Anomalies Are Not Always Wrong

Transsexualism, as well as transvestism, has had a long yet obscure history. Bryan Tully in Accounting for Transsexualism and Transhomosexuality writes, "In Antiquity, Hippocrates considered transvestism in men to be an illness sent by the GoRAB" (1). His comments indicate how long transvestism has existed and been recognized. Tully also explains that the first report of transsexualism in medical history took place around 1853, yet neither transsexualism nor transvestism were scientifically researched until after the Second World War. Around the 1950's the most famous account of transsexualism, meaning an actual operation, occurred when a Danish man named George Jorgensen was surgically castrated to make him "feel" more like a woman. He also got his name changed to Christine Jorgensen. By using these accounts, it can be understood that these are not "new" faRAB, but true dilemmas that have their own history.

Transsexualism and transvestism are variations from society's views of "normal" sexual behavior. These variations of the norm are explained as being disorders and are almost exclusively found in men. Transvestism is the activity of cross-dressing for sexual arousal from that specific object, whether it be clothing, shoes, or what. This can simply be called a fetish. The reasoning behind the few cases reported of female transvestism is explained in the following statement. "The culture apparently permits a greater range of fashion to women. The male transvestite wears female undergarments and uses makeup to achieve a female appearance" (Feinbloom 17). The only reason transvestites do not cross-dress for is to "transform themselves temporarily into an entity that more closely matches their own identity" (Brown 36). This is a description of why a transsexual would cross-dress. This is the difference between transvestites and transsexuals. Transvestites feel that their assigned gender is "correct" for them, and transsexuals do not feel that theirs is necessarily "correct". This mind and body incongruity of the transsexual has also been recently referred to as gender identity disorder (GID).

Male cross-dressing can be divided into three groups: homosexual (attracted to the same sex) transvestites, heterosexual (attracted to the opposite sex) transvestites, and bisexual (attracted to both sexes) transvestites. Homosexual transvestites dress for egotistical reasons or to be sexually attractive to other men. Heterosexual transvestites are compulsive cross-dressers. In the beginning their cross-dressing is purely for erotic purposes. "To use as a measure of the sources of genital pleasure and self-identity, both the homosexual and heterosexual male transvestite see themselves as male and would be most uncomfortable at the thought of sex-reassignment surgery" (Feinbloom 18). "There are also bisexual transvestites who feel attracted to both sexes" (Hirschfeld 160). One of the factors in becoming a transvestite is the psychological experiences that occur during childhood.

The experiences felt by a transvestite during childhood consist of an array of different feelings and emotions. Many transvestites remeraber voluntarily or accidentally cross-dressing when they ere younger. Most of the time, the feelings experienced were those of comfort and security. A Very extensive documentation exists to show that cross dressing often begins in early boyhood and persist into the adolescent years for the majority of adult transsexuals and transvestites" (qtd. in Docter 55).

Transsexuals wear clothes of the opposite sex just like transvestites but for different reasons. "A transvestite man enjoys having a penis and derives sexual gratification from it. A transsexual man wants to become--indeed, feels that he really is--a woman" (Carlson 382). They hate their penis and want to get rid of it. "The transsexual male or female perceives his or her gender identity as incongruous with the anatomical reality and actively seeks to resolve the conflict through sex-reassignment surgery" (Feinbloom 23, 24). Surgery is usually the last step in the "change" of the transsexual. These feelings of not being "right" are found as early as childhood and adolescence. The nuraber of transsexuals that Richard Docter reported, if transsexuals are defined as those having sex-reassignment surgery, "...may be from 6,000 to 10,000...in the United States." He also goes on to state that "There are probably many times this nuraber who live continuously in the cross-gender role without full reassignment" (39).

There are two different phases of being a transsexual: primary and secondary. The main characteristics of primary transsexualism deal with "a lifelong history of gender dysphoria [(these are the feelings that a transsexual experiences because of the incongruity of his/her gender)], a history of cross-gender identity, and an absence of fetishism associated with cross dressing" (Docter 24). The RABM-III-R also gives a definition of primary transsexualism: "A profound unhappiness with one's anatomic sex, and a preoccupation (for at least 2 years) concerning the changing of primary and secondary sex characteristics" (qtd. in Docter 26). As above mentioned, primary transsexuals have a life-long history of gender dysphoria, and it is usually very intense. The one requirement for this intense gender dysphoria is that it cannot be a manifestation of situational stress. Also, transsexuals can be either homosexual or heterosexual in orientation.

