Cross Dressing - 1571 Words

Introduction Cross Dressing has been at the center of debate for many years. There are conflicting opinions concerning the origin of the behavior and individuals that behave in this manner. The purpose of this discussion is to research human sexuality of cross dressing as it relates to psychology. We will investigate the findings published in several books and journals concerning cross dressing. The research will also focus on the treatments that are available for individuals that cross dress and their families. Let’s begin our discussion by defining cross dressing and the psychological factors that can lead to the behavior. Cross Dressing Defining Cross Dressing can be a rather arduous task because it is a complex subject.†¦show more content†¦(Bullough) The author asserts that the husband must be completely honest with his wife about the behavior. (Bullough) In addition, if a cross dresser is about to get married he should inform his future wife. (Bullough) The author contends that being honest about this behavior to the future wife will allow her to deal with the situation better. (Bullough) An article in, The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, explains that some women leave the relationship even if the husband is honest about his behavior. (Cairns) On the other hand, many stay for the sake of the children. (Cairns)The author explains that there are psychological reasons why these choices are made. The article asserts, â€Å"the wife who stays with a deviant husband, whether for the sake of the children, lack of alternatives, or even her love for him, is, almost by definition, psychologically deficient; whilst the wife who leaves her husband is also lacking because it was her own inadequacies which impelled her to marry him in the first place. Far from the transvestite causing psychological stress for his wife, the situation has been reversed and the wives are depicted as acting out their own problems and as needing treatment and therapy so that they can adjust to their husbands needs. If, however, they have already adjusted, this too can be seen as the outcome of some personal, psychosexual malfunction. (Cairns) The author,Show MoreRelatedCross Dressing884 Words   |  4 PagesCross dressing is considered one of society’s abnormal ideas because of stereotypical gender roles. Stereotypical gender roles are stated as, biological females are feminine and biological males are masculine. Cross dressing does not represent the gender specific roles; in which men and women are suppose to follow. The idea of men and women acting and dressing like their opposite sex is unacceptable to the reality that they face. The movie The Bird Cage supports the idea that society’s stereotypicalRead MoreCross Gender Dressing2838 Words   |  12 Pagesprescribing appropriate and inappropriate behavior. How a man and a woman are supposed to dress are unwritten codes of behavior that most people tend to follow. Cross-dressers represent a group that is defiant of established norms as they opt to dress in ways contrary to their gender assignment. Further controversy surrounds the issue of cross-dress ing particularly because there is little consensus on its definition. There is also debate on the distinction, if any, that exists between transvestism and otherRead MoreGender Identity As An Unacceptable Act1313 Words   |  6 PagesDavid had yet again stolen his sister’s dress but this time, his father was home to witness it. David loved cross dressing and playing kitchen. His father, on the other hand, was a strict ex-military officer. David’s father was a homophobic man who had zero tolerance for ‘gay’ behavior. David’s father believed that, â€Å"Cooking is a woman’s job, so men do not belong in the kitchen. If a man does things that are meant for a woman, that man is definitely gay!† Such beliefs of what a man can or cannotRead More The Roaring Girl Essay3978 Words   |  16 PagesRoaring Girl Though its primary function is usually plot driven--as a source of humor and a means to effect changes in characters through disguise and deception—cross dressing is also a sociological motif involving gendered play. My earlier essay on the use of the motif in Shakespeares plays pointed out that cross dressing has been discussed as a symptom of a radical discontinuity in the meaning of the family (Belsey 178), as cul-tural anxiety over the destabilization of the social hierarchyRead MoreArt And Acceptance Stemming From Adversity1477 Words   |  6 Pagesexperienced. Although men dressing in drag has been around since Victorian times, such as in Shakespearean plays, drag as it is thought of in modern times has been around since the 1800s. During the 1800s, drag queens were put on display in freak shows. These queens at freaks shows were used as a tool to enforce and reaffirm the beliefs of the time, to make a strict distinction between what was normal and abnormal. The po pularity of Queens at these shows was amplified by the cross dressing laws in place inRead MoreThe Battle For Women s Rights1926 Words   |  8 Pagesthroughout the text. In Memoir of a Basque Lieutenant Nun: Transvestite in the New World, Catalina De Erauso is born a woman and seems headed for the life of a nun living in a convent, however, she disagrees with this lifestyle and instead opts to cross dress, which is illegal at the time, and conceal her identity for most of her life to live as a man. In Candide, Voltaire writes about women getting raped, used as sex slaves, and having to try and marry into wealth to ensure a good life for themselvesRead MoreCultural Differences Paper892 Words   |  4 Pagesexperience serious discomfort with his/her own biological sex orientation. The gender identity disorder causes problems for this person in school, work or social settings. This disorder is different from transvestism or transvestic fetishism where cross-dressing occurs for sexua l pleasure, but the transvestite does not identify with the other sex (Ruble DN 1994) Racial Identity Racial identity is which racial society a person mostly identifies with. However, in today’s world many people have twoRead MoreCase Application 4-B: Off-the-Job Behaviors616 Words   |  3 PagesOiler was fired. The reason: Oiler was a cross-dresser. On his own time, Oiler changed his persona, becoming Donna, complete with wearing womens clothing, a wig, and makeup. Frequently out in public with his wife—in restaurants, at church—Donna maintained a dignified public appearance, bothering no one, and simply went on with his personal life as he chose. Management at Winn-Dixie, however, saw things differently. Shortly after they learned of his cross-dressing behavior, Oiler was fired. This happenedRead More Transvestitism Essay1990 Words   |  8 Pagesin the process. One area that appears little understood, however, is transvestitism, or cross-dressing. In order to gain some knowledge about this phenomenon, there are many aspects of transvestitism that should be examined, some being: history, societal views, the gay versus straight issue, and women dressing as men. Transvestitism has a long history, ranging from mythical figures to medieval saints who cross-dressed; from the many instances of berdache in anthropological literature to historicalRead MoreToday In Society People Are Starting To Gradually Become1126 Words   |  5 PagesToday in society people are starting to gradually become more open to the transvestite community. Some people take pleasure in dressing as the opposite sex in society. Even though someone dresses as the opposite sex doesn’t mean that they still couldn’t be attracted to the opposite sex. When people see a male or female dressed as the opposite sex their automatic assumption is that there gay but that’s not always the case. A male or female might want to dress in the opposite sex because either they