As a crossdresser <i think > whats the difference between a crossdresser and a transvestite?

transvestism is an erotic interaction with clothing usually associated with the opposite gender. cross dressing is one expression of transvestism.

much love and hope. pj

The same difference between deer meat and venison. Transvestite, though it preceeded crossdresser in modern usage, was a Latin term coined by German sexologist Magnus Hirshfield which meant to cross dress.

The two terms can technically be interchangeable, but in the Americas, transvestite carries a potentially negative and/or sexual connotation.

It depends where you are.

in the UK, generally, a Transvestite (TV) is a man who dresses in clothing that society identifies as for women and does for reasons other than sexual pleasure. A Cross Dresser (CD) is a man who does the same as a TV but does it to derive sexual pleasure.

In the USA the definitions above are usually reversed. This can cause confusion on English speaking forums where input comes from both nations.

I think they are just labels, personally i see cross dressers and transvestites as being exactly the same. People cross dress for different reasons but wether its for sexual gratification or just enjoyment of the clothes and style etc it is still cross dressing.

Kenneth that is so wrong...

A transvestite derives gratification from it, a cross-dresser may be doing it for practical reasons.

A cross dresser may just want to experience what it is like to dress as as a different gender. Nothing wrong with being curious. Sometimes though there maybe practical to impersonate someone of a different gender if you are good at it.

A transvestite actually wishes to become the opposite gender than the one they were actually born into.