would your father be proud of you?

[LilSissyStevie]

My father was a mentally ill alcoholic. He once beat a woman nearly to death with a framing hammer as I watched in horror. I was three. When he got out of prison for that, he nearly killed me and my sisters several times in a series of drunken car wrecks. He stabbed me through the hand with a fork once because I somehow annoyed him when I reached for a biscuit at dinner. He spent most of his life going in and out of jails and mental hospitals. In spite of all of that, we became close during the last year of his life. I came to understand him and was able to forgive him. But still, for some reason I don't worry too much about what he would think of me.

[CD Susan]

My dad was very very strict with the six of us when we were growing up in the 60's. If we got out of line we were beaten severely. I lived in fear of my dad but still respected and loved him, that was just the way that I was brought up. I think that my dad had a cd side of him. He always would dress up as a witch on halloween. I have seen pictures of him dressed up for other ocassions as well. I think that it is not a coincedence that all of these dressing up ocassions meant he enjoyed doing it. Maybe he passed this on to me, who knows?

[Charlena]

No... my father would not be proud of me. My mom and sister and I lived in fear of him. he died in 1982 2 months after his first grandchild was born, I spent those years trying to make that man proud. The man who would make fun of me for helping mom cook and clean, wanting to let my hair grow in the 70's "not in my house". Was repulsed that I did not enjoy hunting. At that time I sometimes "hated" that man. He died at 56 of alcoholism like my 44 YO sister is doing now. He was a Marine in the south pacific 1944-1946. he had to kill and see his friends killed so I do not hate him anymore if I ever really did. I just regret that I never got to know my real father. My Aunt's have told me they knew he was a hardass but that he was not like that before he went off to war. He was a hard-working man who kept food on the table and a nice roof over our heads, but fought the bottle and inner demons his whole adult life, the bottle won. Perhaps the most unhappy man I have ever known. When I was 17 we got into a bad argument, I teared up told him I loved him and put my arms out for a hug... he turned away in disgust. I love him now and try not to dredge up those old painful memories.

[RikkiOfLA]

My father was fascinated with drag. His favorite wrestler was "Gorgeous George" who typically entered the ring in a long blond wig and a very femme robe.

But dad was also very conservative and strict.

He died when I was 16 and we never discussed my dressing, which was quite secretive as a kid.

So I just don't know.

Rikki

[valenstein]

I don't know. My Dad is very proud of the son he knows, I'm not sure how he'd take it. I think my mom kinda knows. I think he'd accept it, but it's the fact that he seems so proud of me that makes it hard to tell him. I want to tell my sister next time I see her, and I'll go from there.

[Crissy Kay]

This has to be one of the most interesting threads I have ever seen on the forum here IMO. No, I am sure my dad would never understand or approve of my cding. In fact, I will admit, I gain some measure of revenge, strange as it sounds, on him even though he has been dead for the last ten years!!!

[Juanita O]

not only no but hell no. When i was 10yrs old and got caught by my folks wearing my mothers skirt, my father said that real men don't wear skirts,and he also said that i was sick in the head. He thought that i was sick in the head until he died about 5yr ago.

[flatlander_48]

Well, actually....

























[SIZE=4]NO!!!




Make that HELL NO!!!!
[/SIZE]

[Bridgette T]

I know my dad is proud of me, as he has told me many times. I was good kid (straight edge for those in the know) a bad student who turned it around in college, and now a good father to my three kids. The man definitely loves me and is proud of me.

That being said, I also know that he finds crossdressing a little disturbing. "Weird. It's just really weird." was how described it to me when a guy who works for him came out. This guy is known for being quite odd (the the Eddie Izzard routine Weirdo Transvestite/Executive Transvestite definitely applies here). I am sure that my dad would associate the weirdness with the crossdressing, so it has never been discussed.

[KimberlyS]

From the comments my father has made about cd/tg's on television it is clear he would not be proud of me. He does not think much of my earrings either.

[Ruby Sundaze]

Ya, my daddy would totally not approve.

