Copyright 1996 by Phi Epsilon Mu as an attachment to
their Internet Home Page. May be reproduced by any non-profit gender
organization. Please retain this header.
by Sandra with a little input from her friends.
Ed note: This has been edited to reflect
terms which have evolved over 20 years. The intent and subject matter remain unchanged. The umbrella term Transgender
covers all who identify including Crossdressers and Transsexuals.
So, your husband/significant other is Transgender. Welcome
to the club! In your quest for information, you have arrived here. Let me reassure you, there are many, many women in your
shoes. (You might also say that there are many husbands in their wife's shoes!) It has been estimated that as many as eight and a
half million adult males in the U.S. alone cross dress. It may be a secret that society has forced us to keep, but it's more common
than anyone realizes and it is within the range of human normal activity. It occurs in all societies and in all periods of history.
It is not a problem because your husband has a problem, but it is a problem because at this point in our history our society has a
problem dealing with it.
Our group is about helping you and your Transgender husband or husband-to-be deal with a society
that refuses to allow men to experience the full range of their personality. As women, we have made great strides in increasing the
range of gender choices available to us in clothing, hair, jobs, and personal demeanor. Men are still not only limited, but also punished,
for doing anything that society perceives as being feminine. Men are even limited (or feel they are limited) in color choices,
skin care, and even in the way they relate to their children.
Your husband truly admires and loves women, especially their clothes!
By dressing in women's clothing, he may express those feminine feelings which society deems unacceptable for men to feel or to display.
He probably doesn't want to become a woman in the literal sense, through surgery. In most instances he is happy with his masculine
and feminine sides. If he is a cross dresser (as opposed to a transsexual), he is not willing to give up all of his male needs
and desires.
Despite his "expanded" wardrobe, you cannot judge a book by its cover. It is the person inside with
whom you fell in love, and in all probability, he has had these feelings all his life. He is the same person you fell in love
with. Only your understanding of his full situation has changed. Despite the shock, hopefully you will stay in the relationship.
This is not an easy decision. Being Trans is not something that society has yet to fully accept. There are lots of women who
are unable to stay in such a relationship.
As you may have discovered, your husband is not like most other men. He
probably has a warm, caring, sensitive and nurturing side. This is a result of the feminine side of his personality being so
strong and playing such an influence on him. He is probably more understanding of you than most men. You may, in fact,
not have observed this. Cross dressing can be complex condition. Men who are cross dressers usually begin to feel the "need" to cross
dress at an early age, often about five or six years, and as they mature, society pressures them to suppress their need and keep it
as a deep secret. When the stress of middle age, increased financial responsibility of a growing family, and increasing job responsibilities
add to their normal stress of hiding their secret inner-femininity, some cross dressers begin to have difficulties in handling their
lives. This can lead to conflicts that mask the inner feminine personality and prevent you from experiencing the good side of
his cross dressing-- the loving, caring, nurturing and understanding part.
Wives and partners of cross dressers often report that when
a husband or partner is able to finally "come out" to the wife, and the wife begins to accept and understand, the cross dresser
often undergoes a major life change that permits the "good" side to develop and be expressed. Acceptance by the wife or partner
often leads to a whole new outlook on life by the cross dresser that carries over into the relationship.
Discovering that your husband
or partner is Transgender is not the end of the world. Cross dressing does not hurt anyone and it need not shake the foundation
of your marriage. In fact, he is a lot less likely to be unfaithful in your marriage than non-cross dressing spouses.
In some couples, cross dressing has served to strengthen their relationships. Many wives fear that their husband is homosexual or
bi-sexual because of his desire to cross dress, or to fear that he is "changing" into a homosexual, but this is not necessarily
the case.
The incidence of homosexuality or bi-sexuality among Transgender is the same as in the population in general, meaning
that it is not likely that he has hidden, or is just discovering, his sexual orientation. He probably is what he says he is--straight
(heterosexual) and in love with you. It is important to remember that one's sex (one's physical identity as "man" or "woman"
based on one's reproductive organs, chromosomes, and secondary sex characteristics), one's gender (one's mental perception of one's
self as "masculine" or feminine"), and one's sexual orientation (who one wants to mate with) are totally independent of one
another. It is entirely possible for a person to think of himself as being feminine but still want to mate with women exclusively.
Don't jump to false conclusions in this regard.
