Definitions
Q: What is the difference between a crossdresser, a sissy, and transvestite. Is there a difference at all, or is it just a name? What's in a name Miss Teresa?
: I got some expert advice on this one so as to be as accurate as possible.
The Theory so far...
B: All such terms are somewhat arbitrary, don't you think? Even if there are perfectly precise definitions promoted by some, undeniably in popular usage a great deal of ambiguity attaches. For me, a CD enjoys wearing women's clothing for the fetishistic thrill of it; a sissy's joy comes from dressing and behaving girlishly; and a transvestite's enjoyment is derived from the adoption of a more womanly presentation and role. Of course, there is a great deal of fluidity between and among these different characterizations, as well as a progression, of sorts, from one to the other.
E: I have to agree with B. I CD for the feeling of the clothing, the feel of silk, satin,latex, PVC and leather on me. I love to wear my partners undies, bra etc. I would not call myself a sissy or TV at all. I think that sissy clothes, at least those sold on Ebay do not resemble sexy women's clothing. TV's are not the same as CD's, I think they want to be female, and most are gay, much like the ladyboys in Thailand.
A: I think that the term Sissy definitely has some kind of humiliation included in it. I know for me, just being pantied plays into power exchange and behaviour modification... I can only imagine what being sissified or feminized would mean for me! (methinks I'd love it!)
I think that CDs like ladies clothing... and I think that TVs take it beyond clothing and into behaviours...
But... those are just my thoughts...
A: Well, I suspect that in all three types there is some aspect of gender variance, and all three do mainly manifest in relation to the female. There is a tremendous amount of variation within each type, as there is in every form of human sexuality and personality, although in this case, it would be obvious that much more is involved than being merely male or female in ordinary circumstances. So everyone has their own reasons.
If there is a need to classify types, then i think T much has it said (not shown). Why a boy or man puts on women's clothing in the first place, and to what extent it affects him has so many variables and reasons, but in every case i would think gender confusion of some kind, however subtle or more apparent, is a primary motivation aside from simple curiosity.
i think a sissy is definitely more complex as a type, and the first two types can be involved in that classification, and to complicate matters even further, a sissy doesn't necessarily have to partake of women's clothing or feminization (although it might suit him perfectly.) Likewise a sissy isn't usually involved in little girl age play, which would seem to be a minority.
One has to take into account the personality of the individual, and how they relate to the female, and this is another topic altogether, although a prime motivation to this discussion.
It's an extremely broad topic, and i really cannot consider singular definitions for each type. Approximations, maybe.
N: I recently did some research on this, so I can say quite definitively: definitions vary.
But here is what I've been able to glean (and I'm sure others will have other definitions:
Transvestite: this term is falling out of fashion, because of it's derogative use in the past, but in the UK at least, it used by medical professionals to identify those crossdressers who were not also transsexual. That is, men who crossdress, but still consider themselves heterosexual males (the rest of the time, and sometimes even while dressed).
Crossdresser: this is an umbrella term for everyone who crossdressers, whether as a special occasion once a year, or all the time. This includes transvestites, sissies, those calling themselves genderqueer, and many but not all transsexuals (not all, because some transsexual never crossdress, as bizarre as that may seem!)
Sissy: this is a term with I think two main uses. First, it is used by any of the aforementioned types to refer to themselves, with no special meaning beyond “I am into girly things”. Other such labels might include gurl, t-girl, femme, etc.
It is also used for a particular subculture of femmes, men who often consider neither man nor woman, but often inferior or less than either. They are usually submissive (maybe to men, maybe to women, sometimes to both), and have a very strong humiliation fetish.
Whew. I'm glad you didn't ask about shemale, genderqueer, tranny, transsexual, and transgender!
