Definitions and distinctions between cross-dressers, drag queens, and transgender individuals

Distinguish Between a Transvestite, a Transgender, a Cross-Dresser, and a Drag Queen

A person who notwithstanding of their reasons, regularly wears another gender's clothing is generally referred to as a "Cross dresser" (Moorer, n.d). It is a male who regularly wears female clothing, often heterosexual, as a fetish or expression of social defiance etc. M.A.S.H TV series' character "Klinger," who considers himself compelled, as a way of protest, to a cross dress, or as a form of self-expression and defiance or social defiance, might be a transvestites' fictional example (Moorer n.d). A 'Drag Queen' is a campy and at times a pejorative word for a male as a form of theatre or art performance. In most cases, this involves parody or exaggeration of differences in gender through behavior and dress as a way of provoking the reaction of the audience (Moorer, n.d). People who typically decline to take the "given" gender binary as a result of pathologizing in terming one's occurrence as transsexual, on the other hand, are referred to as Transgender (Vidal-Ortiz, 2008).

As a result of its incorporation with fetishism, the word "transvestites" is being rejected increasingly, as put in the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM)-the very reference whose conclusion termed homosexuality as a mental disorder years ago. No motive is implied by the term "cross dresser" but rather the term outlines one's actions and no claims are made on their psychological state or ordinary use, though the term "cross dresser" is synonymous with "transvestites." Speaking simplistically, a cross dresser is a person who identifies with one sex, but dresses in the opposite gender's clothing because it is the opposite gender's clothing. This is contrary to, for instance a woman, who dresses in a man's suit not because it is a man's clothing but for it is more convenient or more comfortable. Clothing is not based on convenience or comfort for a cross dresser, but about the gender roles associated with the garment. It is not only the garments matter with most cross dressers, but also the habits being associated with the opposite sex. This is for the reason that some cross dressers do not only wear panties and a bra, but convincingly portrays the opposite gender strongly and socially participates as the opposite gender, even if just temporarily (Dailey, 2015).

The Prince is said to have used transgender's (transgenderal, transgenderist) variations in the 1970s. Transgender did not bring out this same all-encompassing meaning until the 1990s. Examples of experiences once associated with transgender experience, identity or expression are "drag queens" (performing and cross-dressing as female impersonators), or "drag kings" (male ones) as the word transgender gathers more currency (Vidal-Ortiz, 2008).