Oscar De La Huerte answered
In my opinion, being a transvestite doesn't necessarily imply homosexuality, although it wouldn't be uncommon to find gay transvestites as the two lifestyles are fairly compatible.
Are transvestites gay? One way I'd approach the question is by deciding for yourself why people choose to be transvestites in the first place.
Most men have at least contemplated the idea of putting on women's clothing at some point. Whether as a bachelor party prank, or in the form of some hipster-looking skinny jeans- the idea of dressing as a woman isn't as alien as we might think.
Historically, the idea of androgyny and gender-crossing roles is nothing new to human society, and the way we associate particular clothing trends with sexuality is subject to some debate.
For example, a man waltzing down a modern high-street in a toga might seem more 'feminine' now than it did a few thousand years ago.
Transvestites, cross-dressers, and sexuality Magnus Hershfeld, the man who coined the term 'transvestite', originally did so to describe a sexual interest in wearing women's clothing. He himself was unsatisfied with the term because he believed that wearing women's clothing was merely an outward sign of inner psychological sexuality.
Considering that the very origins of the word 'transvestite' were based on a connection with sexuality, it is easy to see why transvestitism is still associated with homosexuality today.
However, it is worth noting that during the 1970s, a sufficient number of straight transvestite males felt so strongly about the homosexual connotations of the term 'transvestite' that they decided to use the term 'cross-dresser' to distinguish themselves.
These days, the two terms mean much the same thing and, as a result, the distinction in sexuality between the two has been blurred.
Are transvestites gay? One way I'd approach the question is by deciding for yourself why people choose to be transvestites in the first place.
Most men have at least contemplated the idea of putting on women's clothing at some point. Whether as a bachelor party prank, or in the form of some hipster-looking skinny jeans- the idea of dressing as a woman isn't as alien as we might think.
Historically, the idea of androgyny and gender-crossing roles is nothing new to human society, and the way we associate particular clothing trends with sexuality is subject to some debate.
For example, a man waltzing down a modern high-street in a toga might seem more 'feminine' now than it did a few thousand years ago.
Transvestites, cross-dressers, and sexuality Magnus Hershfeld, the man who coined the term 'transvestite', originally did so to describe a sexual interest in wearing women's clothing. He himself was unsatisfied with the term because he believed that wearing women's clothing was merely an outward sign of inner psychological sexuality.
Considering that the very origins of the word 'transvestite' were based on a connection with sexuality, it is easy to see why transvestitism is still associated with homosexuality today.
However, it is worth noting that during the 1970s, a sufficient number of straight transvestite males felt so strongly about the homosexual connotations of the term 'transvestite' that they decided to use the term 'cross-dresser' to distinguish themselves.
These days, the two terms mean much the same thing and, as a result, the distinction in sexuality between the two has been blurred.
