I thought this was a good description of the reasons (benefits?) for crossdressing. Some of all of this applies to me. What about you?
http://www.tgforum.com/wordpress/ind...crossdressing/
I thought this was a good description of the reasons (benefits?) for crossdressing. Some of all of this applies to me. What about you?
http://www.tgforum.com/wordpress/ind...crossdressing/
Every human being is the natural guardian of her own importance.
The art of progress is to preserve order amid change, and to preserve change amid order.
Thanks for sharing lots of good information for sure and I do see some of me in several of the reasons
Hi Allison-
Lets see here:
1 - erotic arousal
2 - relief from tension
3 - expressing hidden personality characteristics
3a - the androgyne hypothesis
4 - envy of women
5 - fooling around
6 - a conscious alternative personality
7 - creativity
Okay so there is a recap of the article linked to. As for me, I would have to say that no, none of those things apply well to me.
But more power to you if you identify with that set of reasoning.
Interesting but then again, maybe I'm just two-spirited and don't really need a reason. Works for me.
Second star to the right and straight on till morning
I'm with Nadine. These are "explanations" for those that are not cross dressers. I am a cross dresser, that is why I cross dress.
Last edited by Lorileah; 05-25-2016 at 02:03 PM. Reason: you didn't need to post the whole post to agree
Forgive me Jennifer but "I am a crossdresser, that is why I crossdress" makes little to no sense to me. There has to be some reason you know of, maybe a little self reflection would help I don't know. If you said something along the lines of I am transgender, that is why I am transgender, I would be more likely to accept and understand what you're saying here. To me there has to be more reason than that. In my experience every single one of those reasons can be viable explanations for some people, I have seen people say things like that here. There has to be at least one there, to a degree.
Maybe you or Nadine can help me understand what you're saying here because I am genuinely interested.
How about, I was born this way?
For example - why am I right handed? Did I choose that? Was it because my mom always wanted to have a right handed child and so she always placed the crayons in that hand? Is it because one day while looking at a right handed person I got a jolt of excitement? Oh wait, I know what it is, I have always held a secret desire to be a right handed person but society has always told me that it is wrong to be right handed, but now that I am older I have finally decided to heck with society and dang the consequences, I am going to be a right handed person regardless!!!
Do any of those things make sense? No. Do you know what does? I was born this way.
I am not saying that all of you who frequent these boards MUST agree that everyone of us was born this way. You are all free to believe whatever you want to. Think whatever you would like to about yourself and your own reasons, but don't you dare tell me why I do what I do.
Nadine beat me to it.
I didn't choose this. Cross dressing is not golf or bike riding. I am a cross dresser in the same way that a gay man is gay. He does't choose it. It is not a "lifestyle" choice. It is genetic. He was born that way.
Now, here is the litmus test: who would choose to be a cross dresser? It makes absolutely no sense to be a cross dresser. It's not socially acceptable, it defies any reasonable explanation EXCEPT, I was born this way.
Lastly, your comment about self reflection is not only condescending but altogether uninformed. You are new and young, so I'll give you a pass on that but never presume to be more thoughtful than me. Feel free to read some of my 5 thousand posts and you will see that honest and objective is exactly what I am.
Last edited by Jenniferathome; 05-28-2016 at 09:52 AM. Reason: frigging spellcheck coupled with atrocious grammer
If instead of looking at it as reasons for crossdressing, you look at it as, "what are some of the pleasures and benefits crossdressers derive from their practice", maybe you can relate to it, or not.
Its not as if you would say, hmmm I think I will be a crossdresser for these reasons. Crossdressing, for me, comes first. But, being somewhat introspective, and given the challenges of it, I sometimes ponder why. I don't doubt I was born this way, I'm just curious about what "this way" is all about, for me. In my opinion, it is not a bad practice to examine why we behave as we do, for a wide range of behaviors, not just CD. Not everyone is interested in introspection. That's fine.
Every human being is the natural guardian of her own importance.
The art of progress is to preserve order amid change, and to preserve change amid order.
Allison, as I wrote above, you can not assume that someone is not introspective because one answers, "I was born this way." How do you think Nadine or I were able to each that conclusion? Let's see....could it be introspection, self reflection, simple objectivity? The answer is yes to all.
You are also new but I can assure you that this question comes up almost monthly. The "why" of cross dressing has been debated here ad nauseam.
Jenn, In no way I am looking for a debate about the why of crossdressing. I don't know how such a debate would be possible? Yes, because I am new to this board, I am interested in how similar and different it feels for others, who are at least something like me. For example, (6) in the article clearly is a part of the experience for some people but not others. I asked about that in a previous post, wanting to know if others feel the same, and if it is a phase, or persists. I'm not trying to analyze you, I'm trying to understand me. OK? I do apologize if because of my newness I am repeating dialogue already thrashed by this forum. With over a million posts here there probably isn't much that hasn't been said. I could just read, I suppose.
Every human being is the natural guardian of her own importance.
The art of progress is to preserve order amid change, and to preserve change amid order.
Personally I think it is a very skewed and shortsighted list focusing on the ideas that many will use against crossdressers. Seems they are grasping at the general public's ideas. Most of you have been here long enough to know that the list doesn't even cover 10% of the reasons
The earth is the mother of all people and all people should have equal rights upon it.
