The Battle for the Middle Ground
I heard a report on the radio tonight that in a recent survey of male grooming, over half of the 3000 men interviewed admitted to shaving at least part of their body hair regularly. The electronics company Philips have even launched an electric body razor exclusively for men.
I promised not to talk about politics, but it's suddenly struck me: being a modern day transvestite is like being a modern-day liberal democrat!
Errr... bear with me.
The Lib Dems (in their various guises over the years) have always tried to hold the middle ground in British politics. In recent years the Libs have felt the squeeze from both sides, as Labour moved away from the left wing, and the Conservatives softened their right-wing stance. The smaller Liberal Democrat party have had to work hard to maintain a distinct identity from the other parties.
Sometimes as a tranny, it feels like that too. Women have already successfully freed themselves from the limitations of just feminine attire and mannerisms and can be found all over the spectrum. Now men, in particular the modern-day "metrosexual" male, are starting to move the other way. Converging, in a way, on the trannies in the middle.
Part of what I get from being a transvestite is the sense of being different. People have often said to me "wouldn't it be nice if men and women could wear what they liked and there was no shame or shock in a man wearing a skirt", and I've had to say "er, no, actually. I'd hate that!"
Say someone took me to the distant future where women and men had 99% overlap between them. Nearly everything was common between the sexes, in terms of hair-styles, perfumes, clothing, mannerisms, etc. I'd still want to do the 1% of things that women did and men weren't supposed to do. I'd want to be different, exceptional, special.
It's becoming harder to find things that make me special. The traditional preserves of femininity (and by definition the preserves of trannies) are slowly being eroded.
I just wonder for how long.
I promised not to talk about politics, but it's suddenly struck me: being a modern day transvestite is like being a modern-day liberal democrat!
Errr... bear with me.
The Lib Dems (in their various guises over the years) have always tried to hold the middle ground in British politics. In recent years the Libs have felt the squeeze from both sides, as Labour moved away from the left wing, and the Conservatives softened their right-wing stance. The smaller Liberal Democrat party have had to work hard to maintain a distinct identity from the other parties.
Sometimes as a tranny, it feels like that too. Women have already successfully freed themselves from the limitations of just feminine attire and mannerisms and can be found all over the spectrum. Now men, in particular the modern-day "metrosexual" male, are starting to move the other way. Converging, in a way, on the trannies in the middle.
Part of what I get from being a transvestite is the sense of being different. People have often said to me "wouldn't it be nice if men and women could wear what they liked and there was no shame or shock in a man wearing a skirt", and I've had to say "er, no, actually. I'd hate that!"
Say someone took me to the distant future where women and men had 99% overlap between them. Nearly everything was common between the sexes, in terms of hair-styles, perfumes, clothing, mannerisms, etc. I'd still want to do the 1% of things that women did and men weren't supposed to do. I'd want to be different, exceptional, special.
It's becoming harder to find things that make me special. The traditional preserves of femininity (and by definition the preserves of trannies) are slowly being eroded.
"I shave my body hair!"
"So? So do a lot of men."
"I wear earrings! Sparkly ones!"
"So? I saw David Beckham wearing big diamond studs last week."
"I wear makeup!"
"Get over yourself! The new romantics were 20 years ago!"
"I shave my body hair, put on earrings and makeup, false tits, a wig, a dress, and flounce about like a big girl!"
"Hmmm... well I guess that's kind of different..."
I just wonder for how long.
Labels: transvestism
Whenever I have moments of doubt like this, I always recall something my old band's bass player used to shout to the audience: "HELLO F**KERS. WE ARE SIX INCH KILLAZ AND WE'VE COME TO DESTROY YOUR WAY OF LIFE!"
That usually takes me back out of the box :)
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