Is it easier for the younger?

It seems like the younger generation has it much easier to crossdress. I see young men at my kids college that get away with alot more feminine dressing than men my age. I'm 45 and it seems anything I do feminine I get questioned. I wear my hair long and get it permed and dyed. I also love to get pedicures. people think thats odd for someone my age. Now men my sons age do that all the time and no one thinks anything of that. I've also seen a 20 something man crossdressed at a bar with friends and nobody batted an eye. another time I saw a man my age crossdressed at Walmart and you could see people pointing and giggling. Life would bee so much easier if you could just go out as you wish and everyone would accept you for who you are.

Be patient Dana, I have heard it said that we will be considered common place within another 10 years. Think back about 10 years ago and it was the gays and lesbians who were in the cross hairs. Today they are considered common place. Many believe that within 10 years we will not even get a second look.

I see that too around here. It seem to have started with goth. See them wearing lots of eyeliner

I am quite happy with the" late 40 something" age group. Because you aren't young enough to be "hot" or a "milf"lol, people give us less of a "lookover"! lol

So what if you're on the short side of 70???

I can't speak for the young, but I ink its getting better. No offense to Walmart, but a certain segment of their target market are less educated, less worldly and less open minded than you might encounter in other venues. This evening, for example, I went to dinner en femme at Panera in a north Texas city not known to be particularly progressive. I had a very pleasant meal, was treated courteously by the staff and generated no apparent interest or concern among the many other patrons.

I'd love to be a twenty something, but then being a forty something sounds pretty good too.

As for incorporating feminine items , hair style, color etc, of course younger people are more tolerant than older ones. Remember the styles that were popular in the late 70s? A lot of the punk styles were pretty androgynous...and befor that the glitter rock phase?

Well i don't know exactly what your talking about, however, I think the cops, will give you a break, if your just seen as a crazy old fool...acting really dumb.

So join the club...all we crazy old fools, are having lots of fun.

For get about youngsters , there's a ton of them committing suicide. I suppose that's easier...but a little hard to live through.

I think young people are more accepting of their peers than they are of us older folk, however I know many people our age who are accepting and non judgemental of all LGBT. I think a lot depends on the surroundings and how we dress and act.

I think the young have it difficult too but in a different way from when I was "young". Today, they have tech and photos and the 'net. Back in my day, I swore I must have been the only one born this way. No way to communicate or get any information and no one to talk to. I'm sure as you surf 'round here, there'll be a few yungin's that will chime in and say how hard they have it..... Reminds me of 'we didn't start the fire'....

Renne....

I agree with, Park. u ARE young people, Dana!

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Originally Posted by LPark

So what if you're on the short side of 70???

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However, I think u meant 20 somethings? With social networking, by the time kids r 20 now, they've seen EVERYTHING! So, a guy in a dress is no big deal!

On the other hand, they're entire life seems to be their phone/computer! So, maybe they have no clue on what's real and what's just online!

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Originally Posted by RenneB

I think the young have it difficult too but in a different way from when I was "young". Today, they have tech and photos and the 'net. Back in my day, I swore I must have been the only one born this way. No way to communicate or get any information and no one to talk to. I'm sure as you surf 'round here, there'll be a few yungin's that will chime in and say how hard they have it..... Reminds me of 'we didn't start the fire'....

Renne....

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Wow, i can't a agree with Renne more, girl you have said to the truth,

I'm sorry your peer group has a narrow view of acceptable behavior. It could be that people from your age group look at the younger generation with just as much disdain, but we pay them little mind because of the simple fact that we don't seek validation or approval from people who aren't our peers.

I'm afraid I sound like an angsty teenager.

I think its true in many ways...but you can always claim you are just trying to fit in with the fun young crowd to avoid feeling old...mid life adventure? ...funny though, even at parties no one ever laughed at me, so I wouldn't worry.. This is one thing that really facinates me, its a challenge to tweak everything just right and luck to get it all working then you change...maybe its the hunt that keeps me returning...maybe if it was easy, I would get bored of it.

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Originally Posted by LPark

So what if you're on the short side of 70???

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Hello L Park,
Welcome to the forum with your first post here.
I hope you have an enjoyable stay and do join the fun.

To answer your question.
You would have to act your age...
Just kidding...
Keep posting and time to go to the intro section and tell us about yourself.

To answer you Dana,
Younger people in a young group all have fun embracing the CD look, as long as the CD'er does not refer to themselves too much.
If you present well you blend in with the crowd and are perceived as another woman.
It is a great experience to go in as a man in a dress and leave with a group of girls and go out for the evening leaving the guys to drink themselves to death.

