From: glenn@access.digex.com (D. Glenn Arthur Jr.)
Newsgroups: alt.transgendered
Subject: Re: Wow! stockings!
Date: 16 Dec 1992 18:57:09 GMT
Organization: The Space-Time Fabrication Institute, Rockville, MD.
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: access.digex.com
Summary: Welcome

In article <Bz8389.9wz@wrs.com> jessica@wrs.com (Jessica Hart) writes:
>I had wanted to say that, as a genetic and behavioral female
>(does that make sense?) the concept of "dressing up" and feeling
>feminine makes perfect sense to me. 

I'd say that its making sense to you makes sense to me, but 
we'd quickly get into recursion.

>I had wanted to post in support
>of everyone here... wasn't sure if not being a TV, CD, or much of
>any other acronym would disqualify me from posting... 

Not at all!  Welcome!

>I don't usually wear makeup, style my hair much, or wear heels
>or hosiery except little white cotton socks. When I do these things,
>I say I am "going in drag." Or even FULL drag. I hope no TV or CD who
>overheard me would be offended? It just seems that is the word for it.

Speaking only for myself, _I_ would not be offended.  I'd just 
give a knowing smile.

You see, when I _do_ wear stockings, heels, a nice skirt, and so on,
I _don't_ feel like I'm in drag.  Neither do my friends think of me
as being in drag.  It has become normal for me.  On the other hand,
several of my friends have, upon seeing me in coat and tie for the
first time, said, "Glenn!  You're ... you're ... in DRAG!  That is,
I mean, uh, ..."  Eventually each decides that "drag" is the right
word for when Glenn wears a suit and not the right word for when 
Glenn wears a dress.  (Reaction to me in bluejeans is mixed.)

As a side note, I have friends who refer to "office drag" or 
"business drag" to refer to dressing up in clothes other than
what they'd rather wear, for the purpose of playing a role in a
business setting.

>That style of dressing does not come naturally to me, and I was not
>brought up to dress that way, but I do enjoy doing it occasionally
>and it makes me feel "special" and even more sexy.

I know what you mean.  When I crossdressed only occasionally, 
simply putting on a skirt made me feel special like that.  Now,
it's when I put on "special" clothes -- something especially
sexy or especially fancy.  Putting on a ball gown is an almost
magical experience.

>I just
>wanted to say I don't see why a man should feel any different about
>it than a woman. 

What a coincidence!  Neither do I!  :-)

>If those are the clothes society says are "sexy"
>how do we expect little kids who are boys to ignore those messages?
>Actually it seems weird to me that most do!

This is something that both confuses and amuses me.  I keep
expecting everyone to enjoy feeling "pretty" and "sexy", and
to me, both of those imply something feminine.  So to me, it's
obvious why a het male would crossdress and confusing that so
many don't.  On the other hand, I'm constantly reminded that
most don't.  Uh, I guess I'm just saying the same thing that
you are ...

Hmm.  I guess the point is that when I am asked "Why do you 
like to dress like that?" I should answer "For the same reason
women do."  ?

>Is this making any sense or am I also being a dense "straight" person
>and not really getting it?

I'd say you're "getting it".  At least you make sense to me.

>Anyway, I enjoy dressing up as much as some of you seem to. Does
>that make me a Female Transvestite (FT) ??  :-)
>Or a FCD?

Uh no, because for you it's not _cross_dressing.  :-)  But that's
okay, we can still both notice that we're enjoying the same thing
for the same reasons and not worry about the fact that for me it's
crossdressing as well as dressing up, and for you it's just dressing
up.  Gives us something in common.  (And we can shake our heads at
the folks we don't understand, who don't share our pleasure in it.)


On a more serious note, a female transvestite would be a woman who
dresses as a man for reasons similar to why male transvestites dress
as women.


-- 
D. Glenn Arthur Jr., The Human Vibrator, new address:  glenn@digex.com
"Being a _man_ means knowing that one has a choice not to act like a 'man'."