Cross-dressing

Irving Berlin's "This Is the Army, Mr. Jones", performed by cross-dressed U.S. Army soldiers (1942)[1]

Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes traditionally or stereotypically associated with a different gender.[2] From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and express oneself.[3]

Socialization establishes social norms among the people of a particular society. With regard to the social aspects of clothing, such standards may reflect guidelines relating to the style, color, or type of clothing that individuals are expected to wear. Such expectations may be delineated according to gender roles. Cross-dressing involves dressing contrary to the prevailing standards (or in some cases, laws) for a person of their gender in their own society.[4]

The term "cross-dressing" refers to an action or a behavior, without attributing or implying any specific causes or motives for that behavior. Cross-dressing is not synonymous with being transgender.

  1. ^ Winkler, Sheldon (5 December 2016). "'This is the Army': Irving Berlin's War". Warfare History Network. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  2. ^ "What does transgender mean?". American Psychological Association. 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Clothing Sex, Sexing Clothes: Transvestism, Material Culture and the Sex and Gender Debate". Unzipping Gender. 2004. pp. 13–30. doi:10.2752/9781847888952/unzipgend0005. ISBN 978-1-84788-895-2.
  4. ^ Bicchieri, Cristina; Muldoon, Ryan; Sontuoso, Alessandro (2018), "Social Norms", in Zalta, Edward N. (ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2018 ed.), Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, retrieved 2022-12-01