Trans Women! Some Caution About Crossdressing!
Dr. Z shares an important caution for trans women and transfeminine individuals who are starting to explore their gender.
This video is specifically about cross-dressing or expressing yourself in feminine clothing in the beginning of your gender exploration—what you can do in private. Dr. Z throws out this cautionary tale because what she's going to talk about is something many of you have already experienced, and the experience may have really scared you.
In the beginning of gender exploration, what some trans women tend to do (especially if you're older) is the cross-dressing purge. You go online, buy feminine clothing, it gets delivered, and when you're alone in privacy of your home, you put it all on. For some people this feels amazing and affirming. But for others, something else happens.
You look at yourself in the mirror and all you see is "I'm just a man in a dress. I will never pass. I look hideous." This isn't you talking—it's internalized transphobia.
Watch to find out why this happens, why the shame and guilt that come up are cultural (not yours), why this can regress you for months or even a year, and how to handle internalized transphobia when it surfaces during cross-dressing.
