American Crossdressers

American crossdressers are a small sub-culture of people who dress as women. Though it is often considered a fetish, cross-dressing can also be a form of self-expression.

Historically, cross-dressing was a source of much social and legal disapproval in America. However, today, a number of laws have been overturned or at least altered to allow it.

Origins

American crossdressers have a long, storied past that’s little known. It includes drag-soldiers in the early 1900s, secret crossdressing societies in 1950s America and the gender-non conforming glamour of 1920s Parisian cabaret.

The practice of dressing to re-organize or transcend gender identity has been around for millennia, appearing in all cultures. In fact, many ancient religions even include deities who disguise themselves as a different gender.

One of the most famous examples is Chevalier d’Eon, a French nobleman and spy who wore both men’s and women’s clothing for most of his life.

Because of their discordance with established gender roles, male and female crossdressers were often branded as immoral and deviant. During the 19th and 20th centuries, anti-crossdressing laws were passed in US towns.

History

The history of cross-dressing in America dates back to the 19th century when many US cities passed laws banning citizens from appearing in public dressed in a dress that was not gender specific. According to Susan Stryker, an associate professor of Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Arizona, these laws were used as a flexible tool to punish people for their gender presentation.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, cross-dressing was a common practice for both men and women. It was often referred to as “eonism” in honor of Chevalier d’Eon, an anatomically male French diplomat who spent his whole life as a woman.

In his book, Re-Dressing America’s Frontier Past, Peter Boag argues that this was one of the most pervasive forms of sexuality and gender expression in American history. Americans have long cherished romantic images of the frontier and its colorful cast of characters, but Boag shows that these stories are far from reality.

Social impact

American crossdressers have a long and rich history of social impact. From the drag-soldiers who were prisoners of war to secret crossdressing societies, and the gender-non conforming glamour of 1920s Parisian cabaret, these stories are often forgotten and rarely viewed, but they have been instrumental in shaping modern society.

Sexual dimorphism, the physical difference between men and women, has been a part of human culture for ages. But as we move into the modern era, the distinctions between the sexes are less defined, and crossdressing is now far more common and tolerated than ever before.

As a result, many people have adopted the clothes of the opposite gender for cultural or political reasons. For example, in many cultures, women adopt the clothing of men to gain a status that would be otherwise unavailable to them.

In America, anti-crossdressing laws were introduced in the 1850s, a time when many people still believed that gender was a binary, black and white system. These laws were a flexible tool for police to enforce normative gender on both masculine and feminine women, as well as transgender or non-conforming people.

Legality

Crossdressing is considered a form of expression and not a crime in many countries, but it can be criminalized if the police decide it’s illegal. In Nigeria, for example, it is a serious offence to dress in the wrong gender and can result in jail time or a fine.

American crossdressers faced a similar challenge in the 19th century, but their cases weren’t always handled well by the police. In “Arresting Dress: Cross-Dressing, Law, and Fascination in Nineteenth-Century San Francisco,” sociologist Clare Sears says police used outdated laws to target gay and lesbian citizens.

She stumbled upon this little-known history when researching ways that police targeted gay and lesbian communities, and decided to share it.

Among the most famous American crossdressers was Emma Snodgrass, who was arrested in 1893 on charges of vagrancy because she dressed as a woman. She was released on a warning after being examined by doctors and was sent home with a certificate of sex.