By: Katie

Subject: Transphobia

Davina asked why there was a danger in getting beaten up or murdered for dressing as a woman.

I believe that there are a multitude of reasons why you might get beaten up for dressing as a woman but I think that they all stem from a challenge to masculinity. Many men feel that males are superior to females and anything that challenges that view must be dealt with in a masculine way which is often violence.

I also believe that many crossdressers are victims of homophobia because quite often they are associated with being gay. There is also a element of misogyny which goes back to the idea that some men have about men being superior to women and any man wanting to imitate a woman is being weak.

For some it is just a challenge to their gender identity and the insecurities they may feel about their own gender identity.

I read an article about the harassment and violence against transgender people which I guess includes crossdressers in the broadest team. For just walking down the street or to the shops a US survey of 402 older, employed, high-income transgender people found that 60% reported violence or harassment because of their gender identity. 56% had been harassed or verbally abused, 30% had been assaulted, 17% had had objects thrown at them, 14% had been robbed and 8% had experienced what they characterised as an unjustified arrest.

I often wonder what drives crossdressers to actually want to venture outside the front door when all this hatred and ridicule awaits. It is a brave person who can take on all this and walk tall.