You are probably deciding whether or not to accept this "colorful" part of his personality. Believe
me when I say that there are many cross dressers whose wives know about the cross dressing but will not accept it in any form. This
is a truly sorrowful situation. Your relationship with your husband can be enhanced because he is a cross dresser. You
have more things in common with him and can enjoy a wider variety of activities than most couples. You can benefit from his
developing "softer side" and your acceptance and support will improve the quality of his life. Some cross dressers report that they
are certain that they would not be alive today due to the stress of hiding their "secret" were it not for the support of their spouse
or partner.
Ed note: It is well accepted that being Transgender does not go away and is part of who he is from birth. No amount of religious conversion will make this go away.
A successful relationship with a Transperson can be stressful to you.
I know. You have many fears. Will he be discovered? Will our families find out? Will this effect his job and our financial security?
Will the neighbors learn the secret? Will he be arrested for cross dressing, bringing public embarrassment? Will it hurt the kids?
Will he turn gay? Will he have a sex change? What will become of me?
Ed note: There is no law in the USA prohibiting dressing
as the opposite sex unless it is as a disguise to commit a crime.
A relationship with a cross dresser is about love and
trust. You feel betrayed because you shared your deepest secrets and trust with him, but he hid this secret from you. A relationship
with a cross dresser is about setting limits and about regaining trust and about flexibility.
His cross dressing can effect you
and your security so you have a right to negotiate limits with him. If he wants to go out in public, perhaps this can be arranged
on business trips to distant cities or on weekend field trips once a month to a local or nearby support group meeting. Or maybe he
can attend one of the regional annual cross dresser conventions. His outings do not have to be to your local mall where discovery
is more likely, although some cross dressers pass so well that this is simply not an issue.
Set limits on who is to know.
Some cross dressers feel the need to tell someone or to come out to the world completely. You have a right to help decide these
major decisions. Crossdressing is not illegal but you have a right to discuss your concerns about this with him and insist that he
not put himself in any situation that might lead to an arrest.
A trip to the mall is one thing, but a trip to the
Ladies' Room is something entirely different. Being caught in either restroom cross dressed is not the time to argue Constitutional
law with a minimum wage security guard who holds your future in his hands and needs to impress his superiors with his efficiency in
clearing "perverts" out of the restrooms. Set rules in advance that are "safe," and stick to them.
Agree on whether to tell the
kids, and if you are the slightest bit concerned of this, don't tell. Confront the issue of a sex change. He may be confused at first
and he may feel pressure to explore this possibility, but the vast majority of Transwomen (CD/TS) who have supportive wives resolve
their confusion and accept that they are unwilling, nor is it necessary to go any further. They are happy being part time and
in their acceptance of where they are because of the love and commitment to their family. Help him find himself. Above all,
be flexible. Both the cross dresser and his wife must honor the boundaries they set, but there is room for compromise as you both
grow.
The issue of the "secret" he kept from you for decades is difficult to resolve. Many wives feel life long hurt about this.
But when we discuss this issue in our support groups, the Transperson almost universally say that they love their spouse so dearly
that they could not bring themselves to discuss it with them before the stress and pain forced them to, or until they were accidentally
discovered by the wife or partner. Think about it. He endured great personal pain, suffering alone in his "closet" his
entire life. His greatest fear was of losing your love and companionship. He endured to assure the continuation of the marriage. Yes,
he betrayed your trust. But there are far worse betrayals. Most women should be so fortunate.
If you chose to accept, cross dressing
can be fun if you want it to be. Think of the things you can do together that you might not be able to do with a "normal" husband!
Laughter is the best way to go through life and to deal with cross dressing. Experience has shown that those couples who laugh
together are among the happiest and most successful in their relationship. You laugh together about many things, why not about
this?
Phi Epsilon Mu is a support group for wives, not just for the cross dresser or Transperson. We are committed to giving
women the support and information they need to cope with a cross dressing husband. It is an opportunity for wives to meet others in
a similar situation. Many wives who attend meetings have become close friends and can discuss and offer support on most anything.
Our meetings are very informal. There is plenty of socializing with wives and cross dressers, and often a discussion group for
both wives and CDs. A separate meeting may take place as it allows the expression of personal concerns and experiences between
women who can understand what each one of us is going through. Everyone benefits from the exchange of ideas and feelings.
It is a positive event for wives who are new or experienced in dealing with a TG/CD husband. Please come join us. See the Home
page for instructions on how to participate.
