just wondered as you type this into google and it get sooooooo confusing that if im a man or not
This post was edited by Daphne Doo at July 16, 2014 7:49 PM BST

The way i see it, is a transvestite wishes to be Perceived as a female on a physical and emotional level for the time they are dressed, crossdressing does not necessarily need that perception, were all men darling just some are more Female than Male ! (this is a personal point of view only)
This post was edited by Devon :) READ THE BLOODY PROFILE PEOPLE ! at July 16, 2014 7:59 PM BST

There are so many terms covering our various conditions involving wearing women's clothes I think we all get confused - cross dresser, transvestite, transgender, transexual etc etc. I'm sure we all have our own differing interpretations but whilst 'cross-dresser' is a literal translation of 'transvestite' I personally eschew the use of 'transvestite' as, rightly or wrongly, I feel that it now has what to me is the rather unpleasant connotation of a man who puts on women's clothes, often just underwear, purely for sexual gratification and pleasure (ie to enjoy having a jolly good wank!).

I have never dressed for this reason; I do not get such gratification and never have had, I do it because it feels so right, I am expressing that rather oversized female part of me. I have no choice, I have to do it. That is why I prefer, and use, 'cross dresser' for my condition; it seems far more neutral than 'transvestite' somehow. I quite like the term 'Tgirl' too.

We are all of us on different rungs up the ladder of transgenderism. As I say in my profile description:-

"So - a cross-dre­ssing, tra­nssexually­-leaning g­ender-dysp­horic t-gi­rl who thi­nks she's ­only inter­ested sexu­ally in GG­'s seems t­o be a fai­r summary!­ Thank God­ for that ­then; all ­those year­s I have b­een led to­ believe t­hat I'm po­ssibly not­ quite nor­mal when a­ll the tim­e it's bee­n everyone­ else who'­s been a l­ittle off-­beam!"

As Shakespeare said:
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

It doesn't really matter what we call ourselves, as long as we can be free to express ourselves in the way that we want/have to.

Trines x x

Its interesting that the American and British definitions of cross dresser and transvestite are 180 degrees different from each other. In both cases one term is seen as negative by the TG community.


In the UK a cross dresser is seen as someone who dresses for sexual pleasure and a transvestite as someone who wishes to outwardly express their inner feelings through their appearance.
Please read the definitions from DaniT in the link below, they are very useful.

http://www.danistroom.com/inspirations/help/transgendered-terms-definitions.htm


In the USA a transvestite (or now a transvestite fetishist) is some one who wears clothes of the opposite gender for sexual gratification and a cross dresser (the preferred term in the USA) is cross-dresser - A term for people who dress in clothing traditionally or stereotypically worn by the other sex, but who generally have no intent to live full-time as the other gender. Avoid using the word ‘transvestite’ as it is now widely considered a derogatory term.

Here are links to US websites, giving their definitions

http://www.revelandriot.com/resources/lgbtq-and-trans-definitions/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transvestism


Its also interesting to note that in the rest of Europe there are basically only two words in every language for transgendered people - travestis and transsexuals. Travestis covers everyone who are not transsexuals and do not want to live full time as the opposite gender.


Which brings me to terminology and overall definitions with the transgendered community. My own view is that we have a rainbow of transgender shades and that people can move around that rainbow of both gender and sexuality. It also appears that definitions have changed, viz the non use of transvestite in the USA and the rise of the word transsexual since the 1970s after surgery became possible.

I have given some links below for those who are interested. Words are just labels really and whether you are a CD, TV, TS, tranny, an "in betweenie" or whatever label you prefer aren't all of us part of the transgendered community?


hugs


Pauline xxx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender

http://www.askthegay.com/2010/10/what%E2%80%99s-the-difference-between-transsexual-transgender-transvestite-and-cross-dresser/


http://www.answers.com/topic/transvestism





This post was edited by Pauline Smith at July 22, 2014 8:15 PM BST

Thanks Pauline and Trines for some well informed comments. I personally don't mind either cross dresser or transvestite, though I think "Transvestite" is linked in peoples minds to The Rocky Horror Show in the UK and that is not how I see myself. The UK definition as being "someone who outwardly expresses their inner feelings through their appearance" is how I see myself.
I also love the term 'TGirl' :-)
Devon
This post was edited by Devon Johnson at July 17, 2014 6:04 PM BST

Thanks for the suggestion Pauline,
I am me, whether that be a Crossdresser or Transvestite, i live my life as Ian as alot of you know, now i love dressing as a woman, do i get a kick from it? sometimes i guess, when you get complements on how nice you look and good evening love, how are you this evening! - It's kick's like that for me that i adore.

Liz x

Transvestite is someone who wishes to outwardly express their inner feelings through their appearance.
I can only say that sums me up......

Liz, I agree, to be complimented on my appearance or called "love" is something I appreciate too.
Devon
This post was edited by Devon Johnson at July 17, 2014 10:09 PM BST

I honestly can't say I was ever bothered by labels and terminology...a (straight) guy who sat beside me outside the Via last weekend asked me this very question during a long chat. I could only answer with regards to what I see myself as: a guy who dresses like a girl now and again, but puts heart and soul and effort into it. But I couldn't give him definitions for all the terms he threw at me. I avoid using any such labels for myself as well just in case they have connotations for other people that I don't know about. The big kick for me now is no longer just doing it for myself, in the house....but taking the whole thing out into the public arena, and being accepted, chatted to, complimented, therein. I just do what I do, as well as I can do it.

