Autogynephilia, anybody?

[ReineD]

The word auto.gyno.philiac means liking. yourself. as a woman. So far so simplistic. Autogynophilia is an interesting word and it describes a real phenomenon, at least in this house.

But I seriously doubt if it's much more than that. It certainly doesn't advance us very far in understanding crossdressing.

It is a little more than that. Blanchard defines AGP as being paraphilic, which describes "sexual arousal to objects or situations that are not part of normative stimulation and that can cause distress or serious problems for the paraphiliac or persons associated with him or her" (Paraphilia). An AGP would not be able to have sex with a partner without engaging somehow in the paraphilia. So the partner in this situation is an accessory rather than the (edit: object subect) of desire. This creates an empty sexual experience for the partner.

Are women who have breast implants or want them, and are sexually excited about having or wanting them, suffering from autogynephilia?

I agree with most of your points, but not this one. Women do not get sexually aroused over having breast implants or undergoing any other physical "improvement". They get excited about the sexual reaction they think these improvements will cause in a male.

The term autogynephilia was created AS a perjorative term...it does not at all describe the reality that I and others have personally experienced..

The term describes a condition and it is not meant to be perjorative any more than other psychological terms. Blanchard theorized that non-homosexual TSs were all AGPs but this is not fact. You and others are proof of this since you are not AGP. And I venture to guess future studies will disprove Blanchard's theory. But it doesn't mean the condition doesn't exist. There are far too many people who say that it describes them to dismiss the term entirely. See "this thread".

And the search for a 'unified' theory goes on........

There will never be a unified theory since there are far too many differences among the members of the TG community. People will need to become comfortable with the idea that certain conditions apply to some people, but not all.

I think it would be better for the human race if the word "fetish" was restricted to its original psychiatric meaning: object that is essential to or replaces sex. Having a fetishism is an illness that disables people from "normal" sex.

You describe a paraphilia. Yes, a sexual fetish is also an arousal brought on by an object or a situation, but it is a disorder only if it is debilitating. It can also be an enhancement to a sex life if it is mutually enjoyed between partners. It is when the fetish replaces or becomes more enjoyable than the sexual relationship with a partner that it is a paraphilia.