“Crossdressers are Transsexuals without Balls.”

So goes the hypothesis anyway. I’ve heard it from a few people that crossdressers are simply transsexuals without the guts to transition. Unfortunately, those espousing this idea never seem to have any evidence to back it up. Let’s face it: there’s not nearly enough scientific research on any of us.

However, in the interest of furthering public discussion, and creating controversy, I’ll offer these observations to back up the idea that crossdressers are really transsexuals.

The archetype we have of TSs is that they knew they were transsexual from a very early age. Many stories have that common thread of growing up knowing they “were in the wrong body”.

But, I happen to know even more transsexuals who originally classified themselves as transvestites or crossdressers, and didn’t persue the TS path until later in life. They don’t start on hormones until their 30s or 40s or beyond.

Why wait? It’s not that they are waiting, it’s that they slowly realize their gender issues are about more than dressing up a few times a month. And it’s that once they are in the transgendered community, and have access to resources, they learn there are options for them.

Point 2: Where are all the young crossdressers? Society is more permissive today than 20 years ago. Maybe not as much as we’d like, but it is better. And with the Internet, transgendered people of all stripes have access to information and interaction that was nigh impossible 20 years ago as well.

And I’ve raised this point before: with this wealth of information at their fingertips, one would think there would be a bigger presence of teenage, and 20-something crossdressers online than there is.

In fact, I’m hard-pressed to find any crossdressers or even transsexuals under the age of 27. So, where are they? Assuming the percentage of transgendered individuals remains constant no matter what age group, there ought to be as many TG profiles at say, Yahoo, for 50-somethings as people in their 20s. But there aren’t.

Occam’s Razor: the simplest explanation is often the best.

I would offer that youthful transgenders, with this wealth of information, are skipping identifying themselves as crossdressers, skipping classifying themselves as transsexual, and going straight into living full-time in the gender of their choice.

In short, they’re transitioning, and going stealth at the same time, because they can.

Older transsexuals probably have years of baggage to deal with. They may have self-loathing issues. They likely grew up learning that boys are boys and girls are girls, and it’s impossible/sinful/silly to want to change that. But, younger TGs are getting the truth at an earlier age. They have parents who are better informed, and more likely to provide support.

Articles highlighted in our TG news digest feature, TWIT Notes, support the idea that younger transgenders are going the TS route, instead of identifying as crossdressers. So many colleges and universities are grappling with transgender issues: bathrooms, dormitories, and health care; all issues that primarily affect transsexuals more than crossdressers.

So, I’ve provided evidence that crossdressers are transsexuals who haven’t ‘hatched’ yet. Do I honestly believe it? Not on your life. And I’ll say why next time.

Category: All TGForum Posts, Transgender Opinion