cross dressers...question (74)

I have absolutely no idea why people watch Coronation Street, but millions do.

What I can say is from my experience as a TV who has been 'out' for many years is that 'we' are all very different.

I know butch TSs' I know extremely femenine men, vice versa too obviously.

My point being that there is a myriad of reasons and differences.

Wouldn't it be a boring world if we were all the same?

Unfortunately, your first experience with a TV was a bad one.

Well anyway, that's my opinion which is not important but at least an opinion straight from the horses mouth as such.

But amazingly, so far it hasn't broken out into warfare?

Putting labels on other people (and there's a lot of that here) usually ends up with people getting upset. There's a lot of politics and history in these labels, particularly TV & CD ('crossdresser' incidentally is a term coined in the US by a group called Tri-Ess, to distance themselves from perceptions of dressing for sexual reasons, or being seen as 'gay').

There's a huge political aspect between those who identify as TS and TV as well, with a lot of history of one group looking down on the other - pretty typical of any small disempowered group that doesn't easily fit with mainstream society, it ends up with people fighting each other, they're more likely to win.. :-/

'Transgender' is often used as an all encompassing term for those who feel gender dysphoria or need to dress in clothing of the opposite sex. BUT it is also used sometimes narrowly, to mean pre-op TS. THERE IS NO COMMONLY AGREED LANGUAGE FOR ANY OF THIS.

'Gender dysphoria' can come in various forms - IME people can suffer different amounts of different types. Personally I can identify at least three - the discomfort of seeing yourself as the sex you were born with (basically what you see in the mirror); discomfort with your anatomy (body dismorphia); discomfort with the way society treats you and interacts with you..

My experience is that applies to FTMs equally as MTFs.

I find you can only speak for yourself. I'm always very sceptical when people tell me TVs and TSs are different species, since I find myself sitting squarely between the two classic extremes. I'm neither a woman, nor 'just a bloke in a frock' and am happy with that - it gives me a particular perspective. I've seen far too many people migrate along the spectrum over time, so I regard us all as transgender, or trans - it seems to me that where you sit depends on the amount of dysphoria you suffer.

Trans people have been known for at least eight millenia - 'Two spirit' people were historically often highly regarded. It's particularly those societies based around the Abrahamic religions that have a problem with us.

Back to the original question, 'why' - well, I can't explain why I'm left-handed, either. I was just born that way. My experiences date back to when I was four - which is why I believe it's separate from sexuality. But we are all sexual beings, everything we feel gets wrapped up in that?

Nicki

I just realised I didn't actually answer the OP's question..

A question I was once asked - 'Why do we have to wear a disguise, in order to show our true selves?'

I think your answer is there - and the 'disguise' is needed because we are not sending the signals to ourselves and others that we need. Clothing sends very powerful signals...

Nicki

some clothing just fits better tbh

living in my own little world, and you're all invited