a "cure"

Absaroka · Post by **Absaroka** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 11:56 am

This is perhaps very appro po of crossdressing. A synopsis of THe Country of the Blind by HG Wells.

It's said that in the land of the blind a one eyed man is king. But one day a sighted man wanders into the land of the blind. He tries to explain sight to them but they dismiss this as the ravings of a lunatic. He is examined by doctors who say that those mysterious things above his nose are very swollen (their eyes have all atrophied) They reason that the swelling is caused by infection and is pressing in on his brain, causing his insanity and delusions. They propose to operate, removed the things he calls "eyes" and thus curing him of his insane delusion about this thing called sight.

Read it yourself for the ending.

Andrea

Stephanie H · Post by **Stephanie H** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 12:34 am

Andrea:
What do you propose that be remove from our detractors or from us?

Terri(SO) · Post by **Terri(SO)** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 8:30 am

I think that the point is there is nothing to be removed. Neither from crossdresser nor drabdressers.

The blind persons of the story are unable to accept that, because they do not experience sight, it is an insane delusion.

There are some people today who believe that crossdressing is the result of mental illness.

Virginia · Post by **Virginia** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 12:01 pm

Terri (SO),
Mental illness ? Some thing that way - I have it in writing!!!!!
Virginia

Terri(SO) · Post by **Terri(SO)** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 1:56 pm

I don't understand what you're saying.

Paulie · Post by **Paulie** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 2:04 pm

Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone could "open their eyes" everyday?

When you look back over history and see so many things that others/society deemed to be a disorder or disease and over time concluded them to not be, is amazing.

Look back to the late 1800s to early 1900s, when women were said to have "hysteria" (sp). They would go to the doctor, who would induce an orgasm, and.... viola! They were cured! LOL

I would like to think that the day would come soon, that all of us could be accepted for who we are..... not just the clothes we choose to wear.

Post by **DonnaT** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 10:11 pm

Virginia wrote:Terri (SO),
Mental illness ? Some [thing] --think-- that way - I have it in writing!!!!!
Virginia

Terri(SO) wrote:I don't understand what you're saying.

Virginia's talking about her Ex's Lawyer's remarks, in writing, with respect to the divorce hearings.

Virginia · Post by **Virginia** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 1:43 pm

Thanks Donna, yes it was "think" AS I have said that when someone in a postion of "responsibility" and "power" puts in writing in a public document that as a crosdresser I am an "insane pervert." I can only - ONLY assume that that is his opinion of not just me!
Thanks for clarifying (It was one of those things that I read and reread several times and still did not see the misspelling!)
Virginia

Valerie · Post by **Valerie** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 1:33 am

Virginia wrote:Terri (SO),
Mental illness ? Some thing that way - I have it in writing!!!!!
Virginia

So, Virginia, those of us that are CDing have Mental Illness? So I am a mental case,

. And I thought I was just wierd ( that is what my SO thinks,besides thinking I am going gay ).

Elinor · Post by **Elinor** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 9:14 am

Its NOT an illness so there is no cure.

Who wants to be cured anyway? I don't I enjoy it.

Something ODD about males who do not crossdress if you ask me, around this site they would NOT be normal would they?

Keep on skirting

YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE!

Elizabeth · Post by **Elizabeth** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 6:54 pm

Hi girls,

Unfortunately, a lot of what our modern society considers insane has more to do with what violates the religious and societal training virtually all of us recieve as we grow up.

Until 1971, homosexuality was listed in the DSM as a disorder. It was not until homosexuals banded together and said "we are not insane, we are part of the human condition", that the DSM was changed.

More recently, when the DSM-IV was released, the rest of the "paraphillia's" were changed so that they were only mental illness if they cause the person distress or inability to function. This is significant since most of the distress has to do with the act being repugnant to society and usually not the person commiting the behavior.

