Crossdresser versus Transgender

Well, not sure how much specialized training your therapist has had, but I think many experts feel that CD's are NOT necessarily well-defined as transgender. In my community, most folks who are about to or are actually into transitioning from one sex to the other (HRT, surgery, etc) refer to themselves as transgender. While heterosexual crossdressers are often considered to be under the "umbrella" of transgender, it's a very different state of being. Taking myself as an example, I am a crossdresser but have no desire to fully transition. I will probably soon be able to dress completely and go out as a woman, and that is about as far as I want to take things (except I may eventually want to be intimate with another CD). I guess that makes me a "mostly" heterosexual CD, maybe a teensy bit bisexual but I would only want to be with another CD or TG, as opposed to a gay male. Make any sense?

Georgia even within our 'community' the definitions of "who is what" varies.  Then add to that the fact that terminology is used differently in different countries.  Then there are those who, within a so-called community, seek to isolate or differentiate between members of the community and choose labels to do so.

A while back I voiced my opinions. I got some positive feedback and, as is natural, some negative feedback. These days, I don't really care 'what' I am called, I care only if someone seeks to exclude me or not.

My original post is also in the forums:

In my mind, I am 'transgender' but I don't really care what others think, only don't make the mistake of calling me "just a crossdresser" for that really does annoy me!

https://www.crossdresserheaven.com/forums/topic/what-is-in-a-name-or-terminology-at-least/

I consider myself a crossdresser who does not wish to transition, mainly because I like my life and have no desire to blow it up. I crossdress because I have a strong feminine side that I like to express. That I need to express. Does that make me transgendered?  I would think so. This is all really hard to make any sense of sometimes.

For me I suppose crossdresser is an approprite term since I enjoy both male and female roles in my life. I can understand the mindset of a tg which I know lots but prefer still to live both roles. When I am in my girl mode I am 100 percent female in actions and behavior including the dating of men. There are no easy ways to categorize this but dont want to be permanent in any one role at this stage. Just enjoy and be happy.

The confusion is understandable. Because I live this, i am clear that I am a crossdresser and am not transgender.
A close friend is a therapist. He does not get it at all. He believes all crossdressers are homosexual. Well, in my case this is true, but this is not a universal truth. His only other personal context is that his current girlfriend divorced her husband because she learned he was a crossdresser.
It is difficult for us to understand ourselves. It must be even more challenging for outsiders to understand us. Not even therapists -- or their girlfriends -- all get it.

I think that there's a cross-dressing spectrum, ranging from those who simply enjoy wearing women's clothes to those who need to transition, with every shade of pink between. You can't pin it down, it means different things to different people.

Back when I was self-analysing, I came across a guy called Blanchard (I think) who maintained that all CDs were either gay (trying to attract a man) or wanting to be female. Total B*ll*cks.

It's clear just from reading posts on this site that we come in all flavours, gay, straight, bi, trans, whatever.

Just kick back and enjoy.

Connie
xxx

Connie I so agree. I am not considering transition but dressing means more to me than wearing women's clothing. I enjoy being feminine and try to be as feminine as I can when I dress. It often stays with me when I am in drab.

Hugs, Liara

Crossdresser versus Transgender? Maybe the WWF could hold a 'once and for all' decider in a no holds barred encounter....

In the most simplest of examples I would say that may people think of it as a light switch…you are one or the other.  I see it more like a dimmer switch where the intensity either way can vary and it can change over time.  As my therapist said just focus on today and where you are…don’t worry about what could happen tomorrow.  Enjoy where you are now as tomorrow may never come!  Hugs. Carole

I'm with you on this one. I'm not transgender. I'm male. I have no urges to transition. I do often live a large percentage of my time crossdressed, but I remain a man in a dress. Obviously I'm trans friendly and supportive, as I all all who are on the LGBTQ spectrum.
Transgender folk have a whole load more issues to contend with. We just have dressing as a woman, and lord knows, that brings enough issues.
We can get changed and most of our problems go away. Trans folk do not have this luxury.

Some say we do fit under the T umbrella, but I think we don't as only our clothing changes. Our gender doesn't. We are not trans-gender, we are trans-vestites cross clothing.

Cerys

This is a question that has been debated, I'm sure, since those words were first invented.  Like others here, I happen to fully believe (and I will state that I seriously doubt anyone not experiencing what we are can even begin to fully understand it, scientific research notwithstanding) that there is a very wide spectrum of people who are somewhere on the spectrum of whatever one wants to consider what gender dysphoria really is.

The real question is, and one I think is almost impossible to come to grips with, is do you want to consider yourself unique in that it's hard to place you into some highly defined group...or do you want to belong to what you feel is group of very like-minded individuals who have defined a term you feel comfortable with, that possibly can exclude others who don't share as many or as similar values that you do.

I think it's great to belong to a group.  Unfortunately, groups can get big enough that some may want to tighten the definition of who gets in.  Or worse, look askance at those who join other groups.

I personally have never understood what's going on when I read, on occasion, about some of the infighting that seems to go on between and among the various L G B T Q I + groups.  If we all can't agree to get along together and accept and support each other, how can we possibly expect those outside that spectrum to also accept us.

I also think that there are 7 billion+ individual points on the spectrum that defines human life.  But that's just me. I can believe, and accept, that 6+ billion others may think a little differently.

Did a post back on Dec 4th title was phase or solution Pretty sure this will clear some up.

I have finally crossed over to a more advance transition and have no regrats at all When did go through cd it was solution for me. Some told me was just phase.

I think that every transgender person went through a phase of crossdressing. True, or not? When someone is identified as a transgender person, one of the first recommendations is experiment living in the gender of preference for some time, usually an year, before engaging in HRT and SRS. Crossdressing is the most common way to go. And some transgender people find crossdressing as the perfect solution for a balanced lifestyle. A compromise that fulfills their desired lifestyle. So in crossdressing a final solution? For how many of you  crossdressing was just a phase in the path towards a more advanced balance on life?

Hugs Donna

LOL!!

You just sit and make yourself comfortable. I'll get our drinks and popcorn.

Hugs, Barb 🙂

will this be a cage match lol