Transvestitism and cross-dressing practices

Transvestites/Cross-Dressing

A transvestite is a person who sometimes feels the need to dress and behave as a member of the opposite sex. The majority of transvestites are men who like to dress as women; however, some women dress up as men, as well. In addition, the vast majority of male transvestites like being men. They do not feel as if they are women trapped in male bodies, nor do they desire to become female by taking hormones or having surgery to remove their male genitals. Men who do feel uncomfortable with being male are said to have gender dysphoria. If they become unhappy and feel the need to change their gender, they are called transsexuals. Some women have gender dysphoria and seek to change their sex, but they are a small minority of transsexuals. This paper will discuss why people cross-dress, types of people who cross-dress, how to cross-dress, and the cross-dresser and his or her family.

There is much speculation as to why some people want to cross-dress. Some cite hormonal or genetic factors as the reason, while others favor environmental factors. Most people say it is an outlet for stress and they tend to want to dress up more during times of tension at work or at home. For example, some men get a remarkable relief of stress from wearing women's lingerie under their exterior male clothing. Although, some men may go no further than this; most transvestites want to appear as female as possible in their outer garments and also want to wear make-up. Other reasons people may want to cross-dress may be due to an erotic arousal or fetish, expression of hidden personality characteristics, creativity, envy of women, etc.. Each transvestite is different and will have his or her own reasons for wanting to cross-dress.

Cross-dressers come from all walks of life. They are of all different races, creeds, and economic backgrounds. Most cross-dressers are well educated and come from good family backgrounds. The majority of cross-dressers are heterosexual transvestites and are married. Most are happy with having their masculinity, yet a small percentage choose to live as a woman all of the time. A few women are cross-dressers, but they are few in numbers.

How do you cross-dress, you may ask? Well, it isn't as easy as people may think. It is important that men who choose to cross-dress do a good job of it. Unfortunately, many guys who cross-dress fail to look convincing as a woman, leaving people to respond to them negatively. Learning the art of dressing as the opposite sex can make life much easier for a transvestite. Support groups are available for transvestites for advice on choosing the right clothes and make-up. For a transvestite that is starting out, it is important to keep things simple.

The cross-dresser's family may or may not accept him or her. For example, for a male, a wife's acceptance of her husband's cross-dressing depends on several issues, such as the strength of their relationship, the way in which she learns about the cross-dressing, and ultimately the male's degree of insight and personal maturity. The decision in telling one's children that their father if a transvestite and a cross-dresser is a highly personal one. This should be something both of the parents should tell the children and the child's needs are very important at this point, as well.