What Is Crossdressing ?

 The term "Cross-dressing" denotes an action or a behavior without attributing or implying any specific causes for that behavior. Some people automatically connect cross-dressing behavior to transgender identity or sexual, fetishist, and homosexual behavior, but the term itself does not imply any motives. Cross-dressing is most commonly practiced by heterosexual men.

Cross-dressing has been practiced throughout much of recorded history and in many societies. There are many examples in Norse and Hindu mythology. A reasonable number of historical figures are known to have cross-dressed to varying degrees and for a variety of reasons. There is a rich history of cross-dressing found in folklore, literature, theater, and music.

 There are many different kinds of cross-dressing like a man Crossdresses in woman or a woman crossdresses in man .There are many different reasons why an individual might engage in cross-dressing behavior.Some people cross-dress as a matter of comfort or style, out of personal preference for clothing associated with the opposite sex. In this case, a person's cross-dressing may or may not be apparent to other people. Some people cross-dress to shock others or challenge social Norms.

Simplistically speaking, a crossdresser is a person whose gender identification is with one sex but who wears the clothing of the opposite sex because the clothing is the clothing of the opposite sex. This is opposed to, say a woman, who wears a men's sweat suit because it is more comfortable or more convenient and not because it is a "man's garment." For a crossdresser, dressing it is not about comfort or convenience, but about the gender role that these garments are associated with. With many crossdressers, it is not just the clothes but also the mannerisms and the being in the role of the opposite sex. This is why some crossdressers do more than simply wear a bra and panties, but take great efforts to portray the opposite sex convincingly and participate socially as the opposite sex, even if only temporarily.

 
There are many reasons motivating a crossdresser to crossdress. Some of these reasons may include a sexual or fetishistic component, but the again, some of these reasons may have little to do with fetishism. Some crossdressers may have had some initial sexual response when dressing but no longer do so. Like a transsexual, a crossdresser may have some degree of gender dysphoria, which compels them to dress periodically but this gender dysphoria is not so strong or consistent as to compel them live full time as the opposite sex or have surgeries to alter their bodies. These motivations make for a very interesting discussion, but such a discussion is beyond the scope of this article.