Do a lot of CD's here fit other "labels"?

[Bilinda]

I'm going to stick my pink high heel into this one a little because I'm curious about something. Please, no one get offended or anything, I myself could care less what people stick me under as far as labels go!

BUT, I belong to other transgender sites and forums. Some of them seem quite picky about what "label" everyone should stay in. For example, I have read several post here that give the impression to me that the person writing it is transsexual.

On other sites and forums it would be almost a slap to say a transsexual is a crossdresser. I even know a site that has around 12 different "labels" that everyone is suppose to stay in. Asexual, post opt, pre opt, transsexual, transvestite, and a few more that I don't even know what the heck they stand for!!

But here we seem to be a wide mix, with people that could be placed in other labels mixing and relating as one. I think that's great, as long as someone who might get more help from a different group knows who they are; that is, understands what they are.

How does everyone here feel about all this? Or does anyone here really even notice, and it's just me because of the different places I belong to and see how they are about all this?
:D

[Karren H]

Well firstly I don't believe in labels.... And I frequent many other sites too... Lately women's makeup forums (of which I'm a mod on one) and I'm totally accepted for who I am... a guy that likes to dress up like a girl and is in love with makeup and fashion... No big deal!!

[Jamie M]

I know what you mean , i have been around other sites too from time to time and there does seem to be a bit of an odd obsession with making sure everyone knows exactly who and what everyone is/are. That's a bit of a joke in my opinion as speaking for myself my own view of myself is always changing day to day so if i don't know exactly who i am why should anyone else. As the great and wise Popeye once said "I's am what I's am and that's all that I's am".

Personally i think this is just one of many reasons that makes this site a unique and wonderful place to be , we take everyone as they are and try to understand each other that little bit better in the slim hope of understanding ourselves

[Natalia]

But back in the 90's I was a Cassette

And before that I was an 8 Track...:tongueout

I believe my parents were 45's

and there is a rumor that Grandad was a 78

[deja true]

Here's mine! :D

I used to think I was "hetero-flexible"

but I'm leaning now towards 'hetero-curious"

'cos I just figured out I really don't know what it's like to be a real heterosexual.

But I'm probably both! I think. Maybe. :doh:



Seriously, Bilinda, most of us are really not that much into labels. We use 'em conversationally sometimes just to make a point a little clearer, but not as a general rule or requirement.

Why bother with that? Some of my very best lessons about being a CD have come from GG's, and trans-men. We're more interested in emphasizing our similarities rather than our picayunish differences.

Cool with that?:daydreaming:

[Bilinda]

Oh like I said, I don't care about labels at all, and could care less if anyone here uses them ever. I just wanted to ask because I'm new here, and frankly this is the first forum for transgenders (there it is again!) that everyone seems to just call themselves crossdressers. That's fine with me!
:love:

[Crissy Kay]

Hi Bilinda, I think you said it right. This is why I like Cd.com. Every one here pretty much accepts us for who we are. This is about the only board, that I feel at home on!!!!

[deja true]

Well, crossdresser is just the name of the site, sweetie!'

The trans-women don't call themselves that, nor the boys, but we just don't get exercised about insisting on the labels.

Quite a fair few use the all inclusive term trans-gender to describe all of us together. Some just say t-folk or trans-persons.

But we don't argue if a wrong term is used, just a polite reminder from time to time.

'Sides, after reading a few posts from most of our denizens, it's easy to figure who's a what and who's a who. Ya just gotta pay attention!

[melisss2u]

I think we all change our thoughts on where we stand. So it is great to get a wide variety of answers or comments so that we can all see a different side to any post. then we can learn from it ignore it or comment on it

[trannie T]

If there was a site that actually described me, it would be: UglyOldGuysWhoWearWomens'Clothing.com since I have yet to find such a site I have to come here. Each one of us is different, a unique individual, one term does not fit all.

[Kate Simmons]

Don't pay much attention to the label aspect myself Bilinda, except for reference and simplicity when it comes to describing or discussing something. What I do pay attention to are who my friends here are as individuals, their progress and comfort level with being themselves, which is why I usually avoid pronouns and call everyone by name.:)

[sterling12]

One of the big problems with labeling in the Transgender World is that The Labels are very fluid. Cd one day....Pre-Op the next, etc. etc. I think we kind of accept the idea of a "spectrum" around here. It's a given, that each person has their own unique place. But, we are here to discuss, debate, learn, teach, and smooze. A person's status isn't very important.

Also, when they do a lot of labeling on TG Sites, it's been my experience that they then try to force a hierarchy. I have heard the expression way too many times: "Your JUST a CD, you don't know." I hope we never get to that point around here....don't think The Mods would let it happen!

Peace and Love, Joanie

[KarenCDFL]

You would think that a group of people that crave acceptance like us, often has members that have no acceptance for others that are different.

[Paula Rae]

Hey Bilinda,
Labels are the most ridiculous things around.
If you were to put an realistic label on me it would have to be:
"Gay-Transvestite-Crossdresser" which is too long, so just call me
Paula Rae

PS: sorry about the spelling

[DanaR]

I was playing with my airbrush earlier, now I can't read my label, damn. I'm not sure what to do now! I hate it when stuff like that happens, Oh well.

[JennyLord]

I am who I am too. A glamorous coat obsessed young thing. I may be the only one, but at least I have a place like this to vent about it.

