English Paper on Cross-dressing

[Ashley Rose]

Hey Guys!
My name is Ashley.  I am a senior in high school in Indiana.  I am currently taking an AP college course in English literature and for our exit project we have to write an 8-12 page paper on the topic of our choosing.  I chose to do my paper on cross-dressing.  The point of my paper is to contrast the stereotypes that the American people have of cross-dressers with the truth.  I want to share stories and to give cross-dressers a voice in my paper.  I need help in order to do all of you the justice that you deserve.  (Once I am finished I will be willing to send my paper to any of you who are interested in reading it.)  I am asking that each of you (or as many as want to) tell me a story about your self and your experiences with cross-dressing.  I want to hear your side and your emotions and views.  I am very excited to hear each of your responses.
Thank you!
Ashley

[gennee]

Hi Ashley! I read your post and I would like to contribute myexperience to your paper. What is it that you like to now?

Gennee

[Ashley Rose]

Gennee,
I am so glad that you are willing to share your experience with me.  Anything that you are willing to share, I am willing to read.  My paper is about breaking the stereotypes that America (and other countries, too) have placed on cross-dressers.  I am contrasting the real thing with the way that the media and pop culture portrays it.  My english teacher felt like my paper was too general in its draft form and wanted me to get specifics...stories, quotes, etc. to make my paper come more alive.  Anything that you or anyone else are willing to contribute I would be extremely happy to read.
Thank you so much!
Ashley

[gennee]

     I'll be happy to share my story, Ashley. Many crossdressers put their first article of the opposite sex when they are quite young, usually around three or four years of age. With me, it was only three years ago at age fifty-six. I never did it as a child nor did I have the desire. I was the typical male. I did male things, played sports, worked a job, raised a son.
      I began to feel that I was different when I reached my thirties. I honestly didn't know why I felt this way. I began to think of it as some special mission that I specfically was suppose to take part in and succeed. By 2002 or 2003 the fells of being different increased in intensity and frequency. Just the other day I was reading some short stories I had written several years ago. It revealed my feeling that I was different from your average male, but I still didn't know why. By spring 2005, it was beginning to affect my inner peace. I thought maybe I was weird or strange. When the urge to try on my spouse's skirt came upon I figured now I'm really weird.
     After days of putting it off I tried on my wife's skirt. I thought the urge would go away but it grew stronger. I tried on dresses, blouses, slips, panties, anythng feminine that I could fit in. I realized after a week that I was hooked. I sought counseling to clarify what was going on inside of me. I laid everything to the two counselors I shared it with. I was revealed to me that I was a crossdresser. A common misconception is that all crossdressers are gay. THe majority of crossdressers are, such as myself, heterosexual, married men.
     I was in denial for several weeks after the counseling session. I kept saying this urge would away. I didn't. Now I was wondering by this time how this would affect my family and livelihood. Unable to keep on denying all my feelings, I admitted to myself thatI am a crossdresser and that I enjoyed it. All my feelings of tension and struggle dissipated. I felt liberated and completed. Wearing women's clothing allows me to express the feminine side of me. All people have both masculine and feminine traits though many won't admit it. I have been out in public many times and love it.
      I have met many gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and I call them my brothers and sisters. I love to help other crossdressers who may be struggling because of guilt or shame foisted upon them by others and society. Well, that's my story, Ashley. If you wish to ask me questions, feel free to post here. I be more than willing to answer them.

Gennee               

[Ashley Rose]

Gennee,
Thank you so much for sharing your story with me.  I wrote this post a few days ago and have been monitoring it off and on.  I can see that a ton of people are looking at this thread, but aren't interested in replying.  I hope that everyone realizes that I'm not here to pry and I'm not here to criticize.  I'm just your average highschool senior girl trying to learn from others in the midst of writing a difficult paper.  I don't have very many questions for you because you did so well telling your story, but I do have a few.  Do you regret at all your decision to cross-dress?  Let me know if that question is overstepping my boundaries.  I just don't know very much.  You said that not doing it was disturbing your inner peace, did that peace come back as soon as you accepted yourself for who you are?  As a cross-dresser what is your view on the topic as a whole?  I know that is a kind of vague question, but I really don't know any better way to ask it.

Again, thank you so much for helping me out, Gennee.  I look forward to hearing from you again.

Ashley   

[tekla]

Sometimes you need to read something a few times before you know how to respond, give it some time dear.

[gennee]

Gennee,
Thank you so much for sharing your story with me.  I wrote this post a few days ago and have been monitoring it off and on.  I can see that a ton of people are looking at this thread, but aren't interested in replying.  I hope that everyone realizes that I'm not here to pry and I'm not here to criticize.  I'm just your average highschool senior girl trying to learn from others in the midst of writing a difficult paper.  I don't have very many questions for you because you did so well telling your story, but I do have a few.  Do you regret at all your decision to cross-dress?  Let me know if that question is overstepping my boundaries.  I just don't know very much.  You said that not doing it was disturbing your inner peace, did that peace come back as soon as you accepted yourself for who you are?  As a cross-dresser what is your view on the topic as a whole?  I know that is a kind of vague question, but I really don't know any better way to ask it.

Again, thank you so much for helping me out, Gennee.  I look forward to hearing from you again.

Ashley   

Your quite welcome, Ashley.

Gennee

[Case]

I am going to send you a private message with my story..

expect it sometime within the next hour hun 

[tekla]

I would caution you that everyones story is different in many important ways.  Some of the stereotypes are true, and even far beyond the stereotype itself.  Its just that its not true for all.  Perhaps not even for most.  There are a lot of reasons and a lot of stories, and at that they change over time.