Males Who Wear Stilettos - And the Women Who Love Them

All around us, every single day, progressive understanding is  happening.  Yet another example is this recent feature on the Women's Entertainment Network entitled "Married to Cross-dressers: Men Who Wear  Stilettos - And the Women Who Love Them", which was a candid and openly  supportive glimpse into the lives of several married couples.  Here is  the write up about the episode:

You  love your husband, you adore your boyfriend– so you let him slide when he leaves the toilet seat up, forgets your birthday, or find out he's  seen Star Wars 212 times. But what if he asked to borrow your favorite  blouse, and maybe some of that new violet eyeshadow? Would you, could you, deal with that

Lots of women do.

 

There  are thousands of heterosexual men - married or in committed  relationships -- who routinely dress in women's clothing. It's estimated  that at least 1% of the male population "cross-dresses." But even in this new millennium of nipple rings and ringtones, the idea of a  heterosexual man wanting to dress in heels is still perceived as weird,  even threatening. Cross-dressing is a subject that's been widely  misunderstood, and it's just as confusing for the cross-dressers  themselves - and the women who love them. 

Misconceptions  are rampant. For example, most people associate cross-dressing with  effeminacy or homosexuality. But Dr. William Stayton, Head of the  University of Pennsylvania's Department of Human Sexuality explains that  most cross-dressers are "very definitely heterosexual. In fact one of  the most difficult areas for cross-dressers is how to deal with the  women with whom they wanted to be involved.

"The  truth is that, rather than shying away from women, most cross-dressers  are as interested in marriage or being in a relationship as any man. There is even some advantage to being a heterosexual cross-dresser,"  says Dr. Stayton. "When dressed they often become more sensitive and  understanding to the women in their lives. Their wives tend to find them delightful and often it can become a real enhancement to marital relations."

 However that "enhancement" can only come if the woman feels  comfortable with her husband's occasional dressing. In  "SECRET LIVES OF WOMEN: WOMEN WHO MARRY CROSS DRESSERS," we get to know  women who share their lives with transvestites. Women like Peggy Rudd, a  60-something grandmother who remembers the day her husband delivered a  42-page letter to her office one month after marrying "her soulmate."  Her new husband's letter detailed the secret he couldn't bring himself  to explain face-to-face. Seems her soulmate liked to wear ladies' clothes.

Carreanne has also found that life with a cross-dresser has its challenges. Her boyfriend Joe uses his  female persona, "Tori Lynn," most of the time, and it's raised a few  hackles in the couple's small Midwestern town. "It's hard to get out of  the house as Tori Lynn," she explains, "We've had some negative reaction  at local bars."

But some women publicly embrace the lifestyle. Kelly, a mother and cosmetologist, owns a popular  cross-dressing boutique. The store offers wigs, clothes, prosthetics,  undergarments -- and even rents lockers so men can secretly stash their  female garb in a safe place. Perhaps most importantly, Kelly empathizes with her cross-dressing clientele since Kelly's husband, Jerry, is occasionally "Jeri." Kelly, Jerry and "Jeri" all live and work happily together with Kelly fully supporting her husband's love of female garb. In  fact, about a year ago she tossed all of Jerry's boxers so even when  he's not in full-on Jeri drag, Jerry can still wear panties every day....