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Gender Dysphoria pp 207–225Cite as

The Meanings of Cross-Dressing

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Part of the book series: Perspectives in Sexuality ((PISE))

Abstract

In order to better understand the many sexual anomalies that involve the wearing of or at least the use of women’s attire by men, it is instructive to examine what clothes mean to the average person. Anthropologists long have recognized that throughout history almost all societies have a division of labor that is based on age and on sex. In many cultures the distinction between male and female is readily evident in the costuming that is worn. The clothes of men and women serve as insignia or as signals of the gender of the individual wearing them, and they indicate that the expected sex role behavior should be forthcoming from that person. The outward form of the costume chosen is often taken at face value to represent social station, roles, wealth, and the like as well as sex roles. Thus, the social climber, by dressing like an upper class lady, hopes to be accepted as one. Dorner (1974) noted that clothes serve many purposes related to climate, technological advances, sexual display, political, social and economic structures, historical precedent, and the influence of the mass media. The latter create images of masculine and feminine idealized types that can have widespread influence. Yalom and Yalom (1971), for example, discussed the influence that Ernest Hemingway had on 20th century ideals of the male role.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, M5T IR8, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Ron Langevin

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  1. Ron Langevin
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Betty W. Steiner

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© 1985 Plenum Press, New York

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Langevin, R. (1985). The Meanings of Cross-Dressing. In: Steiner, B.W. (eds) Gender Dysphoria. Perspectives in Sexuality. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-4784-2_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-4784-2_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-4786-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-4784-2

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