A FEMALE

CROSSDRESSER

Jaye (TX-202-R) has been counseling the above individual for about a year. "Melvin" is a large, six foot robust female who enjoys manish activities, jeans, work shirts and boots. "He" likes to work on machi- nery and would like to be a heavy equipment operator or a surveyer.

* V*

Heterosexual

crossdressing

as most of us know it is generally thought to be primarialy a male phenomenon.

Several factors seem to render this true. Yet as in every circumstance exceptions do exist. None-the-less the factor of social acceptability of mascu- line behaviours and masculine dress modulities among genetic females would seem to be the dominant force in the nonemer- gence of transvestism among fe- males as a recognized entity.

Simply put the masculine in our female counter parts does not usually have to be suppressed as our femininity generally does. Social forces bear upon us and our urges to express our feminin- ity are frowned upon. This pre- cipitates a problem. For us to ex- press our feminine components certain problem reductive pre- conditions are required for most of us. This sharpens our atten- tion to our femininity and fur- ther enhances our desires. This fouces attention. All of these are seen as concomitants of the existance of a problem. Females being socially fine to express their full personality experience no problem, therefore there is

little attention and their cross- dressing is merely taken as a matter of course.

Occasionally there arises a set of circumstances in which a genetic female experiences the rejection and hostility we com- prehend. This then presents a unique opportunity to observe, learn and relate with a female crossdresser who experiences much the same in terms of psy- chological pressure as do male crossdressers.

In my work I meet many people. My work involves inti- mate knowledge of the persons' life, emotions, biases, mental and physical states and personality.

In the line of duty recently a tense, anxious quite obviously unhappy young female came to see me. Suffice it to say the in- terview became quite interesting as I delved into her likes - dislikes - personality and family dynam- ics. Within a few minutes I knew across from me sat a female heterosexual transvestite.

Dressing according to her personal tastes caused trouble at home. Her husband had left her because she "wouldn't be a wo- man for him." It is interesting to note as an aside she once walked in on him in the bathroom. He was wearing her panties and bra. He was engaged in donning a pair of panty hose. She closed the

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door and said nothing. Her par- ents, though she is a mother, persist in trying to tell her how to dress, what manner of an occupation to seek, how to rear her child and such. This isn't only direct verbal meddling, it includes manipulatory ploys and persistant "guilt tripping". It extends to an older brother and has produced some strong rejec- tion feelings in my patient.

Early on in therapy I took the tact of being informative and very supportive of her being free to be Melvin. I encouraged her crossdressing on the basis of it being her right as an independant adult person and I instructed her in some simple assertive tech- niques in dealing with her family. Melvin proved an apt pupil. With- in two weeks she had verbally pounded her macho affective big brother into silence and won grudging approval from her hy- pocondrical mother.

This account of my encoun- ter with Melvin, a female hetero- sexual transvestite, is being re- leased with her permission. I use the female second person pro- noun here because though Melvin is the dominant personality fea- ture the female person she is is dynamic and not to be denied. Our goal is for Melvin to emerge fully, freely and together with the feminine componants of the whole person's being to achieve a peaceful balance, a balance in which self knowledge and self ac- ceptance form the bedrock foun- dation of a whole healthy per- son. Step one in achieving this goal as I see it is for Melvin to step forth free and exert his man- self confidently and fearlessly. I see this progressing already.

We are not alone. There are females facing the same sort of repressive pressures each of us knows. There are boys within. There are men suppressed inside wanting out and wanting free- dom even as our girls within, our suppressed womanness just beneath the surface cries for ex- pression and emergence. Those of us fortunate enough to dress freely at home and fortunate enough to meet and know one of our female counterparts are indeed smiled upon.

Smile upon yourself.