When Does Cross Dressing Begin?
It is clear that cross dressers don't just wake up one day to find that they have an urge to dress in women's clothes. So, when does it all begin?
Many believe that cross dressing desires can be recognized at a very young age. Indeed, many cross dressers report their earliest memories of cross dressing to be from the pre-adolescent years. Painting fingernails, dressing in female underwear and trying on high heeled shoes are all acts that form the basis of many stories.
Most cross dressers also recall memories from the teenage years. This can be an extremely challenging time for any adolescent, but perhaps even more so for a cross dresser. Whilst the teenager can see physical changes that confirm his masculinity, his feminine desires are likely to raise many questions. Being pulled in two different directions causes much confusion in the mind of a youngster.
Amidst the abundance of hormones, a cross dressing teenager's desire to find his true self often emerges during this time. In the main, this is done behind closed for fear of being caught and ridiculed. Social and peer pressures often force a cross dresser to comply with a 'macho' image. Not wanting to be isolated or bullied, it is common for boys to deny their feminine urges and play along with the masculine stereotype. While all appears to be well from the outside, the reality is quite different. Society is generally unsympathetic to issues such as gender identity, so the teenager often has little choice but to fit the mould until he has the confidence to do something about it.
For the few that acknowledge their transgender status at an early age, support and guidance is available. Gender therapy can be a great help in making sense of all that is going on. The internet also acts as a very valuable resource, enabling young cross dressers from around the world to help and support each other.
In reality, the vast majority of cross dressers don't fully acknowledge their cross dressing desires until later on in life. Remember, cross dressers are happy with their masculine traits. The only thing that makes them different to any other man is that they like to express the female side of their personality by dressing as a woman. This may only happen every now and again. Only a small percentage choose to be en-femme all of the time.