[boy2girl31]

I know I fit other labels but like most here I don't think it matters.

P.s. deja true you said by reading the posts you could tell what label to give people. Then what's mine?:devil:

[CharleneCD]

Your right Bilinda, that is a great thing about this site. If you like to wear clothes of the opposite sex your accepted here. No matter what part of the TG spectrum we fit in, dressing is something we all share.

[Amy Hepker]

Labels, I don't like Labels. They taste awful!!!

[deja true]

I know I fit other labels but like most here I don't think it matters.

P.s. deja true you said by reading the posts you could tell what label to give people. Then what's mine?:devil:

Well b2g31, here's what I put in the PM reply you sent asking the same thing:



The whole point was to really pay attention to what others are saying, not so much to figure out if they were gay or sraight trans or whatever. It don't matter. What matters is our empathy with others in order to help them if they ask or to learn something about ourselves from their experiences and feelings...

Okay?

Wait, I will guess! You're a confused human being. That'll be two dollars!

:D

[Joy Carter]

Does anybody really care ? I don't. I judge on content of character. Probably why I have such weird friends. :silly:

[jenalex]

I like "genderqueer" — which doesn't say exactly how it's queer, or even if it is at all, just that it might be, in an "ask me how" kind of way :D

[Emily Anderson]

I think one of the most interesting facts about this site is that a lot of people don't really care too much about labels.

IMHO It's way more productive to speak about life in general than to spend hours debating whether we fit into a certain pigeonhole category. Besides, from reading this and other "CD" forums I've come to learn that there are so many different variations, combinations, philosophies and so on around gender and sex that we could all argue about labels until we are blue in the face, and still get nowhere.

This also makes for some very interesting reading in the forum answers and polls, because it clearly shows that there is a very wide range of people here, and we all get to benefit from that experience, regardless of how people might categorize themselves, or others might categorize them.

[Valeria]

For example, I have read several post here that give the impression to me that the person writing it is transsexual.

On other sites and forums it would be almost a slap to say a transsexual is a crossdresser.
Well, I'm a post-op trans female. I do post here at times, even outside the transsexual specific section. But in the CD section, I mostly just post on threads that are broader in implication, either discussing all TG people, or making generalized statements about gender or sexuality. I don't generally participate in threads that are exclusively devoted to the crossdressing experience, because I don't have much to contribute to them, and they hold little interest for me.

Even here, I doubt you'll find many post-transition trans people who are happy about being labeled a "crossdresser". That's because I'm not "crossdressing" when I wear clothing that is congruent with my gender. I am female - calling me a crossdresser for wearing female clothing is to deny that basic fact about my existence.

I occasionally point this out, but trans people get called crossdressers too often here to object every single time. :idontknow:


If you like to wear clothes of the opposite sex your accepted here. No matter what part of the TG spectrum we fit in, dressing is something we all share.
I wear clothing to keep me warm, and to avoid sunburn, and because they'd arrest me if I went around nude. I wear women's clothing (though most often just a t-shirt, sandals, and jeans) because I'm a woman. At work, I wear gender-neutral scrubs (and when I worked as a wait person, I wore a gender-neutral uniform that was essentially male clothing), and it's all the same to me.

All I care about with regard to clothing is "is it comfortable?", "does it make me look good?", and "is it socially appropriate to the context I'll be wearing it in?". But I don't dress in clothing of the opposite sex, and I get no special satisfaction from my apparel.

[Jenny Doolittle]

HI Belinda,

I dont worry about labels unless I am in the grocery.

Really though, I think if someone can gain knowledge from my experiance, all the better. I think some get upset with mis-use of labels because of the political activist perspective. CDers (who typicallly in the closet)may benifit from others that are out in the for front opening doors that had been closed for transgendered rights, but all I can say is thanks.

[adelle]

hi Belinda for me? dont care bout labels or all the other mumbo jumbo, i think that is why our forum is so BIG and thats why i joined it cous here we are all friends and we are like 1 big family, some thing most of us dont have. i think the labeling is a :eek: idea. CD.COM? :love: IT

[CaptLex]

If there was a site that actually described me, it would be: UglyOldGuysWhoWearWomens'Clothing.com since I have yet to find such a site I have to come here. Each one of us is different, a unique individual, one term does not fit all.
:lol2: :clap:

[Bilinda]

i think that is why our forum is so BIG and thats why i joined it cous here we are all friends and we are like 1 big family, some thing most of us dont have.

Wow, you just explained something to me. THAT is why this forum is so busy, because it's a little bit of everyone in here. I've never seen a forum that has so many members at one time online in the same sections.

Well I'm glad so many different people are here, sharing what we all know and have experienced. I know that how I crossdress, the reasons, type of clothing and so on, are not the norm for a lot of crossdressers. So it's nice to know I'm not being judged here.

Thanks for all the replies, it really gives me a good look into all the members here. My, it would be so nice to throw a huge party somewhere for all the members here. What a big mixed bag of fun that would be!!!!
:Party2:

[Alex!]

Labels don't bother me. It's when people use the label to assess who I am - you have to be pretty ignorant to presume to know a person by a label; but alas most people do. We are all ignorant on certain things, I suppose we can call it "compartmentally ignorant."

I am comfortable being called a recreational crossdresser. It describes what I do when I dress like a girl, nothing much more. It relaxes me and gives me an opportunity to express my feminine side through an unusual form of artistic expression.