I really don't like the term "crossdressing" but some people identify with it so I will use it for this post. There is some confusion as to whether people who identify as such are transgender or not and the answer is yes and no depending on the individual. In other words, if there is a question of identity present the answer may be yes but then plenty of people who identify as "crossdressers" do so for the pleasure regardless of whether it is sexual in nature or not. Nevertheless, this confusion continues to exist because I see it come up regularly in spite of today's increased knowledge of the subject matter.
I remember reading in the comments section of a video which explained the distinction extremely well and interestingly there were comments from one transgender individual but also from a self-identified "crossdresser" and both were relieved. The former was relieved that expression of their identity could be confused as "crossdressing" but wasn't and the latter was relieved that their behavior did not necessarily make them transgender as they were happy to see it as a guilty pleasure.Only you know who you are with the key issue being that you don't lie to yourself which is about understanding your motivation and being okay with it. Therefore in that vein, applying a broad brush definition for everyone becomes very much a non-sensical undertaking.
When I grew up in the 80's the term that was used was Transvestite. I hated that term because of how it was generally looked at. Like a perversion. As a child, there was a lot of guilt and shame and embarrassment. And that drove the denials. So thankful that today people are more aware of the gender spectrum, even if we have a long way to go.
ReplyDelete-Christina
Yes and if someone has arousal as a motivation then so be it as long as they are happy but we don't apply blanket definitions because not everyone is driven by the same things. For some it's a core identity issue first and foremost
DeleteI am driven by identity
DeleteI agree. Further, since you brought up arousal, I feel like one of the more difficult things to contemplate is gender euphoria and arousal. As a kid I didn't have any language for that and it was confusing. Hell it was confusing as an adult.
Delete-Christina
Think of it this way: if you are driven by identity then arousal can become a symptom. Conversely there are people with no investment in identity for which arousal is the goal. Once you understand that distinction within yourself you have the insight you need:)
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