But, my reasons for avoiding these labels are quirky and very personal: 'cross-dresser' to me always suggested someone who merely wore clothes of the opposite sex without necessarily 'going all the way', i.e hair/wig, makeup, glamour, or an attempt to be 'passable' on any level (one reason why there are so many bloody headless bodies, or body-less legs, in photos around this and other similar sites??). 'Transvestite' is still cognate in my mind with Tim Curry and the RHPS, which is probably the same for many vanilla people - but neither term suggests that we make that effort to 'go all the way' in matters beyond mere clothing, with the aim of being perceived by others as being of the opposite gender. Neither term covers the dedication to pain and discomfort of hair-removal, or attention to detail elsewhere in make-up, accessories, hair/wig or whatever.
This post was edited by Morgana Blackrose at July 19, 2014 2:34 PM BST

"transvestite" is just so old fashioned I feel, nothing really more than that. Transvestite would be before Tim Curry for me, lol, I show my age, ROCKY HORROR WAS A PARODY OF ALTERNATIVE CULTURES featuring transvestitism and rock "CLICHES"

Call yourself what you want, on another website we discussed it and I felt we ended up on Tgirl as a more welcomed description, Tgirl can cover somebody who dresses rarely all the way through to post op transexual, and I have no wish to exclude anyone (not on a broad acceptance level, personal could be different).

We are all so dead. If a woman wants to wear trousers or a skirt she has that choice, if a man wants to wear a skirt he faces social ostricism , at the least I am embarrassed to be a part of this society.

Don't. Get me wrong, a man who wears a skirt and a transexual living in their chosen gender can be two very different things, but until as a society we get "equality", I just feel we can't move on, society needs to accept men and not monster men, reading a post where a woman writes she gets heckled and then a man follows her closely, and then it is written as though "all men" are intimidating (her example was construction workers whom she termed "bricklayers"),

Society paints men as 2 dimensional characters and then complains that men are 2 dimensional characters....

We have to bust that myth before we can move on, wether "we" identify as men is somewhat regardless, thanks to feminism and Germaine Greer and others, we are men, we are monsters.

I want a high street shop selling skirts and frilly clothes for male body shapes.

I have to admit the terms and names which float around is something that I have thought about and got slightly anxious by at first due to not being able to 'label' my self under a particular heading. Now I try not get too flustered with the terms and I am me, who just wants to express something within myself doing something I.e dressing where I honestly feel comfortable doing. I certainly don't do this for sexual thrills. Even though some nice lingerie does feel lovely to wear, it means more to me and is deeper than that, it is just how I feel comfortable and often the most happiest. However for me I often find that just referring to myself as trans seems quite comfortable and something I'm happy with.

im straight male like tgirl or transvestite do like to help them

None.

Transition aside we all simply ignore sexist conventions on presentation style.

'Transvestite' in Latin is equivalent to 'Crossdresser' in English, they are semantically the same word. I don't see the point of introducing two words where one will do xxx.
This post was edited by Julia Mae White at August 4, 2014 9:04 PM BST

The word 'Crossdresser' is a redundant attack by the mainstream to 'soften' our words. Its time has passed if we are to reclaim.
This post was edited by Julia Mae White at August 4, 2014 9:16 PM BST

I don't wear "women's" clothing, I wear the clothing I want to, society has issues.

Thank you very much for the post Pauline, as usual very interesting and informative, and have booked marked to read in full. I did look at the last paragraph which I include and completely relate too: Always remember that whatever title you feel fits you or someone else, that's not all you are. You might be a screaming tranny but you're also a human being right? Could it be possible that that person who you dismissed yesterday as a sick cross dresser might also be the paramedic who one day saves your life tomorrow? What I'm trying to say is that people - all people - are wonderful creatures with many sides and traits. Use titles to help understand your world and tell others about it but don't make the mistake of thinking that's all you are. Don't let your gender identity rule your life - let your mind rule your life. Much as a beautiful mind will create a beautiful life, so to a mind that traps itself in words or titles can create a life that is hemmed in and restricted. Free your mind and the rest will follow... xxx

I personally like the term t girl. Seems quite a nice description

Veronica Andrews said: '' Transvestite is someone who wishes to outwardly express their inner feelings through their appearance.
I can only say that sums me up......''
-------------
I agree with you Veronica

I agree with Veronica and Lynne. I change my nature when I dress - I become gentler, more loving and generally feminine. What am I to be called? I dont mind, although I condider myself to be a transvestite, and find the word "tranny" quite cute!

To me personally each term,were stepping stones to where i am today.i started crossdressing;dressing privately and only part time.After time my femme side got stronger and started dressing full time,looking like a female and going out in pubic;i had become a transvestite,letting all see me as a woman.Now i think i,m on my next step,on hormones inproving and fulfilling my femme desires,which is transexual,kisses DeeDee.

I think 'transvestite' has more gravitas than 'cross-dresser'....I think it's an excellent word...Not that I use it too often.
This post was edited by Charlotte Haynes at November 1, 2014 7:48 PM GMT

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This post was edited by Devon :) READ THE BLOODY PROFILE PEOPLE ! at November 25, 2015 9:15 AM GMT