Tinkerbell,
I so enjoy your thoughtful posts and this is certainly one of them. (I wish we had more GG's entering into our discussions.) I can only speak for myself: I do think that for me cross-dressing is innate, and it was always part of my personality. It's like I'm now realizing what was always there. So when I out myself, or am out and about, it's just the natural expression of who I am. Competition? If anything, I repress those male competitive urges -- and am much calmer for it. No, I'm not trying to compete with women or other CD's when I dress -- I just want to express me, as naturally as possible. I don't know if this answers your question, but at least that's how I feel.
I'll try to answer that question with a question: why do women wear wigs (Dolly Parton wrote that she never leaves home without one), and why do women with mastectomies wear mastectomy forms or have breast reconstruction? I guess because they look better and feel more natural that way. Hopefully I do too.Originally Posted by Tinkerbell-GG
What I don't understand is how it becomes THAT much bigger when you're older, growing from a simple, regular enjoyment of women's clothing to the point where you're using a female name, outing yourself to family and shopping at Walmart in a wig.When I'm dressed, my GG friends who know me as male and female call me Claire ... it just seems more natural that way.
Paula, I hope this isn't too flip a response, but I'd rather call it gender gifted. I'm happy presenting as male, and probably happier presenting as female. And I would hope being "gender gifted" means I am learning to be more sympathetic and empathetic with women. Getting worse? Ummm ... I think it's getting better!
