Are crossdresser transgender??

Personally, I do believe that crossdressers are under the transgender umbrella. I say this due to the simple matter that all cross the gender boundary between male and female. For crossdressers, it is a back and forth journey. For those who ultimately transition, it is a one way journey. Nonetheless, we have all crossed the boundary between our gender assignment at birth and the gender we would like to be (only if on a temporary basis).

Also, for some, crossdressing serves as a door opening experience that allows one to consider where their gender identity truly lies. Subsequently, they may choose to walk through that door...

I don't have any advice since part of the reason I'm here at CDH is to find out if cross-dressing is enough for me or if I truly am transgender.

I'm leaning towards the former (for now). I'm generally finding I enjoy my life as a male as long as Amanda gets her time as well, if that makes any sense. However that could change. Although I'm happy in male mode, I feel an extra sense of love for life when I get to be Amanda.

Hugs & kisses!

-Amanda

Well, this is one if the big questions.  I love it! All I can do is share who I am, which is confused! I think I'm hetero. Love looking at, attracted to women. Simultaneously, I want to know, so bad, what it is to be a woman. The complexity of being a woman engulfs me, makeup, appearance, shaving my legs etc... I love it, find it so intriguing. I want to know what it feels like to be a woman in so many ways, yet, I do not see me as transgender? Makes sense, or no sense? Can't see myself with a man(yet) but constantly think about pleasing a man. Currently, I'm obsessed with trying to look, and feel like a woman in every way. I'm probably no help at all!

Rae

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I think it is important to remember that it is a journey across uncharted waters. There are no shortcuts, pat answers or simplifications...

Wow,  not sure what you mean by any of that. Pat answers? Shortcuts? I'm just trying to share some honesty.

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Agreed

Guaranteed to start a lengthy discussion with all different opinions, every time this topic is raised.

I can only speak for myself.  I am a 100% heterosexual cross dresser.  I like being a man, and I have no desire to become a woman.  However, I get immense enjoyment out of occasionally  expressing my female-self, which includes making myself look as girly and effeminate as I possibly can.

Simples.

No.

A cross dresser is a cross dresser.

A transgender person is a transgender person.

But equally, the answer could be yes.

The prefix Trans means above, or through.

There's a strong argument to say that any cross dressed person is "above" mere gender - in the case of MtF, you see a woman and a man simultaneously - and why not?

Any gender test you take online will reveal your percentage male and female - and I will wager that no-one scores 100% - 0%.

We're all mixed up, in other words.

Gender is a concept, and we have 2 definitions, neither of which really apply to anybody.

What woman is 100% girly, with no aspirations to masculine things whatsoever?

Common usage of transgender is someone who identifies with the opposite gender assigned to their birth sex.

In some ways that's true for many cross dressers - we feel the inner woman and identify with her.

But we may also identify with the inner or outer man.

This is called being gender fluid, or non-binary.

We all strive for equality, so in many ways, we're all transgender. The traditional construct simply don't apply any more - they're just not relevant.

Love Laura

Hi Cara,

It's one of those questions that everyone has a different opinion on, which is quite ironic really, given the reason such labels exist to simply matters. Like most issues that arise with human, its because of our right to freedom of speech, which means I can tell you what I think, the logic that makes me think my opinion is right, but can’t tell you your opinion is therefore wrong. What a can of worms to open. Apologies if you think I overcomplicate this, it’s just something I do, I’ll try not to though and the best way to do that is look at the two factors physical gender and sexual attraction.

But first we need to go back to the beginning, whether you believe in God (I do), the Big Bang (I partially agree) or another method, at the basis, there must be two sides, positive and negative the yin and yang, black and white AKA the binary concepts. (‘0’s and ‘1’s). I’ll not go into the details of Binary, but it’s an interesting topic if anyone ever wants to discuss. In this case, the binary 0 and 1 is female and male. Just to clarify:

For humans, female refers to the gender/sex that can bear offspring through the produce of eggs which can be fertilized by male sperm. Whereas male refers to the gender/sex that produces sperm, with which a female may be fertilized to produce offspring.

This must be what it feels like to teach biology. Therefore, a sexual attraction would be between a female and male, or a binary attraction.

Therefore, if you do not fully comply with/fit the binary or stereotypical female or male you are non-binary or more commonly referred to as LGBT or LGBTQ+ or whatever it is officially called now. The simpler and somewhat more obvious ones come first, the females attracted to females which is the L for Lesbians. Then the males attracted to males which is the G for Gay. This is where B for Bi-sexual comes into play. Bisexual refers to someone who is attracted to both female and male (like bi in bicycle, the two genders only). That’s where pansexual comes into play. Pansexual refers to someone who is attracted to everyone (female, male and non-binary). The final element in this part of the list is gender fluid (which is my personal favourite label. Why? This is a label that someone who is attracted to anyone regardless of gender/sex and often don’t care about labels, whilst ironically being labelled.

