Chrissy64_uk
16-04-2009, 08:28 PM
ross-dressing soldiers, keep those high heels out of combat
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Skirts don't suit me. So I have no idea who sent me a press release telling me that an online clothes shop has been set up for people who like to indulge in cross-dressing.
Men no longer have to order from women's shops, it says. Women no longer have to order from men's shops. They can all order their clothes from crossdresser. com.
Am I missing something here? Why couldn't the guys just order women's stuff and vice versa?
I have NOT raised this topic out of personal interest. I've only dressed as a female once, for a fancy dress party, and it was agony. Walking in female shoes is like trying to balance on nails, and getting out of a car decently is impossible. Heaven knows how Queen Elizabeth II gets out of her carriage without flashing her underwear to all and sundry, and causing her footmen to lose their cool, and possibly their heads.
The reason I am bringing this up is that an epidemic of cross-dressing is sweeping the world. For years, India has had a smallish cross-dressing religious event at the Kottankulangara Devi temple at Chavara, Kerala. But the two-day festival, which has just ended, was this year packed with thousands of attendees, mostly men in saris.
Organizers had to arrange for beauticians to set up stalls inside the temple itself, and boy, were they kept busy. Vast numbers of men, some with beards, some with enough body hair to carpet a football stadium, turned up demanding to be transformed into attractive women, or "hot aunties" as the phrase goes.
Meanwhile in Australia, aboriginal leaders revealed that the men of the Yolngu people of Yirrkala used to wear women's dresses. The tradition is now being revived.
But perhaps most thought- provoking is the announcement by a group of 38 soldiers at the US West Point military academy, led by one Dan Choi. They want the army to openly honor gay and transgendered soldiers, the Army Times reports.
I have no problem with soldiers being gay if they want to be. But I worry about logistics for any cross- dressing ones. The few people I've met with this interest are guys who like high heels, tight dresses and shiny handbags. I would have thought these are not great for combat zones.
Coincidentally, I hear that historians have dug up new information about Hatshepsut, an ancient Egyptian leader. Hatshepsut was female. It was technically illegal for her to rule, but she was so good that lawmakers turned a blind eye. Evidence has emerged that she managed to bolster her authority by wearing fake beards. This means cross-dressing has a very long history. It also means Egyptian nobles must have had an amazing ability to keep their faces straight. I don't know about you, but I rarely find myself thinking: "That person is wearing a fake beard. The sight fills me with boundless respect for that person's authority."
But I have boundless respect for women anyway. They can balance on nails and can get out of a car in a skirt.
Comment on this article at www.vittachi. com
http://www.thestand ard.com.hk/ news_detail. asp?pp_cat= 15&art_id= 80785&sid= 23451202& con_type= 1
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Skirts don't suit me. So I have no idea who sent me a press release telling me that an online clothes shop has been set up for people who like to indulge in cross-dressing.
Men no longer have to order from women's shops, it says. Women no longer have to order from men's shops. They can all order their clothes from crossdresser. com.
Am I missing something here? Why couldn't the guys just order women's stuff and vice versa?
I have NOT raised this topic out of personal interest. I've only dressed as a female once, for a fancy dress party, and it was agony. Walking in female shoes is like trying to balance on nails, and getting out of a car decently is impossible. Heaven knows how Queen Elizabeth II gets out of her carriage without flashing her underwear to all and sundry, and causing her footmen to lose their cool, and possibly their heads.
The reason I am bringing this up is that an epidemic of cross-dressing is sweeping the world. For years, India has had a smallish cross-dressing religious event at the Kottankulangara Devi temple at Chavara, Kerala. But the two-day festival, which has just ended, was this year packed with thousands of attendees, mostly men in saris.
Organizers had to arrange for beauticians to set up stalls inside the temple itself, and boy, were they kept busy. Vast numbers of men, some with beards, some with enough body hair to carpet a football stadium, turned up demanding to be transformed into attractive women, or "hot aunties" as the phrase goes.
Meanwhile in Australia, aboriginal leaders revealed that the men of the Yolngu people of Yirrkala used to wear women's dresses. The tradition is now being revived.
But perhaps most thought- provoking is the announcement by a group of 38 soldiers at the US West Point military academy, led by one Dan Choi. They want the army to openly honor gay and transgendered soldiers, the Army Times reports.
I have no problem with soldiers being gay if they want to be. But I worry about logistics for any cross- dressing ones. The few people I've met with this interest are guys who like high heels, tight dresses and shiny handbags. I would have thought these are not great for combat zones.
Coincidentally, I hear that historians have dug up new information about Hatshepsut, an ancient Egyptian leader. Hatshepsut was female. It was technically illegal for her to rule, but she was so good that lawmakers turned a blind eye. Evidence has emerged that she managed to bolster her authority by wearing fake beards. This means cross-dressing has a very long history. It also means Egyptian nobles must have had an amazing ability to keep their faces straight. I don't know about you, but I rarely find myself thinking: "That person is wearing a fake beard. The sight fills me with boundless respect for that person's authority."
But I have boundless respect for women anyway. They can balance on nails and can get out of a car in a skirt.
Comment on this article at www.vittachi. com
http://www.thestand ard.com.hk/ news_detail. asp?pp_cat= 15&art_id= 80785&sid= 23451202& con_type= 1