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So who do you think you are?
This conversation should spark some lively debate. I was cruising around on Wikipedia last night working out a way that I could enter a permanent listing for this guy I know under the subject “Wanker”. Yes, it is a juvenile pursuit, but those of you who know me would not be at all surprised (and in case you were wondering yes you can do this but be prepared for it to be taken down pretty quickly so get your screenshot skills ready). Anyway, I thought I’d look up what they had to say about Transvestites and Crossdressers:
TRANVESTITE
Origin of the term
Magnus Hirschfeld coined the word transvestite in 1910 (from Latin trans-, “across, over” and vestitus, “dressed”) to refer to the sexual interest in cross-dressing. He used it to describe persons who habitually and voluntarily wore clothes of the opposite sex. Hirschfeld’s group of transvestites consisted of both males and females, with heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, and asexual orientations.Hirschfeld himself was not happy with the term: He believed that clothing was only an outward symbol chosen on the basis of various internal psychological situations. In fact, Hirschfeld helped people to achieve the very first name changes (legal given names were and are required to be gender-specific in Germany) and performed the first reported sexual reassignment surgery. Hirschfeld’s transvestites therefore were, in today’s terms, not only transvestites, but a variety of people from the transgender spectrum.
Hirschfeld also noticed that sexual arousal was often associated with transvestism. In more recent terminology, this is sometimes called transvestic fetishism. Hirschfeld also clearly distinguished between transvestism as an expression of a person’s “contra-sexual” (transgender) feelings and fetishistic behavior, even if the latter involved wearing clothes of the other sex.
Emma says: I thought the term was much older than that? I agree with the sexuality bit though.
CROSS-DRESSERS
Main article: Cross-dressing
After all the changes that took place during the 1970s, a large group was left without a word to describe themselves: heterosexual males who wear traditionally feminine clothing. This group was not particularly happy with the term “transvestism”, and therefore took on the term “cross-dresser” Cross-dressers are men who wear female clothing and often both admire and imitate women, but self-identify as different from both gay men and transsexuals, and generally deny having fetishistic intentions.When cross-dressing occurs for erotic purposes over a period of at least six months and also causes significant distress or impairment, the behavior is considered a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and the psychiatric diagnosis “transvestic fetishism” is applied.
Emma says: So for a very long time I’ve thought of myself as a Transvestite – not so much for anything Hirschfeld came up with as I’d never heard of him before last night but primarily because I like the term better than I like cross-dresser. It is no slight on those who do like the cross-dresser moniker it is purely a personal preference. I think ‘transvestite’ is a harsher and more blunt expression which suits me better – when I’m doing a Quiz Night or a Bingo Night I bill myself as a “Celebrity Transvestite” which I think, in that world of local sports club fund-raisers and pub specialty nights, sounds a touch more exotic and even edgy than if I used the term “Celebrity Cross-dresser”. If I used Celebrity Cross-dresser maybe the punters think ‘ah this will be some sort of Mrs Doubtfire or Dame Edna type act’ and bring the kiddies along with them, which has happened. I have to dump half my patter if there are minors in the room! (oh, yes ok, 75% of my act then).
It’s interesting in the light of where we are today and how we are seen by the general public that we are still considered to have a mental disorder in terms of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. No doubt we sit comfortably in that learned tome alongside serial killers, kiddie fiddlers, and the run-of-the-mill-common-or-garden-variety complete lunatic. There are also probably many members of the far right in society who consider that is exactly where we should be. Personally, and I may be wrong, but I think both terms will fade into history given time just like the “Night Soil Man” and the “Milkie” have. People will just be referred to by their chosen name without the need of an adjective stamping them as belonging to some explanation in a psychiatrist’s reference book.
As I’ve said elsewhere, I think there is a little bit of madness in us all but no more than the chess enthusiast, keen golfer, or movie fan.
If change is to continue it is up to us to lead the way and just be out and proud about ourselves as many do now. Perhaps then we can be replaced in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by people who seek political office or watch shows like The Bachelor. -
2 Replies
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A few months ago the World Health Organisation (WHO) removed transgenderism as a mental health disorder. https://www.bustle.com/p/the-world-health-organization-will-no-longer-classify-gender-dysphoria-as-a-mental-illness-9557139.
This is vitally important to those of us who identify with some form of gender dysphoria as it removes a significant amount of stigma associated with our gender identity, a stigma that often prevents many from accepting themselves and living an authentic life. The study and article you have cited is therefore no longer relevant to many of us such as me.
As you can see change has already occurred, wikipedia just hasn’t caught up yet. it is now up to us to make sure we publicise that we do not have a mental disorder whenever we can.
Elsa
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Righty-o then.