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Originally Posted by May(be)

I'm sorry your peer group has a narrow view of acceptable behavior. It could be that people from your age group look at the younger generation with just as much disdain, but we pay them little mind because of the simple fact that we don't seek validation or approval from people who aren't our peers.

I'm afraid I sound like an angsty teenager.

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Everyone has made good points on this thread. Being the musician type, I will add, as my 2 (borrowed) cents; an excerpt from from one of my favorites:

"I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence and
So the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're going through..."
-David Bowie, 'Changes'

PS) Both the subject matter, and indeed; the artist himself are quite apropos in general context. :D

There are probably advantages to being a young cd ( I wouldn't know) but I know there are many advantages of being an older one. For one thing the greying facial hair means it is easier to cover the beard. If you dress your age and to blend it is easy enough at any age. It all depends on the look you are trying for. If you are in your 50's and try to wear outfits like a 20 year old it will not look so good. But the same thing applies to GG's too.

Seems like there's a lot of older people talking about how good younger people have it but not a lot of input from younger people.

RenneB, You nailed that one on the head about feeling like the only one like this when I was growing up. The internet showed me there are so many others just like me. Just makes you feel not so alone anymore.

welcome to our family L Park,

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Originally Posted by darkbeauty

For get about youngsters , there's a ton of them committing suicide. I suppose that's easier...but a little hard to live through.

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"Youngsters" are not the majority of suicides. They are the majority of attention getters. The people who take four tylenol and call 911. The older age people attempt it more often, and succeed.

I would say that it is about even. The younger you are, the more your family has a bearing on you. Some might lose their family support while going through college, therefore changing their whole life. Some might lose girlfriends. It can be very stressful. If they are like me, they have a hard time sleeping, knowing that if the right person finds out, their future is forever changed.

The elders can lose their career they worked their entire life for. Their wives they have shared centuries with. Sometimes children no longer wish to speak to them. I don't think one is harder than the other. Let's just say it is hard to live life as a crossdresser in general.

As an senior I'd say the answer is a mixed bag. Yes, there is more acceptance or at least "If it doesn't affect me, I don't give a crap!" attitude. But, from a statistical viewpoint people, and, let's look just at men, men are marrying later in life.

In
1960 Men married on average at 22.8 years, women 20.3 years
1970 Men 23.2 women 20.8
1980 Men 24.7 Women 22.0
1990 Men 26.1 Women 23.9
2000 Men 26.8 Women 25.1
2010 Men 28.2 Women 26.1

Most of the issues I experienced concerning cross dressing and have read innumerable times on this forum, it's issues with the wife. So, if you choose to delay marriage, there is more freedom to engage in many self absorbing activities. Delay marriage and you do not have to deal with the fall out from a wife. You can dress up en femme anytimes you want. You don't have to hide your clothes.

People aren't really more accepting. They just keep their mouths shut unless they have 'skin in the game.' Look at the popular vote in states concerning same sex marriage. The vast majority of states have passed bans on same sex marriage, and, those states passing measures at the ballot box, still had a sizable minority of no votes.

In acceptance, cross dressers rank lower than acceptance of gays and lesbians.

I understand the gist of the OP's question, but his comparison is apples and oranges. People at a bar or club have a different midset when they are out with friends, and also when the TG/CD is out with a group of his/her friends. Plus, it's usually a lot darker in the bar.

The CD at Walmart would definitely stand out more, as it's a business geared to all demographics, families included. People there would less likely expect to see a CD at Walmart, and coupled with the bright lights in the store, those customers aren't accustomed to seeing a crossdressed man. (All kinds of other things, no doubt!)

Odds are, if you took the same people at the bar and put them in Walmart during the day and they probably would have had a different reaction, possibly similar to the other shoppers.

Im 27 and have been cd'ing since I was 10 or 12 (I cant remember i just know i was young). I was raised in a catholic church and the community I was raised in had a population of 3200 people. I think they were all closed minded. I started with my moms stuff of course (that is soo embarrassing to admit) Anyway when I moved out I would always "collect" things from girlfriends or purchasing them. I kept them very well hid from anyone. I never got caught either. When I was 23 I told my girlfriend of only like 2 months. From there I really started to grow as Michelle. We would have fun with it but we never went out anywhere while I was dressed up. We are still together but now we have a young daughter and things have been very hard for Michelle. My SO doesnt want me around our daughter as Michelle and has all around become less and less tolerent of Michelle. I know this is a long story but what Im getting at is that no matter the age group you are in there are always circumstances which make things hard in their own way. Its the age old saying of "The grass is always greener." I have to figure my way through my situation and so do you.

It's more accepted now than when I was in my 20's and there is so much information available on the web for the younger set than I ever had.