Who Am I?

[Cathytg]

Over the last ten years or so I have developed a philosophy which has found expression in this, my mantra:

TG is who I am; CD is what I do.

This self-imaging process has lead me to enjoy liking the softer things in life from lovely slips to simply sitting alongside a river and watching it. It has also allowed me to accept the lack of macho in my life. Come to think of it, I have become comfortable in a group of guys only since I adopted this attitude. For me, self image is primarily about gender orientation and the clothes are allowed to flow from that.

But, there is a still a part of me that wonders if I am not just kidding myself. Am I merely using the TG concept to justify to myself and my wife the dressing? At the core of my concern is the recognition that dressing is also fairly sexually arousing. And, so, this is my question to all of you:

"Do you feel very feminine all the time and simply love to dress as an expression of your femininity? Or are you motivated by other factors to dress?

[Angie G]

I do feel I have some girl in me and think that's were the dressing comes from. Even at work the only time I'm 100% guy mode I feel the girl in me. When I dress it just feels so right. I have no desire to be a real girl on the outside As long as I have some real girl on the inside. :hugs:
Angie

[Butterfly Bill]

I am motivated mostly by the comfort and the feeling of freedom. I am capable of quite macho behavior even when I am in hembra clothes.

[Tracy_Victoria]

Over the last ten years or so I have developed a philosophy which has found expression in this, my mantra:

TG is who I am; CD is what I do.

This self-imaging process has lead me to enjoy liking the softer things in life from lovely slips to simply sitting alongside a river and watching it. It has also allowed me to accept the lack of macho in my life. Come to think of it, I have become comfortable in a group of guys only since I adopted this attitude. For me, self image is primarily about gender orientation and the clothes are allowed to flow from that.

But, there is a still a part of me that wonders if I am not just kidding myself. Am I merely using the TG concept to justify to myself and my wife the dressing? At the core of my concern is the recognition that dressing is also fairly sexually arousing. And, so, this is my question to all of you:

"Do you feel very feminine all the time and simply love to dress as an expression of your femininity? Or are you motivated by other factors to dress?

Cathy

My Understanding, and it may just be my view, that if dressing is a sexual thing, then your a TV or a Crossdresser, if your Dressing is to look more the role you wish to be, but there is little, or almost nothing sexual about it, then that makes you a TS.

Myself I am a TV, I enjoy my dressing and there is normally some sexual desire to do so, it might not be 100% of times, but my dressing give me a buzz. to me a TS is someone who has the desire to dress female to look female and be accepted as Female, and in the End 24 hours a day, Although to me my dressing is an all or nothing desire to look female, at the end of the day I'm just as happen reverting back to male, as I am to changing to female, and I have no deisire to be female.

Therefore to me, I'm a Transvestite.

[Cathytg]

I do feel I have some girl in me and think that's were the dressing comes from. Even at work the only time I'm 100% guy mode I feel the girl in me. When I dress it just feels so right. I have no desire to be a real girl on the outside As long as I have some real girl on the inside. :hugs:
Angie

I really appreciate your last line. Thank you.

[docrobbysherry]

What Tracy said so well!

[Cathytg]

Cathy

My Understanding, and it may just be my view, that if dressing is a sexual thing, then your a TV or a Crossdresser, if your Dressing is to look more the role you wish to be, but there is little, or almost nothing sexual about it, then that makes you a TS.

Myself I am a TV, I enjoy my dressing and there is normally some sexual desire to do so, it might not be 100% of times, but my dressing give me a buzz. to me a TS is someone who has the desire to dress female to look female and be accepted as Female, and in the End 24 hours a day, Although to me my dressing is an all or nothing desire to look female, at the end of the day I'm just as happen reverting back to male, as I am to changing to female, and I have no deisire to be female.

Therefore to me, I'm a Transvestite.

Yes, that goes for me, too. I would not trade my maleness. I draw a line between male and masculine with the former being sexual and the latter being mental. There times that I think being full-time would be great, but mostly those are times when I am frustrated by being not very passable.

[Jocelyn Renee]

For me CDing is an expression of a part of my personality. In the beginning there was a sexual component to it and a special affinity or panties, bras, etc. As I have developed self-acceptance and stepped out of the closet, however, the sexual component has dissipated and the undergarments have simply become a utilitarian part of the act. These days the only time I wear pantyhose is if the outfit calls for it and even that is not very often as the majority of my femme time is spent outside the home in casual clothing.

None of the CD/TV/TS labels are really a comfortable fit for me. I enjoy being a husband/father very much and have no desire to obliterate my male side. At the same time when my feminine side is present I feel and show a marked change in my behavior and general demeanor. My CDing time is always a full transformation and I rarely under-dress or mix modes.

[Sapphire]

It really depends on what is meant by “very feminine”. I for one do not wish to disengage with many of the benefits of masculinity. At the same time I enjoy the good feelings that follow when one comes out to oneself as being transgendered. When you eventually accept yourself for what you are it seems to bestow more self confidence – to such an extent that relations with both males and females becomes that bit easier. Also, being of a mind to pick and choose which aspects of each gender you wish to take on board is probably making the best of both worlds. On the other hand it is essential to always keep in mind the societal aspects and our duties to our loved ones and the broader community.

