Hi Freddy. I really love the people and discussions we have in this forum, and have always enjoyed your posts in particular. I agree with you wholeheartedly on this, and have been thinking the same things myself. I stopped short of starting a thread about it for two reasons: firstly, I'm a lazy poster and secondly, from some of the comments I've read here in the past I felt I must be in a bit of a minority, which did strike me as odd at a site with a title such as this one has.

Yes, I'm just a crossdresser. I don't think I'm transgender, but maybe I am. I don't really care what the label is. I'm a straight guy who loves wearing women's clothes, and I intend to progress to a wig, makeup and forms one day, but that'll be as far as I go. I want to be with a woman but I have no wish to become a woman. I do feel it's hardly possible to feel closer to a woman than by stepping into her very clothes, and whilst I feel I have somewhere an inner femininity which the dressing helps me embrace, I have no doubt that the larger part of my personality is male. I'm fine with this balance. I like to dress whenever I can and I often under dress when I can't, but I'm still happy to be just a man who appreciates femininity.

I've mentioned in previous posts that because my wife loves my facial hair and doesn't want me to shave it off, I tend to go out in public (far away from home) looking like a guy in women's clothes. This does seem to be heavily frowned upon in this forum, even though I dress perfectly sensibly and am well-groomed. I've never had any problems from the general public whilst being out and about dressed. I often read makeup tips and look at wigs and forms and am really excited to try it all one day. I can't wait to primp and preen in front of a mirror in a taffeta dress, but in the meantime I still feel the need to go out and be a plain old crossdresser in everyday womenswear: not because I want to shock or offend, but because it's simply a huge part of who I am. It's intrinsic to me, and just because I don't want to become a woman, it doesn't mean that I don't want or need support, or that I belong here any less.

I believe that in going out as a guy in non-outrageous women's clothes and being well-mannered, polite and well-behaved, I am doing our community some good; if we all went out en-femme looking gorgeous and "passing", no-one outside of sites like this would be any the wiser, and society would remain ignorant of our numbers, or maybe of even our existence. I think it does society good to see a man who's not afraid to wear something smart but unexpected - keeps society on its toes, so to speak. And the more it happens, the more people encounter a crossdresser who is obviously as sane as they are, the more accepting people will become.

I certainly don't want to alienate or distance myself from anyone here who identifies as transgender, transsexual, transistor radio or any other label. We are who we are. As someone once said, "No-one on earth could do a better job of being YOU". All of you who contribute to this site are unique and wonderful and I truly appreciate you and your contributions, and I know the rest of us do too. This post has been an opportunity for me to consider who I am and what I think about myself and about how I fit in with you all. And indeed about how you all fit in with me (which is, I'm pleased to say, very well).

Thank you ever so much Freddy for bringing this up. Yes, I'd love to be your friend. Hoorah for crossdressers!