[KandisTX]

My father knows all about Kandis, but he has the attitude "If I don't talk about it, it doesn't exist". All I have to say about that is "SCREW THE OLD *******". Besides, it's Momma that loves Kandis and supports her

Kandis

[Anna the Dub]

Both of my parents know that I am ts, and both freaked out when I told them (told them in 1998). My Da is 80 now, and my Ma is 79, very conservative, old fashioned and horrified at me. I don't really care what they think, to be honest, I had a very cold upbringing and I know that I was unloved. I was the last child of 5 and was a complete accident. When my Ma finally accepted that she was going to have another baby, she wanted a second girl. They had even picked out a name for me, Ruth. However, when I was subsequently born my Ma had a breakdown, and my brothers had to go into a home for a few months (don't know where my sister went). There are no photos of me at all as a baby (but tons of my siblings when they were babies), the first picture of me is when I was 3 years old. I knew I was different from other boys at the age of 3, and consequently I was an unhappy child, an unhappy teenager, and a very, very unhappy adult. I was in denial for years and years as to my true nature. It is only now that I am sorting out my life to be who I was meant to be that I have reached some sort of peace. When you are a child it is very easy to work out that you are unloved. As a teenager I still felt unloved. I knew I had to leave home if I wasn't to implode. Instead of just leaving the family house, I left the country (I am from Ireland) and moved to England, just to express myself. Do I make them proud? Not in a million years. I couldn't care less, I make my best friend and her family proud, that'll do me.

[Carly D.]

I think of this every now and then.. my dad passed away a few years back and every now and then I think what would someone say to me.. I think it would go like this : "what would your dad say if he were alive and knew that you crossdress?" and my answer is I think my dad would just figure that I've been doing this for this long and he just found out about it and there was never any kind of hu-bub raised about it so why make a stink now.. also I think he would not be surprised that I crossdress because I was always the different one.. the one likely to do something completely different then the others..

[Kate Simmons]

I think my Dad would have been proud of the fact that I'm in touch with my feelings and am my own person. Generally that is not a strong suit with most men, especially those of his generation. As far as the dressing, I don't think he would have understood it but would have known I'd always be his Son regardless just as I will always be the Father of my children no matter what.

[Laura_Stephens]

My father wasn't proud of me when I graduated Valedictorian from high school. He wasn't proud of me when I graduated Valedictorian in college. He never knew about my dressing. If he did, he still wouldn't be proud.

[VikkiVixen7188]

My Father can go **** himself.

I havent spoken to him in 3 years now.

[marny]

doubt dear old dad would care. He died 30 years ago when I was a smite!

[erica12b]

mine no ,
most people dont understand,
you ask about dad , but left out mom's ,
then there isthe one that is a real twist what would you do if one of your kids , wanted too ,then think about how you would act would you agree or try and talk them out of it, or come out to them

[sandra-leigh]

you ask about dad , but left out mom's ,

There have been several threads in which people have spoken about "coming out" to their mothers, but few in which people have spoken about "coming out" to their fathers (although some of the ones mentioning mothers have said in passing that they don't intend to tell their fathers.)

Mothers get mentioned a fair bit in discussions about "borrowing" clothes, or about wanting to dress in one of the fashions that the mother dressed in, or mention of how the mother treated the child like a girl at times; posters have, though, historically not said much about their fathers, and what little has been said has often been negative, along the lines of "my mother told my father, and he beat me"

then there isthe one that is a real twist what would you do if one of your kids , wanted too ,then think about how you would act would you agree or try and talk them out of it, or come out to them

There have been a few threads about that, and there have been threads in the Loved Ones section in which parents (usually the mother) has posted with regards to a child of theirs who is crossdressing.

[Sarah Doepner]

My dad was a pretty conservative, hard-working, hard-playing man who didn't approve of my look during my "hippy" years. He didn't realize that when he left my mother, he removed the best male role model around. Mom became the one that I followed and emulated. She wasn't too happy when she found out I'd been trying on her clothes and sent a 13-year-old me to stay with Dad for the summer. I don't think he knew why I was there. We never talked about it. Based on everything I knew about him (he's been dead for 15 years or so), he may have been proud of my education, career and my ability to build things or play ball, but not crossdressing. His may have been the "greatest generation", but it wasn't the most understanding one.

[Mona]

Nope here. My dad was proud of the guy things I did but wouldn't be able to understand my need to CD.

[Steph Butterfield]

I definately would say " NO ", in 1988 my dad did see me in a dress and his reaction was violent and angry, I never let him see me dressed again. He died in 2002, and I almost immediately gave into my feelings and now I am transitioning; without my family, as they all dissaproved my transition.


Stephanie

[Farrah]

My mom would probably by very disappointed, but love me all the same. Just like the time I pierced my ear. She knew about it, but I never wore it around her. My dad would probably use my cding to ridicule me or to put me down in front of others. However I don't really care what he thinks about me.

[Claire Cook]

No, my dad would not have understood. My mom knew that I would get into her closet, but could never bring herself to discuss it with me. I'm sure she told my dad. Too bad, since she really wanted a daughter, but could only have me. One of my real disappointments is that I could never discusss it with her.

I'm saddened by some of the stories in this thread. Why can't parents accept us for what we are?

Claire