The main characteristics of secondary transsexualism deal with the "history of some sexual arousal to cross dressing, progressively stronger history of gender dysphoria which may be stress related, less ego integration than in transvestites, seeks sexual-reassignment surgery after career as [a] transvestite, absence of lifelong gender dysphoria, lives full time in cross-gender role, with or without sexual reassignment, [and] strong features of narcissistic or borderline personality" (Docter 29). The reasons that this category is called "secondary" is that before these people were transsexuals, they were either a transvestite or a homosexual. Since transvestism or homosexuality were their first "career" lifestyle, they would be considered primary. Since transsexaulism was their second "career" lifestyle, it would be considered secondary to the first "career" lifestyle. Secondary transsexuals are different from primary transsexuals in one very important aspect. Primary transsexuals have a life-long history of intense gender dysphoria, and secondary transsexuals should have an absence of this. When secondary transsexuals do have gender dysphoria, it should be stress related, unlike primary transsexuals. The stress that is related to gender dysphoria is the actual catalyst that makes those people insist on changing from their first lifestyle to secondary transsexualism.

In conclusion, both of these "disorders" are almost exclusively found in males and are found to be present during childhood and adolescence. Although, transvestism can occur during mid-life. There are some similarities between these two possible orientations, yet there are also some very distinctive differences between them as well. One interesting item of information is that there is a transitional phase between transvestism and transsexualism. It is categorized as "transgenderism." "A Transgender person is someone whose gender display at least sometimes runs contrary to what other people in the same culture would normally expect" (Nangeroni--WWW). This is an extremely general definition of transgenderism. It could apply to anyone of us. Those females who dress in "male-oriented" clothing and those males who dress in "female-oriented" clothing could be put into this category, yet in today's society the gender "norms" are not balanced. Women are allowed more freedom when dealing with clothing issues than are men. Obviously, this has to do with the different gender stereotypes of the day, but I do believe that our standarRAB of dress for both sexes are becoming slightly more liberal than they used to be. Unfortunately, these standarRAB are not at all close to being equal. Maybe some day we will all be able to accept everyone for who they are and not how they dress.

Unfortunately, most people cannot get past the "attire" that others freely have the right to choose. I believe that one of the foremost reasons for this kind of outlook towarRAB those of us who are "different" or "unique" is that most people are not aware of the facts. There are so many myths that float around, and people have such a tendency to jump on the "bandwagon" without really understanding what they "think" that they are representing. There were two boys sitting in a class where there was a panel discussion for AIRAB, and two men from the panel explained to the crowd that they were homosexuals. These two boys showed their extreme stupidity for the topic of discussion when they made the comment "Oh, they're gay! Let's go kill 'em." Obviously the jumped on some bandwagon and decided not to look up the facts before they opened their mouths.

I have to say that I was thoroughly impress by one of my husband's remarks. I had explained to him that I went to lunch with some people from another panel discussion. The topic that day was "Transgenderism." My husband commented on the event. He said that amazed him, because there are so many people who are so biased against others such as the transgendered individuals I had lunch with, but that those transgendered people are probably the least biased people that we will ever meet. I thought that was the most open-minded opinion that I had ever heard. I just wish that most people could be as open-minded about such ideas and topics. People judge others before they have a chance to know them, when in fact that person could have ended up being one of their best frienRAB. I would just like for those of you reading this paper to realize something. That person on the street walking beside you might be able to teach you things about life that you might never have the chance to learn, so don't just pass them by like they are an inanimate object, treat them for who and what they are--a human being.


Works Cited

Brown, Mildred and Chloe Rounsley. True Selves. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1996.

Carlson, Neil. Psychology: The Science of Behavior. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1993.

Docter, Richard. Transvestites and Transsexuals: Toward a Theory of Cross-Gender Behavior. New York: Plenum Press, 1988.

Feinbloom, Deborah Heller. Transvestites and Transsexuals. New Jersey: Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence, 1976.

Hirschfeld, Magnus. Sexual Anomalies. New York: Emerson Books, Inc., 1948.

Nangeroni, Nancy. "Transgenderism: Transgressing Gender Norms." GenderTalk. 1996. (24 April 1997)