When did you?

[s.e.al]

Not until I came out to my wife a few months ago until then I just liked womens things I never in considered I was a crossdresser

[wanda66]

After dressing for more than 60 years I had never put a label on what I did transvestite was the term used . truthfully I never call myself anything until I joined this site and I proclaimed myself a crossdresser, great I finally realized I truly am. honestly it was a liberating feeling when I wrote that

[Shayna]

I saw a talk show about, Donahue episode I think, and I knew that's what I do. Thought i could kick the habit several times, but the last few years it sunk in that this is for life.

[heatherdress]

I realized that I was a crossdresser the first time I "went all the way" - dress, heels, bra, wig, makeup and heels- and I totally enjoyed how I looked and how I felt. I knew it was a look and a feeling that I wanted to experience again, and again.

When I wore heels for the first time, I was excited and loved the experience. I wanted more - but I had no understanding or appreciation or acceptance of crossdressing until I saw myself made-up with foundation, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, long hair - and loved how I looked and felt. I was in Las Vegas and had a transformation. When the person transforming me held up a mirror, I was a changed person. I left the shop wearing a short skirt, black heels, a new wig, new breastforms, pantyhose, fingernails, eyelashes and a totally new image. I left feeling wonderful, feeling beautiful, feeling sexy, and realizing that I was a crossdresser.

[rah]

It was bothering me accept that I'm a crossdresser I just wanted to be a normal guy totally masculine but it put me in stress so I had to accept to what I really am and all the stress and negativity went away I stopped thinking about it all the Labels that's society puts on people it's just imaginary. Nothing bothers me now.

[JamieG]

Probably about 15 years ago when I started regularly visiting forums like this. Prior to that, I crossdressed (since I was about 11), but it was not something I felt identified me; instead it was a "bad behavior" that I should try to eradicate.

[Karine]

I think the first time I fully dressed. I come to crossdressing because I like heels. When I finally wore a pair of hels for the first time, it was like something was missing.
I found website dealing with crossdressing (giving make up, clothing advice) and I decided to go further and dressed fully. That was so cool that at this moment, I knew I was a crossdresser.

[NicoleScott]

As others said, I knew it before I knew the word for it. Before the internet, I learned from case studies in psychology books and Penthouse Forum.

[Teresa]

Roxy,
Thinking about it proved an interesting question, mine started at the age of 8-9 all mixed up with male / female and a sexual happening. At that age I never considered what I was apart from when I entered secondary school and read my first biology book I thought I might be turning into a girl because I developed much sooner than any of the other boys. I carried more of those thoughts for many years rather than thinking I was a CDer. In my forties a counsellor ruled out the possibility of being born part female, so look how thinking has changed in the following twenty years, yes some of us are born like it. I'm OK with being called a CDer but I know it's more than that, TG covers the spectrum better so I only recently consider myself to be TG , CDing just happens to be part of that equation .

[dana digs sweaters]

I was dressing up before I ever heard the term crossdresser.
I knew I liked playing dressup with my sisters when young.
Maybe at age 10 the opportunities to play dressup by myself (that's what I called it) presented themselves even more.
Seeing reruns of Milton Berle, watching Flip Wilson do Geraldine, seeing Klinger from M*A*S*H* made me realize that was too many men dressed in female clothes to be a coincidence.
Reading Dear Abby and Ask Ann Landers is where I first saw the word crossdresser and what it meant.
So at age 10 I knew I was not alone in enjoying dressing up.

[Sharon B.]

Many years ago when the only information a person could find was in a magazine or at the library. I knew there was a name for what I enjoy doing just didn't realize how many of us are here until I got a computer and got on the internet.

[KrisCDAZ]

Roxy:

I started wearing a bra and panties under my guy's clothes first, and it was mostly because it aroused me. But later, I started to identify with the sort-of woman I saw in the mirror. I think it took until I got breastforms and a wig before I realized I was a crossdresser. And now, even without that stuff (tragic purge...long story...) I remain a crossdresser.

Kris