A Cross-Dresser’s Perspective on the Freedom to Be Who They Are

There’s a vast difference between who we are and who society thinks we should be.

From the day we are born, standards and expectations are imposed on us.

They assign us gender at birth and tell us to dress in a certain way for the rest of our lives.

We never had an opportunity to choose before. But things can be different.

Cross-dressers take matters into their own hands.

We refuse to be restricted into gender normative and limit our essence.

We are bold by nature, allowing us to conquer the much-needed freedom to be ourselves.

Here, I’ll talk about it from my perspective as a cross-dresser.

So keep reading this article to keep yourself updated!

1. No one should hide who they are

I’m here to talk about freedom to be who ourselves, but why do people still discuss this matter?

Everyone should have this as a granted right, regardless of gender, color, sexual orientation, age, or nationality.

We are all human, and being different and unique is part of that.

As individuals, we have our tastes, emotions, opinions, and points of view.

No one should have to hide their true selves out of fear.

Expecting a group of people to change themselves to fit is to deny their humanity.

It’s cruel, but unfortunately, some people still think it’s right.

That’s because being afraid of what we don’t understand is very human.

Cross-dressers and trans people suffer a lot since western culture doesn’t understand them.

Because of that, we are discriminated against and many times attacked just for being ourselves.

2. Cross-dressers are brave

Still, we resist. The number of cross-dressers to come out is more significant every year.

It proves that we are brave and are willing to fight for the freedom to be ourselves.

I mean, we live in a world in which  people used to persecute and lock us down for existing.

Even though the law is on our side now, at least in some countries, people still discriminate against us and try to make us feel bad.

But our community is strong. We help each other, and every day more people join our cause.

Despite all the odds, we risk ourselves daily, in an ultimate act of bravery, so we can keep doing what we love.

No matter what others say or do to discourage and stop us. And because of that, our numbers are growing.

3. We always find a way

Being able to cross-dress openly is a privilege, but you can’t suppress your true self for too long, and cross-dressers know that.

We always find a way to express this one side of who we are.

Many cross-dressers start their journey hiding it, dressing up when no one is looking.

When we are young, we often “borrow” stuff from female relatives and friends.

But as we grow up with more privacy and money, we start to buy our own stuff.

Many cross-dressers only start their journeys once they live by themselves.

Others keep on hiding and improvising, even though less frequently.

My point here is that we always find a way to adapt to the circumstances.

Even if the environment is hostile towards LGBTQ people, there’s a way to be ourselves out of their sight.

It is risky sometimes, but there are no limits to our creative thinking.

As such, we keep defying the boundaries of cross-dressing possibilities.

We create new ways of expressing ourselves in a way that suits our surroundings.

4. We should keep on fighting for our rights

If we give up, many newcomers will find themselves without support.

We must keep on demanding those rights not only for us but for the future generations of cross-dressers as well.

Can you imagine how things would turn out if you had that kind of support?

There are many ways to do that; some people would argue that everyone can participate.

You can start by going to pride parades, which usually serve as a place to demand this kind of freedom.

It is a symbol of our resistance and our will.

Participating in local elections also brings visibility to the cause and allows you to do more to ensure this freedom.

Besides that, try to promote conscious voting and educate people about LGBT themes.

Explain to them what cross-dressing means to you, and encourage mutual understanding.

As I said before, part of the lack of freedom is due to misinformation.

People tend to be afraid of what they understand and sometimes react aggressively.

But if we put some effort into explaining it to them.

They will see that we are not hurting anyone else.

And as a result, more people will be willing to grant us the freedom to be ourselves.

5. Society is changing

In several countries, things are already starting to look good.

More people are becoming open-minded and trying to understand us instead of discriminating.

They are acknowledging that being human means being different and varied.

Gender studies are also advancing worldwide, with new theories and concepts.

Science is on our side, as is the law in some cases.

Because of that, society is changing, as it’s given new ways to understand those differences better.

As it happens, we are granted more freedom to be ourselves.

As I’m writing it from my perspective, I’m talking about things that I see happening in western culture.

The world is a big place, and different cultures respond to change in different ways.

But I have hopes that one day, everyone will be free to be themselves without discrimination.

Being free to be yourself means that no one will make things more difficult for you because of who you are.

People experience that to different degrees nowadays, depending on their gender and other factors.

Prejudice still harms many of us, but we must keep on fighting to get rid of it.

Until then, we can improvise and find new ways to express ourselves without suffering.

Society is changing and becoming more welcoming to differences.

But it’s a slow process and depends on where you live.

Do you feel free to be yourself? Please elaborate on that and tell us in the comments!

Quiz:

What should we do to be free to be ourselves?

A. Improvise and do so in secret

B. Demand rights

C. Educate people and raise awareness about it