There are many who outright consider crossdressing to be Transvestic fetishism regardless of the actual motivation of the person. However, when one looks at the DSM-IV it says the following:

o Over a period of 6 months, heterosexual male patients have recurrent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving cross-dressing.

o The fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

o Typically, patients derive sexual gratification from wearing clothes usually worn by the opposite sex, and patients typically are heterosexual married males (not a DSM-IV criterion).

So? even though a person may be seuxally gratified by wearing women's clothes, unless it causes them significant distress or inpairment in thier life, there can be no diagnosis. Also, as many of my sisters can tell you, they are not sexuall gratified at all by crossdressing.

One more thing. The fantasies, the sexual urges or the behavior must cause the distress, not the persecution one may recieve for displaying the behavior. I know not everyone agrees on this, but the DSM-IV is clear about this point. It can not be that "others" decide if we are mentally ill, by thier choice to persecute us or not. It has to do with the behavior and how one feels about on the inside. If you feel good about crossdressing, other than the guilt and shame society would place on you, than no diagnosis can be made for mental illness.

Why is all this important? Because like homosexuals, we are a part of the human condition. Most of us are now aware, because of mass media and the internet, that we are in great numbers. While we may be an anomaly, we are most certainly a part of the human condition, and our biggest hurdle is not that we ourselves hate our crossdressing, but that it violates the religions and sensibilities of the majority of the world's populations.

Love always,
Elizabeth

Loretta Ann · Post by **Loretta Ann** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 8:01 pm

Elizabeth...

You wrote:And our biggest hurdle is not that we ourselves hate our cross dressing, but that it violates the religions and sensibilities of the majority of the world's populations.

That statement is not correct...And needs to be challenged. To state that correctly you would have to say that your opinion is that it violates your understanding of the religions of this world. And that your understanding comes from what you have heard and read, and not from those Christians who quietly go about their own business, and can't be bothered about passing judgement on those of us who do not have a problem with who we are.

There are far more of them than you will ever know, And those of you who hold the opinion expressed in your post, are missing out on a lot. In fact it is a stumbling block for many of us.

I am sorry if this offends you, but some one needs to say something about this. I can no longer hold it back.

Cheers.

Beauty · Post by **Beauty** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 8:25 pm

Hi Elizabeth,

You don't crossdress. You are a non-op TS. Do you think uour feelings about wearing women's clothing gel with the average crossdresser?

Regarding what Darlene said I wonder if she misread it like I did the first time. I originally thought you said our biggest hurdle was not only hating our CD'ing, but that to us it violates our religous or other sensibilities of the majority of the world's populations. After I re-read it like 10 times

I finally got it. You were saying our biggest hurdle isn't that we hate ourselves. Our biggest hurdle is how many religious and secular people believe it's wrong. That's a big difference. I agree with you there.

Loretta Ann · Post by **Loretta Ann** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 9:10 pm

Hi Beauty...

You wrote:Regarding what Darlene said I wonder if she misread it like I did the first time.

I don't think I did.

You also wrote:Our biggest hurdle is how many religious and secular people believe it's wrong.

Sorry Beauty but that is not one of my problems. That would entail remaining at the mercy of society = the world. And if that was the situation I would have no use for Christianity.

Cheers.

Beauty · Post by **Beauty** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 9:44 pm

Hi Loretta Ann,

Ok, so did you just say you don't feel that our biggest hurdle is that religious and secular people think there's something wrong with us?

If so I don't understand how acknowledging that the world feels this way brings us to our knees? Should I live in denial?

They do feel that way. We aren't allowed to be ourselves in the mainstream world climate because we are tabu. No biggie to me. It's just life, I can deal with it.

They do feel that way. It doesn't mean that I'm going to crawl under a rock.

I don't understand how the world's view of us being "not right" has anything to do with us being accepted by silent groups of people who aren't against us (religious or not).

Please lets not make this a religious thread. Not just Loretta Ann, but anyone who wishes to add to this. Thanks!