NorthWest Gender Alliance - Portland, Oregon

About Transgenderism

Transgenderism takes many forms. A crossdresser (CD)-- sometimes called a transvestite (TV)-- dresses in clothing of the opposite gender. Such an individual might be considered bi-gendered-- expressing both genders at different times. The reasons for crossdressing seem as varied as crossdressers, ranging from the spiritual to the artistic. NWGA members come from all walks of life. Most crossdressers are heterosexual and have no desire to change their sex via surgery or hormones.

The root causes of crossdressing are unknown. Often a crossdresser starts out at an early age, borrowing clothing from a parent or sibling. There is usually a progression from one or two garments to dressing completely as the opposite gender and experimenting with wigs and makeup. The crossdresser finds these activities comforting and pleasurable. During adolescence, crossdressing may be accompanied by intense sexual feelings. Eventually, a crossdresser may want to venture out in public crossdressed, and may find these excursions exciting and satisfying.

Fortunately crossdressing is becoming more acceptable in our culture. But the crossdresser may still experience guilt, shame, and self-denial. Many crossdressers suffer silently, and many never venture "out of the closet." Others address their hidden feelings, usually by finding this or other sites, call and ask questions, and then are eventually able to express their cross-genderedness more freely and openly and many finally reach some degree of self-acceptance and inner peace.

A transsexual (TS) identifies with the opposite gender. He or she may have a feeling of being "trapped in the wrong body." A transsexual may find congruence between biological sex and gender identity through hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and/or sex reassignment surgery (SRS). Surgery is only undertaken after the transsexual participates in counseling and lives full time in the chosen gender for a year or more. Thus we sometimes speak of preoperative (pre-op) and post-operative (post-op) transsexuals.

A transgenderist is an individual who lives full-time in the opposite gender role, sometimes with the aid of hormones, but without seeking sex reassignment surgery.

Some transgendered individuals are androgynous--blending masculine and feminine characteristics.

A drag queen is usually a gay man who dresses as a woman--often in a glamorous or flamboyant way.

A female impersonator is a man who dresses as a woman to perform on stage as a singer, dancer, comic, or actress.