Perceptions of cross dressing

[Dianne S]

In my mind, what people see as "wrong" is the attempt by a male to intrude upon that which is exclusively feminine in our culture- an appearance that is sexy, desirable, alluring. That shock of seeing someone that, at a distance, appears to have an attractive feminine form; only to discover on closer examination that it's just a man, evokes a sort of rage in people.

Yes. I think that rage comes from a fear that one might be attracted to a man which would "de-masculinize" the person seeing the crossdresser.

There's a sense of deceit, of aspiring towards that to which you have no claim. Why should people get upset if you want to move yourself down a notch? That only elevates them in comparison. It's aspirational tendencies that threaten.

Maybe, but I don't think so. I think men feel threatened when other men "lower" themselves to the status of women because it threatens their perception that masculinity is superior to femininity.

Anyway, this is all just interesting pop psychology. I don't think anyone really has a definitive answer, but it is fun to speculate.