by Bethany Birley

Created on: January 31, 2007   Last Updated: January 19, 2009

To answer this question I am going to look at not just what a tranvestite is, but also gender dysphoria, transsexuals and the umbrella definition of transgenders. I shall often refer to the Wiktionary but also to examples from my own experience.

Let's start with a transvestite as that's the word used in the question. Transvestite is a plural and means 'A person who likes to wear clothes and act in a style traditionally displayed by the opposite gender. This is done on an occasional basis; transvestites do not generally dress in the opposite gender all the time.' I feel sure that you could think of all kinds of names to describe these and most of them very offensive. I am not interested in causing offence here but helping you to understand my life and that of others. The transvestite may have any amount of reasons why they can not dress as often as they choose. Family and relationship barrier are two of the strongest problems for those wishing to adopt the clothes of another gender at all times. Before I lived 24/7 as female I would have classed myself as a transvestite, or as I called myself with pride a sissy- to which I meant an effeminate male who wants to be female.

The term transsexual is another racy topic. I have two definitions given me by the Wiktionary and I shall display both.
'1. A person who identifies as a gender different from that which they were assigned at birth, as well as maintains the need for a physical sex at variance with their biological one. Transsexuals often correct their anatomy to better conform to their gender identity, mainly through hormonal and surgical techniques.
2 One who has undergone cross-sex hormonal therapy and/or sex reassignment surgery.'
Those who are transsexual often suffer gender dysphoria, a wish to be in the body of another. This was where I found myself after I had stopped dreaming about women's clothes and took action two years ago. In Britain, where I live, you must have been dressing as a woman for several years full time before being referred to sex change, where I am almost now.
Transsexuals are given a lot of stick and believed to be cowards running from themselves, I propose that in fact we are running to find our real selves. It takes more guts than most people realise to make this change and it is not for the faint hearted.

The word transgender has three meanings which I shall refer to individually.
'transgender (no comparative or superlative forms)
1) Describes a person who feels that the gender assigned to

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>