Crossdressing Misconceptions

by Shane Foster

In this latest blog article we are going to explore some of the more common misconceptions that are wrongly associated with crossdressing.

Transgender is the same as crossdressing

Let’s start with one of the biggest misconceptions about crossdressing - the assumption that this is the same as being transgender - this is totally false, and in some cases a little hurtful or indeed phobic.

Transgender people are usually not comfortable with the gender they were assigned at birth, and therefore choose to live their lives under a selected gender, which is more commonly known as their gender identity.

However, the vast majority of crossdressers don’t want to change their gender identity or live under a different gender full-time. They simply wish to express themselves differently as part of an action or activity, which more commonly forms part of gender expression.

All crossdressers are gay

How wrong can you be!

In actual fact, most people who choose to crossdress are predominantly straight, or sometimes bisexual. Crossdressing is not part of sexual orientation, it is actually more about how a person feels about themself rather than being gay.

Similarly, there is another popular misconception that crossdressing is only for people with feminine body types. Where in fact, anyone can crossdress, irrespective of gender or body-type - it’s all about enjoying a fun and happy activity.

Crossdressers act feminine, even when not dressed

Again, this statement is totally false. Most crossdressers choose to do so in secret, or restrict their crossdressing activities to a select social circle.  Therefore, since they prefer not to make this activity public, it is extremely unlikely they will act like a woman when not dressed as one!

Crossdressing is an illness

The majority of people who have no understanding about crossdressing will have this misconception, and they also usually believe that this can be cured. What they fail to realise is that crossdressing is a personal trait, usually one that is genetically embedded into them.

On that basis, most crossdressers are misunderstood, and there is a further misconception that crossdressing is simply a choice. I suppose for some it is a choice of sorts, since the reasoning behind it is rather more complex and deep seated, and whether someone chooses to dress is entirely up to the individual.

All crossdressers want a sex change

This is very similar to the misconception about being transgender, and is also false. As mentioned earlier in the article, most crossdressers don’t want to dress full time, since they simply want to express their feminine side.

So why would all crossdressers want to undergo sex reassignment surgery, when they just like the feel of wearing womens clothes or female underwear / lingerie under their male clothes?

Just remember, crossdressing is just that, and I hope we have given you a better insight into some of the most common misconceptions out there so that you can be more aware and better informed.