So it is safe to state that for all practical purposes (leaving out the very few exceptions) all FPs start their FP lives with an erotic interest in feminine clothing whether one item or several. Typically it consists of handling and and later putting on some articles of feminine clothing and achieving erotic excitement in the process - culminating in mas- turbation and often with a mirror as part of the procedure. Now this is no surprise to you who read this, but it sometimes seems odd to out- siders non FPs. To me it seems so predictable that I can never under- stand their surprise. In fact the thing that is surprising to me is that more boys don't do it. You may say, Why? Simply because around the ages of 12 to 14 the young male is becoming sexually mature. Although erections have occurred since infancy they have not been emotionally connected with anything during childhood except that it was pleasur- able to masturbate and it relieved the erection it was also one of the more effective sedatives to induct sleep as millions have discovered. However, at puberty the sexual mechanisms mature. Physiologically, ejaculation of semen begins to occur and psychologically the sexual response becaomes focused on the female with sexual fantasies playing a big role. It is only to be expected, it seems to me, that in the absence of the female herself any and everything related to her takes on erotic power. In a culture which makes great distinctions (at least it used to) between the sexes in regard to clothing, hair styles, cosmetics, etc. these very same things take on a considerable erotic importance. It is not by accident that the three most common fetishistic items that FPs start on are high heels, panties and girdles (bloomers and corsets in an earlier day). These three items are the most feminine, (that is they are the least masculine articles) and thus carry the highest femininity and consequently the highest erotic "charge". The utilization of such articles as sexual stimulants is to be expected. The only real surprise is that they do not attract more males than they do. However it may be that they do attract the majority of males but that only in a certain per- centage of them does the cross dressing desire "take" as it were. This would imply that there must be something different about those in whom the clothing does take on its special significance. What that difference consists of is only a matter of speculation at this time un- fortunately.

Once discovered, this process of associating feminine clothing with the pleasures of orgasmic relief goes on for years. However, gradually three levels of behavior sort themselves out. Some persons never utilize any other articles of clothing beside their special item and thus remain in the category of fetishism wherein the special article becomes so

84