![]() ![]() This paper explores that decision to subvert the gender boundary and seek agency. This decision to switch genders by these characters and the consequent follow-through are what determines and moves the plot forward for all three plays. Characters such as Portia in The Merchant of Venice, Viola in Twelfth Night or Rosalind in As You Like It donned the garbs of their male counterparts. Whether male or female, Shakespearean characters have always undergone a lot of scrutiny and analysis, and the idea of cross-dressing by characters blurs the lines between what can be considered inherently a male or female characteristic. We see the technique littered through literature in varying degrees of effectiveness with Shakespeare using the idea of cross-dressing to great effect in his comedies. The idea of donning a disguise to change one's assigned gender role and the ensuing character hijinks that occur are used quite frequently to develop characters and plots. Matty is also the president of ASSERT NSW the Australian Society of Sex Educators, Researchers and Therapists.The idea of cross-dressing is quite popular in contemporary culture, with both male and female characters adopting the guise of the opposite gender. Matty Silver is a Relationship Counsellor and Sex Therapist. Is it always necessary to be open and honest with your partner because YOU would feel less guilty? It is not something that he can easily incorporate into his life so he is juggling between wanting to be open and honest in his relationship versus not wanting to ruin his relationship with his wife.ĭo you think you are allowed to have secrets in a relationship? He is over six feet tall and plays rugby. He called me because he hides the fact that he cross dresses, he does it about once a month but he believes if he told his wife she would not understand and neither would his family or friends. He is married with two young children and loves his wife. ![]() I have another client who lives in the country, he works from home but his office is at the back of the property. It is my job as a therapist to normalise the situation for each individual and work with them to find out what it means to them and why it is causing difficulties in their life and relationships. For both the cross dresser and his family it is not an easy thing to deal with and it is very common to experience a sense of despair to face the reality of the situation. Some men find that cross-dressing makes them feel relaxed and helps them with stress. There are also many misconceptions about men who cross dress:ġ) They have to be gay – they usually are not!Ģ) They don't like women – they do, most men are marriedģ) They do it for sexual gratification – Although cross-dressing is a sexual fetish for some, the vast majority of men do not experience any arousal as a result of cross-dressing, for some it is the exploration of feminine self-expression.Ĥ) They always wear women's clothes – not true, most may only dress up occasionally – some men sometimes wear women's underwear under their clothes.ĥ) They can be cured – there is no cure as it is not an illness but a "state of being".Ħ) Cross-dressing should not be mixed up with being transsexual or transgender. A lot of questions and worries persist and for each person it is a different story. Later in life the issue can cause a lot of distress because often they are not sure how to cope. They feel ashamed, become secretive and try to suppress their feelings and their desire to crossdress. They soon find out that it is not accepted and are told to stop it. They discover their need to cross-dress during childhood starting out by dressing up in their sisters or their mother's clothes. I was able to explain to her what cross dressing is about.Ĭross dressers are usually heterosexual men who like to dress up in women's clothes. She could not cope and called me in total despair. ![]() When she confronted him he told her that he was too scared to tell her for fear of rejection and he thought he might just hide it from her. ![]()
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