Crossdressing - meaning and definition
Alsocross-dressingcrossdressertransvestitecross-dresser
Definition
Wearing clothing typically associated with a different gender from the one a person usually lives as.
At a glance
- Crossdressing means wearing clothes associated with a different gender from the one a person lives as.
- People do it for comfort, self-expression, fashion, performance or exploration.
- Most crossdressers live as their assigned gender and do not identify as trans.
- The older clinical word transvestite is now outdated and offensive to many.
- Crossdressing and being trans are not the same, though some discover their identity through it.
In detail
People crossdress for many reasons: comfort, self-expression, curiosity, performance, fashion, or as part of exploring gender. Most crossdressers live as the gender they were assigned at birth and do not identify as trans.
An older clinical word for crossdressing, transvestite, is now considered outdated and, for many people, offensive, so crossdresser is generally preferred by those who use a label at all. Some people discover through crossdressing that they are trans or non-binary, but the two are not the same.
In a sentence
- The support group asked members to say crossdresser rather than the older clinical word.
- He told his partner that crossdressing is a way he relaxes and expresses himself.
Where the word comes from
The older term transvestite was coined in the early twentieth century by the German sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld. Crossdresser later became the more widely preferred word among those who use a label.
Not to be confused with
- Transgender
Crossdressing is about clothing; being transgender is about gender identity.
- Drag
Drag is a stylised performance, usually on stage.
Common questions
Is crossdressing the same as being transgender?
No. Most crossdressers live as the gender they were assigned at birth and do not identify as trans. Some people do realise through crossdressing that they are trans or non-binary, but the two are different things.
Is transvestite an offensive word?
It is now considered outdated, and many people find it offensive because of its clinical and stigmatising history. Crossdresser is generally preferred by people who use a label at all.