Dear Editor

LETTERS

Dear Editor,

When I became aware of my tastes in clothing, I naturally sought explanation, and pursued several lines of inquiry before I discovered your organization. As the result of these, I have information from various groups, psycho-analytic, sociological, historical, etc. Freud had ideas which were useful, and, of course your group added sub- stantially to the store of information.

Transvestism is attributed to a long list of causes, but there is a transcending concept threaded through them all, and to me this suggests something which may be of value to everyone. It is sug- gested that a nearly universal sex psycho-neurosis exists and is manifest in regular pre-occupation with sex identification of the individual. Certainly it is important that sex identification be known for purposes of lovemaking and reproduction, but its importance is certainly much less in all other activities, yet by tradition the in- dividual is clothed, almost from birth, in such a way that the sex of the person can be determined almost as far as he can be seen. Why? Doesn't this indicate a functionally abnormal pre-occupation with sex?

It is certainly more important that doctors be distinguished from non-doctors, yet this is generally done with a piece of paper or an insignificant pin, or both. The same can be said of Ph Ds and others, yet the inability to tell at a glance is apparently of no concern: A pin or a diploma will do as well. The ability to tell sex by clothing worn serves to attract men to women, but this includes undesirable men at times, and in a few instances has been of injurious or even fatal results

to women.

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