[Vivian Best]

"Do you feel very feminine all the time and simply love to dress as an expression of your femininity? Or are you motivated by other factors to dress?

Good question Cathy, however I'm not sure I know how to answer about myself. Most of the time I feel compelled by forces inside me to dress and that's the way I'm suppose to dress! The answer to the feminine feeling, I feel just as myself. Maybe that's feminine is guess.

[Cathytg]

Good question Cathy, however I'm not sure I know how to answer about myself. Most of the time I feel compelled by forces inside me to dress and that's the way I'm suppose to dress! The answer to the feminine feeling, I feel just as myself. Maybe that's feminine is guess.

You have used the magic word: "Feel". It is feminine to both be aware of yourself and to know that you are. I saw an article recently that said that one of the best things about having a strong feminine side is that you can come to know yourself.

[Kate Simmons]

The dressing is just part of the outward expression for me. I do not feel masculine or feminine really, just feel like myself.:)

[marny]

I'm all girl 90 % of the time and worl\king hard on the last 10 and a half! :tongueout

[CD Susan]

"Do you feel very feminine all the time and simply love to dress as an expression of your femininity? Or are you motivated by other factors to dress?[/QUOTE]

I only feel motivated to dress by the inner feeling in me to express myself as female. I truely feel that I am female in my mind but yet I have the body of a man. I guess this means I am more TS than CD and this is what I believe. If I had been born 40 years later than I was I would consider SRS. At my age I think that is out of the question and I accept that. I am still happy with my life because I have learned how to accept this part of me.

[bimini1]

Cathy

My Understanding, and it may just be my view, that if dressing is a sexual thing, then your a TV or a Crossdresser, if your Dressing is to look more the role you wish to be, but there is little, or almost nothing sexual about it, then that makes you a TS.

Myself I am a TV, I enjoy my dressing and there is normally some sexual desire to do so, it might not be 100% of times, but my dressing give me a buzz. to me a TS is someone who has the desire to dress female to look female and be accepted as Female, and in the End 24 hours a day, Although to me my dressing is an all or nothing desire to look female, at the end of the day I'm just as happen reverting back to male, as I am to changing to female, and I have no deisire to be female.

Therefore to me, I'm a Transvestite.

Let's talk sexuality. For me I feel there is a whole female sexuality at work when dressed. My male side may try to deny this due to social pressure. But what if there were no social influence on me? No social pressure to fit in? Just a perfect world where one was one's self unabridged, with no outside influence of any sort?

Then who would I be? if I could really be me? I mean, I could today, but there would be a steep price to pay.

This world. It gets me down/depressed. It is painfully obvious, that with two so well defined genders, some of the one gender will gravitate to be curious as to what it is like to be the other (beit a scientific origin or not) and vice versa.
My question is , where and when did that become so unnatural. And so offensive/unacceptable to polite society?
It seems to me that would be one of the most 'duh' momnets ever.

[Jonianne]

But, there is a still a part of me that wonders if I am not just kidding myself. Am I merely using the TG concept to justify to myself and my wife the dressing? At the core of my concern is the recognition that dressing is also fairly sexually arousing. And, so, this is my question to all of you:

"Do you feel very feminine all the time and simply love to dress as an expression of your femininity? Or are you motivated by other factors to dress?

It sounds like you are being critical of yourself because the male part of your being finds womens cloths erotic. That is just being normal. And that doesn't discount at all, the femme nature of your being either. The femme nature of my being, loves the emotional and sensitive things in life. And I don't have to be dressed to enjoy that. My femme self also loves the prettyness and softness of female cloths, to match a gentle and soft spirit.

So, Yes it is OK for different sides of our being to be attracted to female cloths for different reasons. We are very complex creatures as human beings, and thats OK.

[deja true]

What Jonianne said! We can read the guilt in your phrasing of your question:


Am I merely using the TG concept to justify to myself and my wife the dressing?

Forget that notion of "merely to justify...". Even if, like many here bravely admit, your dressing was 100% for the erotic aspect, there's still nothing to feel ashamed of.

As you'll read, for some the erotic feelings fade. For others they never do. So what!

We western civilization people have developed a culture that tells us that the erotic, the sexual, the sensual, is somehow wrong or naughty. Damn that Queen Victoria, the prudish, frustrated bitch!

Our own physical and mental evoluton has given us this sacred gift to use for our own pleasure and the pleasure of those we love. Stop trying to deny or "justify" that which we should be revelling in.

The feeling and appreciation of erotic pleasure is a gift, a blessing, a reward not a shameful curse! The only rule attached to it is to share it lovingly!

[Joy Carter]

"Do you feel very feminine all the time and simply love to dress as an expression of your femininity? Or are you motivated by other factors to dress?

I only feel motivated to dress by the inner feeling in me to express myself as female. I truely feel that I am female in my mind but yet I have the body of a man. I guess this means I am more TS than CD and this is what I believe. If I had been born 40 years later than I was I would consider SRS. At my age I think that is out of the question and I accept that. I am still happy with my life because I have learned how to accept this part of me.[/quote]

Thanks Susan. That's what I was going to say.

[DAVIDA]

I'm not sure that I really know what feminine is or feels like. I would wear the clothes 24/7 if at all possible. But, I just feel like me. If you don't think that I can exude testosterone while wearing a dress and high heels, just ask Jean!:heehee: