<p>I’ve decided once I go to college this upcoming school year, I’m going to live my dreams of being a girl. Before going on, there are a few things I should get out of the way:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I am still straight. I just prefer pretending to be lesbian then a straight guy.</p></li>
<li><p>I would never do this if I knew I wouldn’t be able to pull this off. I’m 18, yet I’m only 5’2", and weigh 97 pounds. On other words, I have the appropriate body type (or, at least as good as I can get for my situation.)</p></li>
<li><p>I have been patiently waiting until college to do this, since I wanted to finish high school as a guy. I don’t have experience doing this in public yet.</p></li>
<li><p>I will be buying a wig, unless I’m able to grow my hair out enough before college starts (which I may very well be able to).</p></li>
<li><p>I’ve recently come out to both my parents, who are both pretty understanding of it, <em>although my mom thinks I’d somehow be more attractive to girls as I am, a 5’2" red head kid, who usually acts to nice to anyone, unless they get on his bad side. My dad is more concerned with how other people and professors will think of me. Please respond to both of these issues when you reply</em>. </p></li>
<li><p>I’m sick of being treated like a 5 year old by a majority of people who don’t know me very well. Even if I get treated as an asswipe by doing this, I find it more gratifying then how I am treated now by random people who don’t know me well.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Really, I’d like to know if you’ve ever known anyone who’s ever cross dressed in college before, and if they did, how it worked out for them. This will mostly be used to show my parents what the reality of life will be like if I crossdress, but really, I’m curious too. Thank you for reading, and MAKE SURE YOU READ #5!</p>
<p>Please correct me if I am wrong but I believe you are saying that you are a genetic male who identifies as a female? If you feel that a lesbian woman is a more accurate identity for yourself there will be lesbians who will still be attracted to you - the post above is ignorant. </p>
<p>Unfortunately as a cis-gender male I can’t speak from any personal experience but if you’re going to a liberal school you won’t be the first person to transition there.</p>
<p>If it’s more that you like dressing as a woman but don’t identify as one - that’s also doable and probably easier logistically.</p>
<p>OP–
the recently graduated student body president at American University in DC began college as a male, and graduated as a female–who was elected to office with her story well known on campus. She was well liked on campus–I met her a couple of times as she was in many of my son’s classes.</p>
<p>I guess I should have explained a few things better. After college, if I do have enough money, I do wish to make myself look more feminine, with breasts, etc. I do want to identify as a female as much as possible, otherwise I wouldn’t really be crossdressing at all, while still looking for a girl who’s onto me like that.</p>
<p>If you have the luxury of choosing colleges to attend, contact the school’s LGBT resource center to find out if students are generally accepting of trans persons and what sort of problems those who have made the switch face. </p>
<p>I know one person at my school who switched from male to female (also gets hormonal treatment in addition to cross dressing) and she’s faced a number of problems that students in more liberal schools would not have to deal with including dorming issues, what name to be called, etc. However she’s extremely happy that she made the switch despite the number of social problems it’s caused.</p>
<p>Yes, I do still have the option of choosing colleges, and I’ll be visiting my first college on Saturday. I’ll ask someone while I’m there. =3 </p>
<p>And I do feel it will be worth whatever social issues I have to pay. Being a guy is just not to enticing to me, I just think I’d feel better as a woman.</p>
<p>List me as among those who are confused… if you are straight (per #1) and want to attract women and/or a significant other, I can’t see how this will help you with that… I assume a lesbian woman would prefer a relationship with a woman, not a cross dressing guy. </p>
<p>Also, it sort of sounds like your reason for doing this is because you look young for your age and are tired of being treated as if you are younger than you are… this doesn’t seem like it will fix that problem, either. You can now be treated as if you are younger than you are AND have some additional social issues because you are cross-dressing. Again, does not sound like a winning combination to me…</p>
<p>If you really can’t envision life NOT doing this and it is central to your self identify, then you should do it. If you aren’t sure, and want to fit in better socially and not raise eyebrows with your professors in college, then maybe you should save cross dressing for a private behavior or when you are away from campus. You can’t really have it both ways – you can’t cross dress publically and expect that no one will pay attention to it, and you can assume that all the attention will not be positive.</p>
<p>Btw, don’t just ask people about how accepting the school is of LGBT. Most school are for the first three. Ask specifically about the T in both student attitudes and the surrounding community. While many students may not have had direct experience with a transgender person, most of the LGBT centers will. From what the director of the one at my school has said, those are the students who most frequently make use of the center since they require more resources (particularly those who seek out hormonal therapy) students who are not simply straight. You may also want to ask if there are any other trans people in the surrounding area. At a school like Oberlin which I’ve been told is well known among the trans community, that’s not a problem. At most other schools there may be very few, if any students who’ve transitioned. </p>
<p>Btw, check if there’s a Planned Parenthood nearby. I know that trans people at my school and in the surrounding Oklahoma City area meet there since it provides both a safe house and hormone therapy. However, this may just be Oklahoma specific advice.</p>
<p>Definitely cross dress if you are completely sure of it. Don’t let other people dictate how you live your life. I’m bi, maybe even gay, and as a college student, I’ve been so much more open. It’s nice not to have to hide a big part of who you are. Just know, as a trans, you may get a lot of hate, but if you think it’s worth it, then do it!</p>
<p>Responding to your question #5 as a parent and someone who has gay, trans, cross dressing etc. friends: Your mom is concerned about attracting girlfriends. Is that the main issue for you? I think not. Her concern is irrelevant. Your dad is concerned about what other people will think of you. I would not worry about your professors other than to have a ready response for what they are supposed to call you. This may sound trivial, but if your name is Robert and you look like a girl, that’s going to throw them. So just have a firm answer if you’re asked, and realize that some will call you whatever is on their roster regardless. As for other people, in class and around campus that’s less than an issue of than in the dorm. You have no control over what the reaction of your roommate, suitemates, hall mates and those who share a bathroom will be, so think that through. If there is a youth group for LGBTQ kids in your area, you might want to check that out now. One of my son’s best friends is genetically female, now identifies as male, and I’m sure he gets a lot of support from participating in a group like this.</p>
<p>wait, I’m confused.
you’re straight yet you came out to your parents? you just told them you cross dressed?
your professors would probably not give a darn about your crossdressing–espeically if its natural. But you described your self well—its not like your a 6 ft guy wearing tights and using make up to cover 5 oclock shadows.
Best advice is just to be you and be you confidently. Dont look for approval from others—dont seprate yourself from others.
cross dressing isn’t that taboo anymore. good luck</p>
<p>Part of the confusion may be terminology - when I see crossdressing, I think of transvestitism, not trangenderedness. If you identify as a woman, then dressing as a woman isn’t crossdressing, it’s just dressing. I’d use “transitioning” to describe what you’re wanting to do. </p>
<p>(Also, my vote would be to go for it, but really, the only vote that counts here is your own.)</p>
<p>Ember, read #1 in your original post to see why we’re confused. “Pretending to be a lesbian” is way different than transitioning from male to female.</p>
I’d use “transitioning” to describe what you’re wanting to do. </p>