The Merriam-Webster dictionary http://www.m-w.com/home.htm defines a transvestite as:
a person and especially a male who adopts the dress and often the behavior typical of the opposite sex especially for purposes of emotional or sexual gratification
A transsexual is:
a person with a psychological urge to belong to the opposite sex that may be carried to the point of undergoing surgery to modify the sex organs to mimic the opposite sex
See, there is a difference.
A pre-op transsexual is someone who wants to get the operation, and may have started proceedings (hormones, therapy and all the other things that lead up to SRS, or Sexual Reassignment Surgery). A post-op transsexual is someone who has done the complete operation, and can now be considered a member of the opposite sex. To have an SRS is a long and difficult procedure that can take years, if not your entire life. Even after the surgery, hormones and doctor’s visits will be a part of your life for years to come.
So, why would someone dress like the opposite sex if they didn’t want to be the opposite sex? Well, it all depends on the person (I seem to say that every month, don’t I?). Some men dress as women to feel “feminine”, or to be the woman in their relationship. Some men feel that getting dressed up shouldn’t just be for the ladies. (As my crossdressing friend Adam/Anna used to say, “Until they put sequins on business suits, give me a dress!”)
Not only are some crossdressers not interested in becoming women, some are attracted to women as well. Last night I was talking online with a man in Indiana who lives as a woman. Barbie* loves dressing up, putting on makeup and just “being beautiful”. However, Barbie is heterosexual. He’s single right now, and “looking for a woman that can understand me”. (Another heterosexual crossdressers is Sharon, whose webpage is located at http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/7...
Transgender is defined as:
exhibiting the appearance and behavioral characteristics of the opposite sex
This is a fairly large category. This could be a woman who binds her breasts and lives as a man, or a man that still dresses/looks like a man, but considers himself both masculine and feminine. It could be a woman that sometimes feels more masculine than feminine, and vice versa, or a man that feels that he was born feminine in a masculine body. Brandon Teena (from the true story, “Boys Don’t Cry”) was born Tina Brandon, and chose to live his life as a man. Why am I referring to Brandon Teena as “him”? It’s considered a sign of respect. If a woman wants to be referred to with masculine pronouns, then I respect that, and I will call that person “him”.
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