Subject: Re: Cross-dressers
From: alternat@watserv1.waterloo.edu (Ann Hodgins)
Date: 1991-01-25, 09:15
Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks

In article <1675@bbxsda.UUCP> scott@bbxsda.UUCP (Scott Amspoker) writes:
> >In article <1991Jan24.182943.25508@watserv1.waterloo.edu> alternat@watserv1.waterloo.edu (Ann Hodgins) writes:
>> >>[theories about Denise's cross-dressing...]
>> >>1) perhpas the male role makes him tense for some reason and a female
>> >>identity frees him from that tension.
> >
> >What role is this?  Ask 10 men and you get 10 answers.  I would hazard
> >a guess that walking around as a woman in our society is probably more
> >tense than as a man.  Men and women are treated differently.
 

I agree that in fact there is no role but find that some men believe absolutely
in what *they think* the role is to the point where they believe that the
role is absolute and unescapable. Such men (in my limited experience) will
sometimes go to extremes (like cross-dressing) to try to escape their limits.
> >

>> >>3) perhaps he grew up with strong female models of behaviour and few
>> >>if any male role models so he knows how women should act but does not
>> >>know how to act as a male...
> >
> >That would require growing up free from television, magazines, newspapers,
> >advertisements, and novels.  Unlikely.
 
I didn't mean that such a man would have no exposure to male-type behaviour
but just that he would not be familiar *enough*  with it to feel natural
in the role, instead he would feel like an actor putting something on.
This could happen to a boy who was raised by a strong mother and older
sister and who found their actions and feelings impressive and who identified
with them. There are men around who learned how to be strong and how
to be active in life by their mothers, not their fathers.

a.h.