense of course, if you are going to become a woman, you have to engage the world as a woman. But BEFORE the transition thoughts gelled, those of you in or who completed transition, did you want to go out back before you realized the need to make that journey.

AND those who "Only" crossdress, do you feel less need to go out while dressed?

While I have you, thanks for all the wonderful insights.

Sabine

[TheHiddenMe]

A few years ago at a meeting of our transgender group the speaker, who worked with transgender individuals, said, "when you've met one transgender person, you've met one transgender person."

Everyone's story is different. I don't think you can make the assumptions you are making.

I also believe your language is incorrect. MTF individuals who transition don't "become" women, because they already believe their gender doesn't match their physical attributes. They are changing their presentation to match their gender.

I go out because I like going out and because my circumstances allow me to go out. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Sabine Janus]

A few years ago at a meeting of our transgender group the speaker, who worked with transgender individuals, said, "when you've met one transgender person, you've met one transgender person."



Point taken, but I was looking to see if there was a trend. ALL people are unique, each is an amalgam of predisposition and life experience. We can however see trends.

And youare correct "Become" is the wrong word, i should have used "Realized" or something to that effect

Thank you

[Sandi Beech]

I am just a CD, and I do not go to the trouble to fully dress up unless I am going out. Some of us like socializing with others while we are crossdressed. It offers a level of excitement that would not happen if just dressing at home. There is nothing wrong with keeping it at home. I just find it opens doors that I never thought possible.

Sandi

[Cheryl T]

I think that All of us want to go out dressed.
We are social beings at the core and need the interaction with others as part of our life.
Some may never venture out, some do secretively, some do occasionally, and some do frequently. I don't believe the desire is more intense in someone who is transitioning. For them, as you said, it's a necessity as they will always be in the public eye once they come out. For the rest of us, whether we admit it or not, deep down we all want to show the world this side of ourselves and be accepted.

[SophiaRose]

I agree with you Cheryl. I don?t have a significant urge to transition but would love to be free to go anywhere dressed I would normally go in drab. Its the fear of not blending well enough to avoid stares that keeps me inside.

[Marketa]

I'm only CD without any desire/need to transition. That's for your statistics :)

When I'm as a male it's home sweet home. Food & high speed internet is all that's necessary. My male-self hates going out just for going out.

But when I dress I have bigger need to go out. Especially when I apply make-up. Once I made my make-up just to feel pretty at home, but when I saw myself in my standing mirror with my dress on, suddenly I wasn't able to think of nothing else than going out. So I put on nails and did some detailing and I had to go out to a mall for about 1,5 hour before I calmed down and my need was fulfilled.

[CharlotteCD]

If you're transgender, you have an innate desire and NEED to show the world who you truly are.

If you're a crossdresser, you don't have that innate need to the same extent. I think there are a lot of exhibitionists that make it seem like there is the same need, but that's about exhibitionism, not cross dressing.

[audreyinalbany]

clothing itself is largely a social convention; of course there are times when it is absolutely necessary, but there's no innate need for males to dress one way and females another. In a sense, clothing is how we want to present ourselves to the world. So if you feel an inner sense of 'womanhood', whether as a trans person or a crossdresser, I think presentation out in the real world is baked into the recipe.

[Sallee]

I really like to go out Just to prove that I look passable enough to pass I guess It kind of completes the transition. "I can pass" But truthfully no body really cares or very few anyway. I usually don't dress unless I go out. It may just be to the mall or a movie, Its easy to pass in a dark movie theatre, I do love the feel of bouncying boobies as I walk through the mall. But there have beeen times when I am almost scared to get out of the car. I am not sure I unstand that but it true.When i do get out and start my walk through the mall or sidewalk again very few notice and fewer care.

[Jane G]

I'm pretty sure I would go out dressed if I were free to do so. I certainly did when I was in my teens, to an extent. other things in my life mean I do not though and that's fine. I have a very good life all things considered.

[alwayshave]

Sabine Janus, I considering myself as a crossdresser with no plans on transitioning. I love to go out. As a matter of fact I seldom dress at home.

[DianeT]

I am a crossdresser. I have always dressed in my privacy. Going out would expose me to the view and judgment of others and I don't see why I would impose that on myself since the things I find and enjoy in crossdressing do not require me to be outdoor nor seen by anyone. My type of crossdressing is a visual and emotional journey of a personal kind, not a social experience. Like the voyagers in 1984's Dune, I am folding the gender space and traveling without moving.

[HollyGreene]

I am a crossdresser. Not transitioning.
I love to go out dressed. I only wish I had more opportunities to do so.

[docrobbysherry]

I only dressed in a total vacuum when I suddenly wanted to become a woman at age 50. After 10 years of dealing with that confusion I went online and found cd.com and all the girls here! Naturally I wanted to meet them!:hugs:

I soon found out I was a CD and had no woman inside me! And, 25+ years later I've been out all over the USA and world. And, met countless dressers. Since I don't dress out near home I still consider myself a closet dresser. Even tho I go out to meet other T's dressed more than I dress at home alone!:battingeyelashes:

Going out to party with folks at clubs, bars, and T friendly events dressed hot is WAY different than going to Walmart dressed to blend!:sad:
What Sandi said! What's the point of looking fab if no one sees u?:eek:

And, I've lost count of the many girls who said they were CD's like me. But, over the years have come out as trans!:devil:

[Dianna_ericka]

Hi, I am a crossdresser.
I do this because I exercise a right in my mind about to decide what to put in my body, I do not need to show this to others, but I would like to do it.
In the other hand I like my male life, the whole concept about my case is to enjoy my decisions but at the same time engage the world without any trouble ?as is?. (I underdress a lot, toe nails enameled 24/7, earings while not at job, some jewelry 24/7, female?s jeans on weekends, etc.)
The current world allows women to wear whatever form-color-texture-style while men are encased to a very restricted range of options. If males have the same freedom as females, I will just use the right to decide what to wear.
Just my 2 cents.

