Transvestism/Crossdresser
What is the difference? According to my software dictionary, crossdresser means "Someone who adopts the dress or manner or sexual role of the opposite sex." The noun version for transvestite is exactly the same. However, the verb form of transvestite says, "Receiving sexual gratification from wearing clothing of the opposite sex." Am I in the wrong forums? For me, wearing or watching or feeling womans clothing is only something I do for sexual gratification. I don't feel like I fit in these forums because a lot of you appear to do this for other reasons.
labels just don't do it, unfortunately
It is true that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Unfortunately, we all like to be able to know what we are. For some, the labels "man" and "woman" work very nicely (even though those definitions are probably as hard to write as any other!). Some on this forum seem to be able to identify that they crossdress for relaxation, or because it feels good just to do it, or that it's a fetish. Others really feel the need to be identified in the other gender (to which, often, the term transexual is applied).
Then there are many of us who just don't fit. Without a doubt, I love to be Tina! Maybe it's just because she is new, but I don't think so. There is a feminine part of me that seems only to come to fruition when the clothes and hair change, the makeup goes on along with the nail polish, the voice changes, the body movement changes, and then the thought patterns change. If I never wanted to change back, it seems that "transsexual" would be appropriate. The problem is that I do want to change back because I like the guy part of me too.
So, I'm stuck with transgendered, or, as some have written, bigendered.
My whole point here is that just as the breadth of "man" and "woman" would really defy complete agreement in humanity, all the rest of these labels require qualifications and asterisks! Heck, even the term "human" has come under scrutiny! Maybe we all need to agree upon one label:
me
my:2c:
tina