Hopefully you’re still with me as this is where it starts getting complicated, because we move onto T for Transgender, which really deserves a list of its own because it relates more so to physical gender. Transgender is the overall bracket that encompasses anyone whose gender/personality doesn't correspond with their gender/sex of either male or female from birth. Transgender being in the LGBT spectrum has its own spectrum. (This is written from male to female, but can and does apply to female to male.)

At one end of the spectrum is male the gender/sex at birth

Though I personally don’t agree with this method as I believe it has made a mockery of people with genuine struggles, I’ve included it for the sake of completeness. So firstly, drag queens, who are males who dress up in the clothing of female primarily for comedic and financial purposes.

Secondly, there are crossdressers. These are males who wear the clothes that where designed for the body shape of a female. They do not change their personality, or any other part of themselves, they focus solely on changing their appearance.

Thirdly, there are transvestites. Though this is technically a synonym of crossdresser, I use it to describe a male who not only dresses as a female, but takes on the personality and identity of one too. This can be on either a part time basis as I do or full time as someone with a male body who has decided to live full time as a female but without any surgery or hormone drugs.

Fourthly, there is transsexual, which is someone who feels they are a female in a male body, or a male who has decided they would rather be a female. They undergo hormone replacement, surgery and other procedures to physically change their body and are commonly referred to as trans woman. Though many would consider finishing this transformation process that they are 100% female, the fact that they still can not reproduce, they are not. However, given current scientific advancements this is as close as they can possibly get to being female.

Finally, and for the sake of completeness at the other end of the spectrum, female

So, that’s what I think. It’s what the logic states, but as I said at what was supposed to be a short response, I can’t tell you that you’re wrong for thinking differently. Hope that helped, someone.

Hugs,

Isabel

I am a crossdresser, but I am not transgender. I increasingly enjoy wearing clothing typically marketed to women but I am comfortable living as a man and have no genuine drive to live my life as a woman. Hence, transgender does not apply to me.

We are all so unique that many of us do not fit easily into any of the more common labels, so we find others to express our identity. If you are ill at ease about embracing either of the two terms you mentioned, you might explore others in defining yourself, like gender non-conforming, non-binary, gender fluid, etc. Most importantly, you do not need to let someone else define you when you can define yourself much better.

Hi my name is Brianne from the Uk. To me crossdressing makes me a transvestite not transgender. I would have preferred to have been born a female. I dress as a woman 24/7 it makes me feel great that i am being my true self. xx

Hi, This topic has got me so confused. I love wearing womens clothes and when time permits love dressing up as completly as I can as a woman. I have lots of feelings about how it feels to be treated as a woman and what a woman feels when she is dressed up particularly in sexy lingerie. However do I want to be a woman? In all honesty no, it is the emotional buzz and yes, perhaps has always been the sexual thrill I get from the dressing. Am I transexual, transgender, cross dresser, transvestite, gay, weirdo or who knows what?

Quite frankly I couldn't give a toss, I am first and foremost a bloke but I love dressing up in womens clothing for my own pleasure so whatever category or slot you wish to put me in then so be it. Since joining CDH it is nice to know I am not unique and also good to see that others have different viewpoints but the outcome is often the same so the jury is still out on Cara's question.

Sarah.

If there were a button to be a girl, I would not hesitate to push it. Would probably break it because I would push it so hard. Dress 24/7 while at home with s/o total support. What does that make me? As far as I'm concerned, I'm a gurl.

Cara.

No they are not the same.

Transgender folk might dress in clothes intended for the opposite sex and are therefore cross-dressing - though many of them will probably shoot you down in flames of you say that to them.

Most cross-dressers however are heterosexual, having a sexual preference for the opposite sex whilst having a penchant for wearing female style clothing - from time to time.

Hope that clears that up.

Take care girls.

Anne-Marie.

Ok, having done a fair bit of research recently,  ... according the the WHO, John Hopkins University and The LGBT education network  - the term ‘transgender' is an umbrella term that applies to those who have a different gender expression to the gender that they were born with. It is not related to attraction or sexuality.

Some members of the transgender community will go on to transition while others will not.

In most of the world this terminology is used correctly but for some reason in the US it's seen as applying only to those who wish to transition.  The term is not used this way as it includes the whole range of gender variants under the same heading, (about 30 of them are currently used), where Cross Dresser is just one of them.

The LGBT education network defines TransGender as - ‘' An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from their assigned sex at birth (i.e., the sex listed on their birth certificates). Some groups define the term more broadly (e.g., by including intersex people) while other people define it more narrowly (e.g., by excluding “true transsexuals”).

Transgender people may or may not choose to alter their bodies hormonally and/or surgically.
While “transgender” is a popularly used word and generally seems to be a safe default term to use, some people find the term offensive as a descriptor of themselves. It is best to ask clients which terms, if any, they use or prefer.
Use “transgender”, not “transgendered”.
See Androgyne, Cisgender, Gender, Gender bender, Gender expression, Gender identity, Gender non-conforming, Genderqueer, Intersex, Sex, Transsexuals, Two Spirit.''

However we are all able to make our own terminology to suit our own preference, but we are all under the Transgender umbrella.

Dawn

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