Originally Posted by
Shananigans
I know what the term crossdressing means to a gender psychologists...I DID pay attention in my gender education/psychology classes. I am unfamiliar of your definition. I personally leave the defining to the people who have the authority to do so.
I generally don't bother with terms...but, now you have the ball rolling. Let's see what the gender therapists say. (Note that my book was written in 2007, so any addition past this point are not included).
"A crossdresser (or a transvestite) takes pleasure in wearing clothing of the other sex and is likely to achieve sexual gratification from doing so but may have no interest in having a sex change operation or in relating sexually to members of the same sex. [...] Transvestites generally crossdress for sexual arousal. Most are male. Transvestism is considered a psychological disorder only when the person meets all of the following conditions: 1. He/she is hetereosexual. 2. Has intense sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors involving dressing in the opposite sex's clothing. 3. AND is distressed by these fantasies, urges, or behaviors and they cause problems in his/her life. [...] Most transvestites begin to experiment with cding when they are young children or adolescents. Some feel guilty and uncomfortable about this preference, others do not. [...] Transvestites will often masturbate while wearing clothing of the opposite sex and/or makeup or while fondling specific items."- Exploring Dimension of Human Sexuality by Greenberg, Bruess, and Conklin. Bruess was my professor.
Yeah, I can pretty much say that this does not describe my sentiments towards a good pair of Levis.
Any other terms?
Furthermore, the term "transvestite" was modified to focus more on gender identity and less on just wearing clothing in the 1930s by Hirschfield because the current definition did not fit the people the he was studying.
Maybe you are thinking pre-1930s?
Terms shmerms, I say...but, real definitions of your terms are different from what you assign them as the layman. Or, they just come back to bite you in the butt.
Furthermore, I think these generalized definitions are made based on years of study and clinical experience. They do not mean that everyone fits this definition, but that it represents a majority. It does not, however, include the stupidity that is being voiced by people in a lot of denial as to what really is crossdressing and what is not.
How is that for defending the female gender on our supposed ignorance on crossdressing? It is true that having a vagina causes brain wave static and thus we can't be trusted or taken seriously, but I feel as though we have been spot on.
