More the dressup aspect, Kate P. Specifically, I'm interested in stuff about men who like to or need to dress up as women, but do not plan to get surgery or otherwise transition. But stuff about women in a similar headspace would also be of interest. Thanks!

Hmm. I'm having trouble coming up with books that focus on cross-dressing rather than transgenderism. I mean, you could do a search at Amazon on "drag queens" or "drag kings" and see what you come up with. But it seems like a pretty blurred line to me. Are you looking for people who cross-dress for fun, like drag kings and queens, or who cross-dress in secrecy and shame, or who cross-dress every day as a matter of course? What about someone like my friend, born female, identifies as a man, lives and dresses as a man, but doesn't plan to get surgery? He doesn't identify as a cross-dresser, but I'm wondering if he'd fit your research because he's not taking hormones or getting surgery. If he still identified as female, while dressing male, would he fit your topic then? Sorry, I'm trying to help! I just don't know exactly what I'm looking for.

The whole thing seems very complex, which is part of why I'm trying to research it.

I'd be interested in both people who cross-dress for fun and those who have the secrecy and shame aspect, but not those who live their lives as the opposite sex. For example, a man who spends the majority of his time as a culturally-recognized male, and identifies as male, with the clothes and the hair and so on. But who also has a life, secret or not, where he cross dresses in public. Maybe only at drag bars, but still in a public space. Or is this a rare phenomenon in the cross-dressing community? This would also be a useful thing to know. I appreciate your trying to help, and I'm sorry if my question's vague or ill-informed.

meara reads this thread, right? I'm sure she'll be a fount of information.

I wonder if most people don't have a little cross-dressing or attraction to it in them. I'm thinking of men who like women in their shirts, women who like men in frilly pirate shirts and/or eyeliner. Women who love a sexy pantsuit and a fedora.

You're thinking blue-state again, Heather.

Wasn't that part of Obama's speech? "We coach Little League in the blue states, and love crossdressing in the red states...."

Nobody remembers the purple states.

You're thinking blue-state again, Heather.

It's because I live in a nearly blue county. I blame Oak Lawn.

You know, geographically speaking, it's really tricky for all the cities to secede and form a new country.