I was given this article by my therapist during one of our sessions. While I am not comfortable with all aspects of it, I feel it is worth sharing for two reasons. For one, it's always good to read all you can to get a broad range of viewpoints. Second, the article indicates that the psychiatric profession is moving away from treating gender issues in a vacume and towards viewing gender issues in the broader context of relationships and sexuality. This means that over time, therapists will no longer treat alternative gender behavior but the issues that arise because of it.
Most people never question their gender identity as male or female.
Each person, however, is on a gender spectrum. Figure 23.4 diagrams the process of coding. In the center of the continuum is the man who codes both masculine and feminine attitudes, feelings, and behaviors as positive. If a male codes between the traditional and the transvestite, he is considered androgynous, which means that he blends the masculine and feminine but does not need to dress in order to express his feminine side. His masculinity is also not threatened by the blending.