Chief Joseph
Nez Perce
“Love isn't a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.” - Fred Rogers,
After years of these urges, the only reasonable explanation I can come up with as to why I crossdress is "because I feel like it".
Lorileah - If you think it is a short-sighted list that many will use against crossdressers, then maybe it is worth writing to the Renaissance Education Association? I doubt they feel they are doing this community a disservice. Maybe you could help educate the educators. If you do do that, I would be very interested to read what you write.
Every human being is the natural guardian of her own importance.
The art of progress is to preserve order amid change, and to preserve change amid order.
For me Allison, I am a strong, independant and masculine male. Sometimes, I just want to give up that role and experience my softer side. Crossdressing allows me to do that. That and I have always liked 'girl things'.
It's never been a sexual thing for me, except for one period in my life. I am a recovering heroin addict (clean for 8 years now), and a little known secret about heroin addiction is that once you get through the withdrawals, your sex drive comes back with a *vengeance*! I was masturbating about 3 times a day during that period and felt the desire to dress up as part of my masturbation rituals. It stayed that way for at least a year.
Other than that, including when I first started crossdressing it never was a sexual thing. But a way for me to experience my feminine side in full. I still enjoy it to this day, although I don't feel a constant need to dress anymore :-)
Tabitha - I can relate to that. I've been husband, father, breadwinner, and somewhat alpha male in an industry that is about 98% male. I've done it, I liked it, I was good at it, I still do it...but there's more to me. I am a romantic at heart. I want to live there more... dressing helps open (interior) doors that were closed when life got "serious". I think I'm a better person for it.
Every human being is the natural guardian of her own importance.
The art of progress is to preserve order amid change, and to preserve change amid order.
As far as I am concerned, it is part of who I am, I was built this way, My body wants me to crossdress and I get immense satisfaction and joy from dressing. If we didn't enjoy it we wouldn't do it, in a similar way to sex, if it wasn't pleasurable we wouldn't do it.
If I don't dress up regularly I get stressed, it's another sign that my body wants me to do it. Who am I to argue with my body.
Jennie
Jennie x
Why do others need to speak for others ---- "If we didn't enjoy it we wouldn't do it....."
Do some of you newbs know that there have been many people here that have insisted that they didn't want to do it, they don't like it, it is ruining their lives, it ruined their marriages, etc. and despite all of that, they couldn't stop even when they tried. It sure does not sound to me as if those people enjoyed it.
If YOU enjoy it, fine, say that, but don't try to bring all of us into your group so that YOU feel better about yourself.
Sam has a busy hectic lifestyle. its shows in his behaviour and tiredness.
Samantha is a sensual tactile friendly chilled lady. Sometimes, like tonight I just sit here dressed and made up, other times I go fro a drive and I am a much more relaxed slower easy going driver. Other times erotic feelings are an understatement. I love shopping. I was told by a lady at a t girl shop that's a sign of my femme personality.
I love dressing , I love being femme and I love Samantha. Easy as that.
Samantha - That's me too. I thought it was weird that I drive differently. No, its not the heels.
Every human being is the natural guardian of her own importance.
The art of progress is to preserve order amid change, and to preserve change amid order.
Apart from the last one (creativity) I don't relate to Nadine's list. For me it is:
The clothes feel good
I look good in them
Putting an outfit together is fun (creativity)
I get lots of positive feedback when I go out
For me it is not related to femininity or arousal. It is nice, it is FUN!
For me, too dress as a woman relieves stress. Also I look a lot younger, feel a lot younger.
For me becoming my feminine side has a lot of great effects for me.
Nadine - As a "newb" (to this board) I do have to apologize. I've been very chatty. It has been so long and I have had so few conversations with anyone that could begin to relate. However, yes I do know that. I have lived it. It has tortured my soul, shaken me to my foundation, and if it did not cause the ending of a marriage it certainly contributed to it. There may be more pain ahead. Probably there is. Hopefully most of it is over. Now, for the most part, I see the positive, and inevitable, side of it and try to manage the downside as best I can. We can talk about this with a light heart without being disrespectful about the hazards and tragedies some of us have suffered I'm sure you agree. Your point is valid, if rather forcefully made. And, by the way, aren't you speaking for Jennie2 when you say her choice of words was made so she would feel better about herself? Just seemed kind of harsh. Sorry.
Every human being is the natural guardian of her own importance.
The art of progress is to preserve order amid change, and to preserve change amid order.
If this is an attempt to understand you, then why ask if this applies to others, and then when some of us say no, you state that some are not interested in introspection? Seems as though you are wanting company.
BTW, it is always interesting to me when people make a friend request without understanding who some of us may be. Yes, I do make rather forceful points. Have you seen my little sentence below my name and above my photo?? I didn't put that there for just giggles.
And yeah, I suppose I did speak for Jennie2 when I said she does that to feel better about herself. So she spoke for every single one of us, and I spoke for her. I made an assumption about 1 person, she made an assumption about every single person who considers themselves to be a CD. Kind of like how the list you referenced did. Oh if only it were so simple.