RANSVESTIA

Hence, symbols, per se, are not bad: they are expressions of ourselves. But when we allow symbols to replace or limit our selves, then they become harmful.

Because it has been a woman's role to be delicate and dependent, her clothing and accessories came to represent these personality characteristics and became identified as "feminine." These symbols helped to constitute the unreal image of women-its unreal aspect most purely displayed with its flawless adaptation by a man. And, just as the woman learned to employ these symbols, the transvestite learns to employ them ... that is, the transvestite separates these symbols from the woman and incorporates them into his personality. Thus, the transvestite uses feminine symbols to liberate himself from his sex-role stereotype just as the feminist uses masculine symbols to liberate herself. To argue against transvestites by saying they are imitating women, and thus downgrading them, is to deny that men are soft, vain, emotional and frivolous, and that means furthering the stereotype of men. "The effect of the drag system is to wrench the sex roles loose from that which supposedly determines them, that is, genital sex. Gay people know that sex-typed behavior can be achieved, contrary to what is popularly believed. They know that the possession of one type of genital equipment by no means guarantees 'naturally appropriate' behavior." (Newton, Esther. Mother Camp: Female Impersonators in America. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1972, p. 103.)

Surely the integration of personality traits denied and discouraged by society, and the adaptation of the symbols that express those traits, is a part of liberation for men and women. In feminist circles it is though "liberated" for a woman to wear jeans, T-shirts, boots, shoulder bags, etc., i.e., to in effect became a "male impersonator," although feminists vehemently deny this observation. Women are beginning to detach the rugged appearance of the masculine ideal from men as transvestites have detached the delicate appearance of the feminine ideal from women. It seems the main difference between the feminist and the transvestite, in this regard, is the degree of this detachment: the feminist dons a masculine appearance while retaining her female status (she is, as observed by others, a masculine-looking female), while the transvestite dons the feminine appearance to the degree of being mistaken by others for a woman. The transvestite has not been able to integrate his femininity into his self-image as a man and for good reason: in our society it is nearly

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