Is CD instinctive?

[Maggie Kay]

I was thinking about the causes of CD/TG the other day in reference to influences from childhood and from society. Then it struck me when I was reading though the many posts here as to how similar the CD/TG experience is. For example, I started shaving my body hair thirty years ago never being influenced by any other person. It just was an irresistible thing to do and once I did it, I was hooked on the condition ever since. Once I put on a pair of women's panties just for fun, I was hooked forever again, not even thinking about crossdressing or gender issues. There are lots of other characteristics that many of use share but where did we get the idea to do them? There is no rule book or preferred path in this endeavor. SO I am led to wonder if there is something completely inherent to CD that is to say is it an INSTINCT?

[AmberTG]

I believe that we're born with the predisposition towards being CD/TG so I guess that would qualify as "instinctive" behavior. It's not a learned behavior, you can't teach it to someone who isn't predisposed to it. Actors will do it for money, but that's different.
just my 2 cents.

[JeanneF]

I think there is a bit of instinct as far as a predisposition to the feminine vs. the masculine. With a few exceptions of course, many of us on here seem to have at least had some level of a draw to more feminine behaviors as children (particularly in relation to childhood games...dolls, playing "house" etc). I know as a child I always tried to emulate the women in my life more than the men, including mannerisms, dress, interests, etc.

[MJ]

hi girls
i think we are born with predisposition toward being CD/TG i think we have a "instinctive" behavior . we can't help it. it is apart of us but.. that said

there are some of us that started very late in life if it were instinctive then you would think we all would have started at a young age ? don't you think

then there the i dressed up en fem for Halloween and i got hooked right away issue here. so again just because the first time en fem did it trigger the "instinctive" behavior ?
oh also wearing panties pantyhose lead to heels then what if i try on a skirt ,top leading to makeup and before you know it one is totally en fem but before that the guy had no predisposition toward cding ? ..
so thats the question i am seeking why we do what we do
again very good questions ..hugs

[AmberTG]

I think the event that triggers the desire is aside from the desire itself, there are guys that dress in drag for holloween that don't crossdress. It's just a costume to them, and they do it for the reaction at the partys. I saw several guys in drag costumes last night, mine was possibly the least outragous of the bunch. I went as a Goth girl, not much of a stretch, really, for me. I think that the disposition is there from birth and the strength of that disposition is why some people don't get "triggered" until later in life, I think it can lay dormant if it's not very strong until some big trigger comes along.
Amber