[kimdl93]

A few years ago at a meeting of our transgender group the speaker, who worked with transgender individuals, said, "when you've met one transgender person, you've met one transgender person."
.

Another old saying from intro statistics class: Correlation does not imply causation.

For both these reasons, I am reluctant to make assumptions or conclusions.

[NancySue]

Put me in the cd only column. I have no interest in transitioning. I dress to some degree daily and to answer your question I do enjoy going out which mostly consist of going out for drives. When I fully dress, it?s to the nines, thus eliminating any chance to blend in. You rarely see dresses, heels, hose, etc. Our small, conservative, nosy town keeps me limited and cautious. I?m very much OK with this thanks to my supportive wife.

[Taylor Dame]

I am a crossdresser with no desire to transition. While I don't have a lot of opportunities, I love to go out shopping while crossdressed. I do try to look as feminine as possible, while blending.

[Shelly Preston]

I would just like to add that some people socially transition too.

This group will be going out in the world like those of have had surgery to align there bodies to match there gender

I think most crossdressers begin with a fear of going out and being ridiculed.

[danniUK]

This last year I've come to realise that I'm actually trans, though I've no desire to transition.
I get an achey feeling in my belly at the idea I could have been born a girl and my crossdressing up til now has allowed me to feel the femininity that has always felt more natural than the masculinity that was pushed on me while growing up.
But as much as I'd desperately love to have a female body, I know that it really is too late for me, and I'm happy just to dress that way to give me the feeling that I love.
Phew! So having said all of that (and actually for the first time admitting it):
I've never been out while fully dressed, but I really want to. My wife's been pretty accepting but I'm waiting for her acceptance to catch up with where I am, if you get what I mean.

[Georgina]

I dress because I love the clothes how they look and how they feel. When I am dressed I feel fantastic. However there is one thing that feels even better and that is interacting with others when dressed. I have friends that I can visit dressed either with wig and makeup or without. They are fine with me being miad. It adds another layer in the experience that is life.

[il.dso]

Very interesting question.
I'm a crossdresser with no interest in transitioning.
The question is a bit moot for me, since I don't pass at all, and it's a dangerous and unkind world for our community.
Great joy and fulfillment crossdressing at home, especially while reading this wonderful website!

[Genifer Teal]

Except for some minor practicing in heels around the house, there was never a time of dressing up and not wanting to go out. It started with a few parties, then I explored a support group. It took me a while to go public with some of the girls who would go out after that support group meeting. And then when I took it public, I never looked back.
There was never much dressing up just to chill at home, if I felt I looked great, I wanted people to see how great I looked. I just wanted to experience being a woman. being at home didn't really matter how I looked so there was no experience to that.

Something that surprised me. I went to one of our support meetings. This is like 10 years down the road. After I really had myself figured out. I was surprised to find people who were truly dysphoric, not able to leave the house yet because of their dysphoria. It was hard for them to be around people until in their minds, their look matched, how they felt? I guess this is why they call it dysphoria, but the real surprise was they were on a transitioning path, yet they never experienced publicly being dressed as a woman that seemed like an extreme way to go for something you don't even know how it's gonna turn out. I understand their concern if they got laughed at because they didn't look good enough, which let's face it. You're probably not your first time at it. It would have hurt them too much emotionally, and possibly left lasting scars. I guess I can appreciate that more now that I have a close friend who's going through all that.But still, it seemed kind of extreme to never want to experience being out and living life and getting treated as a woman and deciding. It's exactly what you want for the rest of your life, without really knowing first. I guess I shouldn't speak for something that's not me. Everybody's situation is different. Even mine is kind of backwards. Because I probably will transition someday, but I never really set out to do that. it really doesn't matter to me if I do or don't, but that's the logic Why I think I will because at some point it's just why not? It's like I'm mostly there anyway. It's not that big a step.

[BLUE ORCHID]

I'm just a Str8 Guy that likes to dress & Look Pretty,

[Philippa Jane]

Oh my this brings up all sorts of thoughts and emotions.
We never know the journey we are on or where it will take us.
Most of my life I have been in denial. I thought I was some sort of pervert and that I would grow out of these strange feelings.
When I joined CD,com back in 2009/ 2010 this was my first venture into trying to understand what I was doing.
I found so many like minded people and began to embrace my feminine side still not knowing where I was heading.
Circumstances made me put my feeling of femininity back in the closet.
When those circumstances changed I still thought I was a crossdresser up until I went to a psychologist. Here I eventually opened up about all of my inner desires. Things I never was able to express to my wife.
I thought by getting facial surgery and a breast enhancement I would be comfortable in my new self.
I was at last able to go out dressed as my preferred gender and mix socially.
It is hard to deny dysphoria. It just eats away at you a bit like the pink fog.
A full transition was the answer for me.
I had often imagined over the years what it would be like to be a woman but never expected I could realise this dream
And yet here I am.

[BiancaEstrella]

Early on in my crossdressing, from 2007-2011 or so, you could call me a Halloween outings-only type. I’d half-tail the effort to make myself “pretty” beyond clothing and a wig, because I legitimately did not have makeup skills. I’d enjoy putting on feminine clothes but didn’t feel the need to do my face since I wasn’t going out and could always crop photos at the neck. Eventually I wanted to see what I’d look like by efforting with makeup, a wig, the whole nine. Starting in 2012 I’d definitely do my makeup if I was going out, and it’d be a coin flip whether I did a full face/look while dressing at home, usually depending on if I was hopping on a video chat with friends or wanted to take some full pictures.