Actually you can have sex toys, they just can't be called sex toys or used as sex toys. As a cake topper however, they're a-ok. So... When come back...bring cake. (and vibrators)

Actually you can have sex toys, they just can't be called sex toys or used as sex toys. As a cake topper however, they're a-ok. So... When come back...bring cake. (and vibrators)

Brings a new meaning to crumbs in the bed.

maybe when it's the fact that the thing is masculine or feminine itself that is the turn on for the wearer or the oogler.

So cross-dressing is inherently eroticized. As opposed to me throwing on a pair of overhauls and one of my dad's old t-shirts to fix the plumbing under the sink, which is just dressing for the task at hand.

OK, I could certainly see that as being at least part of it. Thanks!

So cross-dressing is inherently eroticized.

I don't think so. I have a crossdressing cousin who does it at least as part of a rejection of the feminine norm.

Of course, sometimes dressing is just eroticised. My chick clothes may give me a frisson too.

However, there are political and emotional reasons I can see for taking on the opposite gender's clothing.

Sorry, Calli, I don't know as much about cross-dressing as I do about transgender stuff, so I don't know what to recommend to you. Maybe meara will have some books for you.

I have a crossdressing cousin who does it at least as part of a rejection of the feminine norm.

Cross-dressing is a socio-political statement and/or eroticized?

I mean, some people play music because they want to make a political statement. Some people do it because they love the process of making music. Some people do it to get laid. Some people do it because music is an intrinsic part of who they are. I could imagine cross-dressing as having at least as many reasons.

I don't know as much about cross-dressing as I do about transgender stuff

Thank you anyway, Kate. I appreciate you taking the time to discuss things to see if they fell in your area of knowledge.

I could imagine cross-dressing as having at least as many reasons.

I think it's pretty sure. You're going to encounter men who just plain like the feel of wearing skirts, women who think tuxes look better on them, etc, etc -- are you looking at crossdressing as a whole, or just the erotic part?

Also, are you looking at partial crossdressing? The man in the business suit and the frilly panties? The girl in y-fronts under her skirt?

I'm looking at cross-dressing as a whole, I think.

Huh. I hadn't even thought about partial cross-dressing. Yes, sure, I'd be interested in that, too, I think.

I was thinking of trying to write a story that would have a cross-dresser as a character, and figured it would be a good thing to do the research and not just have a To Wong Foo rip off. So I thought, ok, get a book or two, maybe a cultural study and a biography, and learn something. But, as with most things involving humans, 'tis complex.

I appreciate everyone's comments on the topic. They're helping me figure out just what the heck I'm looking for, which should be very useful. Thanks!

Unfortunately I have no answers. But I'm good with questions.

While we're kinda on the tip, maybe here's a better place to ask about references on gender identity (Kate?). I've been reading a bit about various physical gender...uhh...unconventionalities, IAS (partial and complete) and the like, and was wondering about the psychological components, but know not where to look.

ita, you're interested in phenotypically intersex people? Some sources:

Dreger, A. (2003). Notes on the Treatment of Intersex. Intersex Society of North America. [link] This is an article about the surgery-centered model (pick a sex, make the kid as much like that sex as possible) and the patient-centered model (hey, when you're ready, decide what sex you want to be) of treatment of intersex children (all types).

Sax, Leonard. (2002) How Common is Intersex? A Response to Anne Fausto-Sterling. Journal of Sex Research. [link] Sax, Fausto-Sterling, and Blackless are the big three names in current intersex research right now.

And here's a law approach: Hermer, Laura. (2001). Surgical Revision of Intersex Children. [link]

There's also an interesting film called "First Do No Harm", put out by ISNA, involving interviews with adults who were assigned to sexes in childhood, and a rountable of psychologists, parents, and intersex adults. It's a strongly editorial film (as you might guess), but it addresses psychological outcome directly (which a lot of surgical approaches seem to fail to do).