The term "transvestism" simply means "cross-dresser" in Latin and is an exceedingly poor term, since it refers only to an observable phenomenon without any regard for what is causing it. This is like lumping malaria, smallpox, typhoid and tuberculosis together as "fever disease" simply because a high temperature is characteristic of them all. This was justified in the Middle Ages when medical knowledge was extremely limited, but not now. We require better identification and communication from our doctors today. This is no longer the Middle Ages for psychiatry either and we require the same thing of them namely distinction as to motivation and characteristics of a behavior pattern, proper diagnosis, and descriptive and distinguishing names for conditions that will aid in communication about and understanding of that condition. As a step in that direction I have coined the word "Femmiphillia" for the condition and "Femmiphile" for the individual manifesting it. The word literally means "love of the feminine". All normal heterosexual males love the feminine in women, but the femmiphile loves it in the sense of wanting to experience and express it. It is to be hoped that this term (or a better one) will in due course take hold. In the meantime for better temporary communication I will stick with the word "transvestite" with the understanding that I am referring to the "true" transvestite, which is to say, an individual whose only variation from the norm is cross-dressing rather than one whose principle variation is his homosexuality incidental to which he may on ocassion cross dress. Moreover for brevities sake I shall use the abbreviation common in Our group, namely the term"T-V", short for tranvestite.

So much for the means of communication about the condition, now let us see what that condition consists of. First off I must caution you to be aware of the frequent confusion of communication that appears in the literature in articles dealing with the subject of "transvestism." Close reading of some of these articles reveals that the individuals being described are often than not homosexually inclined and in some instances are transexuals neither of which should be included in the term. So, just as you are aware that "all is not gold that glitters, bear in mind that all are not transvestites who are listed under the term".