and Daisies and Lollypops

One of the most intriguing television phenomenons of the past 10 years has been The Jerry Springer Show. From trash talking prostitutes to mother-daughter love affairs, the most shocking underbelly of American culture has been exposed to those who would never suspect. One of the recurring themes that Jerry keeps using is the "Oops, I'm really a man" story. A woman, who was, or in at least one way still is, a man, tells her lover of a year that she is not who she appears to be. The audience gets a howl, the man is shocked, and the woman is embarrassed. But such is the nature of daytime trash TV.

On Springer, everything is all about the over-dramatic, the violent, and the shocking. So these men are (at least in theory) ignorant of their lovers' secret. What drives these women to be secretive about themselves? Are they afraid of the rejection, or is there no one who would accept a 'woman with a penis'? A lot of men would be pretty put off by this idea, but as I've discovered, there are more than a few men who don't mind at all.

A few definitions are in line first, as this document will contain some terms that are unfamiliar to most. The first term is transgendered. Simply put, this describes one who 'transcends' the cultural notions of gender that most of us are brought up with. Within this transgendered subculture, there lies several subgroups. There are the cross dressers, who are people who will wear the clothing of the opposite gender in the comfort of their home, usually to gain sexual or emotional satisfaction. Some of these people will also appropriate some form of women's clothing in the outside world, as well, such as a man wearing a woman's skirt to a nightclub. For the most part, cross dressers do not attempt to 'pass' in public as a member of the opposite gender.

The next term is transvestite, which would apply to one who does attempt to pass as a member of the opposite gender. A woman who cuts her hair extremely short, binds her breasts, puts on a pair of khaki pants, a fake mustache, and a sport jacket would be a transvestite.