Why is Dressing Up So Important

[musicofthenight]

You might want to look up the term "autogynophilia", though.

~ Lyric ~

Why?  It's an awfully sexist concept, and you'll read some really bigoted stuff in support of it.

Lemme break it down.  For many people, not just MtF-spectrum folks, sexual experimentation is arousing.  If you happen to have male parts even minor sexual arousal, like what goes hand-in-hand with relaxation, is physically obvious.  Even when it doesn't accompany actual sexual desire.

Basically, it's perfectly normal for gender experimentation to be accompanied by physical arousal.  It does not mean that a person has to masturbate, nor that they will always be aroused by whatever identity they are trying on.  In fact, it'll probably get boring pretty fast.

Teenage cis boys get a free pass for admiring themselves in a mirror.  Teenage cis girls write bad self-insert erotic fanfiction, and sure! it's total crap but nobody labels them mentally ill for writing it.

You could call it autophilia.  And (stone me) I say that it is (in moderation) a healthy part of human sexuality.

The "-gyne-" part is bigotry, plain and simple.  And Dr. Blanchard is kinda like this guy:

i.e. a grade-A jerk.


A far better question to ask is:

"Is dressing, for me, a kink or an expression of gender?"

I think if it's just a kink, it's best left to the bedroom.  But if not, if you dress just to be normal, that's not a kink, that's gender.  Ready for the mind-blowing part?

People can experience both.  And one doesn't make the other any less valid for what it is.

[Tessa James]

Outside the home I still need to present male for a number of reasons.
However prior to HRT I really needed to dress up to feel the feminine self.
I started HRT about a year ago and as I progressed further into HRT and the physical changes started, the need seemed to subside. I still dress every so often but it is not the same kind of "need" anymore. The glimpses in the mirror now reflect a significantly more feminine stature and I also feel so much better within myself.
My undergarments and other non-obvious adornments are always female though and I have a reasonable woman's wardrobe at my disposal for whenever I feel like looking a bit more "glamorous".

By the way - I totally agree with your last paragraph Lesley Roberta - our garden is called "Wildwoods" and consists of paths through "woodland" with ponds and rivulets fed by recirculating water from the ponds all within a 1/2 acre suburban block. Visitors are often amazed at what we have developed and call it an oasis in the suburbs. (I "hate" mowing grass).

And a weed is just a flower out of place?  Sounds like lovely natural places, thx

[Lyric]

Why?  It's an awfully sexist concept, and you'll read some really bigoted stuff in support of it.

I don't really see the sexist thing. These days the terms "gynophilia" and "androphilia" are replacing the terms "heterosexual", "homosexual" and "lesbian" in many situations. A gynophile would be any person (either gender) who is attracted to femininity (not just the female). Gynophiles include heterosexual males, lesbian female and bisexual females-- as well as person attracted to transgendered individuals presenting as women. An autogynophile is simply a person aroused by the idea of presenting themselves as feminine. I suspect there are few people who are exclusively so, however. It seems to commonly be a broadening of basic gynophilia.

Though I've never read anything discussing it, I strongly suspect that autogynophilia is a more common addition to the sexual makeup of genetic women that for males. An awful lot of women seem to really enjoy dolling themselves up-- at least as much as crossdressing males do.

~ Lyric ~

[Devlyn]

   We have a no-->-bleeped-<- policy on the site. I'm not going to edit what's been said, but there is to be no further discussion of it, please. Thank you, hugs, Devlyn

[nepla]

I know it is not part of the OP query - but yes, something like that Terssa James - camellias and azaleas are currently in full bloom - just gorgeous.