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Hi Ladies
I hope you are all well.
I have recently been thinking about how society has become more accepting these days when it comes to the LGBTQIA+ community particularly with regards being attracted to the same sex, coming out as transgender and transitioning as well as being bisexual, pansexual etc.
Whilst there is still some resentment in certain communities to this community, I still feel that it is a much more safer place than it was 15, 10 and even 5 years ago. Which got me thinking, do you believe crossdressing is more accepting these days?
I particularly would love to hear from as many people as possible if you crossdressed decades ago or starting very recently.
In addition, do you believe crossdressing has the same acceptance in today’s society as being gay/lesbian or being transgender? I feel that at times that it is not as accepting as being attracted to the same or multiple sexes but at times crossdressing being on the same level as coming out as transgender although at times, it does feel it is on a lower level as well (in certain situations).
Let us know your thoughts.
Lots of Love,
Jacinta xoxoLet me
Yes. If you have lived as long as I have, you can certainly see the differences in accepting crossdressing. It seems that people these days just take an attitude to live and let live. I can certainly say, that was not the case in my younger days. People would automatically not only assume that you were gay, if you dressed as a woman, but they wouldn’t accept anything else other than that. As more has been publicly learned over the decades, and as more and more crossdressers(myself not included) have come out to their spouses and gone out in public, people are getting used to it. But, it’s mainly because of the brave girls like the ones here paving the way. But as I have heard several times from olagers like me, the shame that we felt in our early years keeps us in private. It’ll be very very hard to overcome.
Well maybe not as a whole but some of society seems to be better. I think that comes from the training we receive in work places, schools and the whole diversity thing that is more apparent. I can’t speak for everyone but I do find the any sales associate I deal with are all good or at least seem the way in the outside about dealing with me either fully en femme or in male mode but letting them know I’m shopping g for myself.
Hi girls,
As a trans woman and having crossdressed since I was a young child, I can say with some certainty that being transgender is more acceptable. Many people now have some understanding that trans people are literally born that way, it isn’t a choice we make. It’s been a year now since I started living my life as a woman and so far I’ve not encountered a single negative response. That also may have to do with the fact that I do pass as a woman and speak in a feminine voice.
Lets see what some of the other sisters have to say
Hugs,
Ms. Lauren M
Yes its more acceptable than in the past but it depends on the generation you speak of. Older people in general still look down on it while young people mostly accept it as no big deal or even cool. Also certain parts of the country are very conservative. In the cities no one cares while in rural areas its not accepted as much. As far as retail stores, employees are usually paid commission and national chains have policies accepting anyone no matter how they’re dressed because the dollar wins over all else. Crossdressing is still at the bottom of the status ladder while trans is cool and trendy.
I sense that CDs are becoming more accepted, though my first-hand experience presenting as female in public is only over the last 3-4 years. I base this impression more on experiences with younger gender fluid/trans folks I’ve met, including some work colleagues. Older folks view CDs/trans in more binary terms while younger folks have more peers exploring a range of gender expression — familiarity generally leads to greater acceptance.
All of us help normalize CD/trans-ness in our communities to some degree every time we go out the door reflecting our inner women. 🙂
I brought up my crossdressing to a therapist a few years ago, and she didn’t even blink. She said it’s much more common than I’d imagine, most people just keep it secret. I think that being able to connect with different cultures all around the world because of the Internet has really changed a lot of people’s perspectives. Younger generations who grew up with the Internet are more accepting of different lifestyles, and as the younger generations become the majority of the population I think more people will be accepting of different lifestyles. In my opinion, there’s also a slight religious aspect to this. The religiously unaffiliated – atheists/agnostics/”nones” – are the fastest growing segment of the population around the world. This group tends to look towards humanism and individual freedoms rather than the divine rules laid out by major world religions.
I do feel as many do. As far as cross dressing goes I feel that it is a hit or miss situation depending on the age group. When I told my friends and daughter about me cross dressing they all were like yeah we kinda figured you were. They are all in their 30s. My extremely open minded mother in law didn’t even flinch when my wife told her. I know that if I was to tell my mother or my father in law it would be a different story. I have never really been fully dressed in public and if I was dressed I wore a baggy coat to hide my forms. I keep my nails done and painted on the weekends. I still get looks from the older generation people where most younger generation people will comment and tell me they look nice or ask where I get them done. I feel that cross dressing carries a certain stigmata with it but being transgender is more excepted.
Hi Jacinta, I think it’s more acceptable by the younger generation, I was brought up in a different world in the 60’s and 70’s we had to hide it away back then, like a lot of gay people had to hide it away, it wasn’t until the late 60’s that you could be openly gay it was still a criminal offence and you could end up going to prison for being gay,
How things have moved on since then,it takes time for progress to happen but eventually we tend to get there in the end X
Hugs Rozalyn X 🎀
As a senior, until the last few years, a crossdresser did not exist to the majority. If you dressed, you were gay, ( they used far worse adjectives) , if you were trans, you were just more gay. As a lifelong student of history, cultures across time have had divergent life styles, which for the most part are not chronicled. The big changes have come from our female sisters, people of color striving for equality, and upward affluence, all striving for acceptance. Religion has been slow to accept but is changing. The internet is world shaking. Young people are by90% more accepting as “no difference”. But the intolerant minority remains and makes our world less than we would like it to be. I’m to shy to be seen in public, and wish it were not so. Why do I have to go to a”gay” bar to be accepted not just a bar? Why can’t I shop anywhere I wish without rejection? I sometimes feel females fear us for how we strive to look good. For me, first I have to win over my SO.
