Gay and lesbian people, and now, increasingly, TG people are more easily accepted because the perception, finally, is that these things are not choices. CDing is still very much seen as a choice us men make. How many of us have SOs who wish we'd simply choose to stick to male attire? We're less aceepted because we're perceived to be making a choice to reject conformity. We know differently but even we frequently struggle with articulating why it should matter since it's 'just clothes'.
I would also agree with Jean about issues of visibility.
And that's before we get onto the common perception of CDing being a fetish. It'd be the same as saying 'why do gimps get a hard time in public?'. Well, because most consider matters of sexuality something for behind closed doors. Expecting the public to understand those of us for whom CDing isn't a fetish is too fine a distinction for many.
@roberta I can't wholeheartedly agree that men are more valued than women. It's just not that simple. Men do more massively many more of the dangerous jobs. Clearly our health isn't particularly valued otherwise prostate cancer wouldn't be so woefully underfunded. Likewise our mental health. When male suicide outstrips female 3-1 on both sides of the Atlantic something is wrong.
Men are horrendously undervalued as caregivers also. How 'optional: are fathers now?
This is not, of course, to suggest that there are massive inequalities affecting women. Nor that those most valued by society aren't way too often men. But that isn't the same as saying men are simply more valued. IMHO
