It is human nature to explain strange
and complex phenomena in simplistic terms. This is true
with the gender role/ issue of crossdressing or transvestism.
As with many popularly held beliefs, there is often some
truth to the "folk" wisdom regarding crossdressing. The
problem is that these beliefs are held to be true in all
cases. It is often dangerous to make sweeping generalizations
about such complicated issues. The following myths and misconceptions
about crossdressing demonstrate how wrong these generalizations
are.
All men who dress like women are
gay.
Although no definitive research has
been done to survey the entire crossdressing population,
current thinking holds that the number of gay/bisexual transvestites
is about the same as in the general population-approximately
10 percent. This means that 90 percent of transvestites
are heterosexual. Some heterosexual transvestites fantasize
about having sex with men while they are dressed as women,
but this is often an extension of their "female" role. If
one were to characterize the sexuality of these men, bisexual
would probably be the best term. However, many transvestites
choose to have sex, or fantasize about sex, exclusively
with women.
Women who have sex with crossdressed
men are lesbians.
Many wives of transvestites say that
they have sex with their husbands when their spouses are
dressed as women because it is something that their husbands
enjoy and they love them. Some say they are ambivalent to
the feminine attire their husbands wear, and allow them
to wear it because it is not important to the relationship.
Some of these women may have lesbian tendencies or may be
bisexuals. But the fact that a woman has sex with a crossdressed
man proves only one thing; that she loves him. In fact,
the wives of many crossdressers report that once their husbands
have opened up and shared their secret desire for wearing
women's clothes, they seem to be free of the tension and
anger that may have threatened their marriages. The men
become more attentive and tender with their partners This
provides an additional reason for women to accept their
mate's crossdressing.
Transvestites wish they were women.
Most reasons for crossdressing do
not involve transsexual desires, i.e., a wish to physically
change sex. Although crossdressers uniformly enjoy wearing
women's clothes, the majority seldom want to live their
lives as women, nor do they want to become women. They simply
want to be like women. A very few transvestites have chosen
to crossdress all of the time and live totally as women,
i.e., a transgenderist. But even these men have no desire
to have sex reassignment surgery. It is true that prior
to having such surgery, a transsexual must crossdress and
live as a woman for a year or more. During this time they
often receive female hormones and their secondary sex characteristics
will become markedly feminine. These people are known as
preoperative transsexuals, and should not be confused with
transvestites or transgenderists. Most transvestites, as opposed to
transsexuals, enjoy being men. As spouses, they are content
being husbands rather than wives. As parents, they are happy
with the role of father and do not wish to become mothers.
While they refer to other crossdressers as "sisters," this
is an acknowledgment of the special bond which they share.
Additionally, the preference expressed by many crossdressers
for being referred to with female pronouns and for using
feminine names is related to their appearance rather than
to their basic gender identity.
Men crossdress because they were
dressed like girls in childhood.
It is true that many transvestites
report their first crossdressing experience came when they
were young children. Some of these experiences came at the
initiation of the transvestite himself, playing out childhood
fantasies involving gender roles. These were usually strongly
discouraged by their parents. Some of these experiences
were initiated by parents or guardians as punishment. Very
often, these young crossdressers displayed no other effeminate
behaviors. Many Doctors concluded
/ followed a group of effeminate boys from early childhood
into their 20s. As children many of them were dressed as
girls. But none developed into crossdressing adults, while
very few developed as transsexuals and most developed as
homosexuals. Green does not say that the childhood effeminacy
or crossdressing caused the later development.
Transvestites act like women even
when wearing men's clothes.
Because many crossdressers fear being
found out, they consciously try to act as traditionally
"masculine" as possible when not crossdressed. This is not
difficult for most of them because they are usually masculine
men. Crossdressers are not necessarily effeminate. In fact,
crossdressers are no more effeminate nor more masculine
than any other man. While in men's clothes, most crossdressers
do not stand out from the general population. However, because
some crossdressers have a fear bordering on paranoia that
their secret will be discovered by others, they often adopt
exaggerated masculine mannerisms; e.g. the "super-macho
male."
Transvestites suffer from a sexual
dysfunction.
While it is true that crossdressing
and eroticism are strongly linked for many transvestites,
crossdressing and sexual activity are not directly related.
All male-to-female transvestites wear some items of women's
clothing which are gender-linked symbols and engage in some
"womanly" mannerisms which are gender-linked behaviors.
Therefore, crossdressing is primarily a gender issue. It
is incorrect to speak of it as a sexual dysphoria unless
the transvestite is unable to function sexually unless he
or she is crossdressed.
Transvestism is a mental disorder.
Some crossdressers do suffer mental
anxiety, but this is a result of the inappropriate guilt
they feel because of society's disapproval of their behavior.
These symptoms frequently disappear or may never arise when
a transvestite is in an accepting or tolerant environment.
If a transvestite is not in "significant clinical distress"
due to the crossdressing, then he is not considered mentally
disordered according to the Psychiatric Association.