Yes I do. Compared to what I grew up with in the 60’s, 70’s and so on yes it is much more acceptable. I will admit it does seem that Trans has made it easier and Trans has become more acceptable. But at the same time crossdressing is confused with drag. Which isn’t the same. It has never been easy to be accepted except to be seen as a man in a dress, and not the person in the dress. Some are quick to judge, it’s so much easier for them to call us names and make fun of us, then to take the time understand. We all know the reason why so no need to discuss it here. But slowly it is becoming more acceptable.
Yes I do think that cross-dressing has become more acceptable over the last couple of years. Years ago when I first started my cross-dressing venture you were considered gay right of the bat. Flash to today and I believe that the younger generation sees cross-dressing more as a right to express yourself as you wish than something strange. Yes times has changed. Now saying all that, I don’t think that cross-dressing is more acceptable than being trans. Being Trans and/or female to male cross-dressing is still more acceptable to the public in my opinion.
❤️ Tonya
I’ll throw the cat among the pidgeons and play the devils advocate.
It seems to me that transgenderism is more acceptable within society and the alphabet crowd, and ‘crossdressing’is looked down upon.
Or more so crossdressers are dismissed as being transgender, but in denial. Certainly over the years I have (and many others) have time to time had to push back on this forum when these claims are made.
Hello ladies,I believe crossdressing is being accepted more,but that depends where you live,work and socialize.in my opinion we do not have the same level of acceptance as the trans community,however having said that we {crossdressers} have been given an opportunity to educate those people who do not understand us.In time and with patience and understanding it should work out.
In general I think crossdressing is much more tolerated and somewhat more accepted than it was decades ago. Part of the reason is that the younger generation sees it as more of an expression of who you are rather than just a sexual perversion. However, as others have said, there are certainly areas of the country where both tolerance & acceptance are worse now versus 10 yrs. ago.
The gay & lesbian communities have made much bigger gains in acceptance and tolerance than the CD community. They banded together, became a social & political force and forced the issue front and center while the perceived shame of being a crossdresser left us lagging way behind. Given today’s political and religious climates, I do not see that changing dramatically any time soon.
Fiona
This is a little bit tough to answer. I do think it is more accepted than 20 years ago but I am not sure it is accepted as much as 10 years ago. The climate is changing everyday it seems with the police side but I feel as I am more accepted than ever personally.
I do not believe that really pass as a woman however I go out dressed far more frequently than I ever used to. I have always been treated with dignity and respect. I still feel a little weird in having to choose where I go to the bathroom. I haven’t used a multistall restroom that was actively being used by other women. It does not really bother me to do so but I do not want to make others uncomfortable. Sorry, I don’t know why bathroom usage ended up here but did.
Love,
Tommie
I actually just had another thought. I think we are more accepted because I don’t think most of society really separates into as many groups as we do. Many people just make the divide as homosexual or not with maybe transgender thrown in the mix. I do believe as a whole our large community is more accepted but I think the many parts of our community may not be as accepted as we would like. Just my thoughts.
The attitudes back in the sixties when I was a child deterred me from ever saying how I truly felt. Any one who crossdressed or Trans were considered ‘perverts’ and associated with being gay. There were drag queens who were well received and drag in the theatre was accepted and seen as harmless fun. It was known in the theatrical circles that a lot of drag queens were gay and within the thespian world it was part of the community. Yet any average person who dressed was not accepted. Here in the U.K. it was in 1967 when the law changed to make homosexuality legal, two years prior to the Stonewall riots in the U.S. Although legalised it did not make things easier as you still had generations who were bought up with anti feelings and religion also had an impact. Anything in the media was more sensationalist than sympathetic.
The likes of Stonwall championed LGB rights and there actions seemed to smooth a path for lesbian and gay with the consequence that crossdressing and Trans started to be accepted a bit better. From my own perspective I started to come out in the late nineties and seemed to find an acceptance as there was better information due to the internet and a more freer attitude. Strangely I found acceptance over a wide age band and the older ones seemed more open minded, any negativity was with the younger generation – Go figure!
As I came out and found acceptance the next stage was to move to dress more and get out and about which went well. So from the new millenium society seems much more tolerant. Okay I am acceptable in presentation and go where ever I please, even if there were doubts from those who saw me I rarely endured issues. As time moved on I found that legislation and attitude allowed me into the workplace as protections by law with compliance by companies took away any fears.
Although in some quarters I am a crossdresser and due to how I live, in others I am Transgender, the later being my preferred way of explanation. It is easier for people to digest and affords me those protections.
The only fly in the ointment is the current issues regarding Trans vs womens groups. After Stonewall accepted the Trans community in 2015 it seemed a positive move for the community. As I found out there were protocols in transition, legal protection and life was actually good.
However this merger by Stonewall supported then spawned a level of activism which has stained the image of Trans causing a great deal of problems within Stonewall where Lesbian and Gays felt alienated with demands of Trans activists causing uproar within these groups and womens groups thus bringing the whole Trans issue into the limelight. It was as if the clock was turned back and the press once again sensationalised Trans and painted them as perverts which will affect public perception.
These are worrying times as this will affect crossdressers. Isn’t it a coincidence that 2015 in the U.K and 2017 in the U.S. were times that led to problems for our communities when it all seemed to be going so well….
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