I want to thank everyone who has taken time to respond to the questionnaires.
My biggest problem is the lack of female responses from the general public. If YOU have the opportunity to post on a non-tg news group, I would really appreciate it if you could invite responses refering them to http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~trojan/q-control.htm.
This interim report is being produced March 2000. Where appropriate comparisons are made between TV/ TS and Non-TG female and male control samples.
There also appears to be a discrepancy between the level of education reached compared with known figures from other sources - indicating that those using the internet (whether TG or not) tend to have gone further in their education than the average. It may, however, be that those prepared to complete surveys are likely to be more interested in sharing knowledge because they have received a higher standard of education.
I feel that it is likely that TGs connected to the Internet are far more likely to be aware of what is available for them than those who are not connected. I suspect, therefore, that the level of usage of support groups, TG tolerant venues etc is likely to be significantly higher amongst respondents.
I see no reason, however, to assume that other areas would be affected by whether or not TGs are connected to the Internet.
The responses from the general public are (so far) low. This may well mean that the responses received to date are unreliable. Where the differences between TG response levels and general public levels are less than 10%, I would place no significance on the variation; between 10% and 30%, I think we can be reasonably certain that there IS a difference; above 30% variation and I think that the difference is established. New responses entered into the TG spreadsheets are now only producing minor variations to the percentages already recorded. I believe, therefore, that they may be considered "typical" (except where an interest in computing and access to the Internet are a factor).
You will draw your own conclusions from the responses. Personally, I think that they already clearly show that there is NO common factor in our backgrounds that can be "blamed" for our transgenderism. I suggest that the variety of our backgrounds and the similarity with non-TG responses should put this idea to rest!
The results are rounded to nearest integer - so totals may not add up to exactly 100%
The results:
| Survey Responses | TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| Number of Respondents Index |
117 | 85 | 37 | 8 | ||||||
| Respondents' Age Index |
||||||||||
| under 16 years old | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | ||||||
| 16-20 | 5% | 0% | 0% | 5% | ||||||
| 21-25 | 5% | 4% | 13% | 0% | ||||||
| 26-30 | 11% | 12% | 0% | 11% | ||||||
| 31-35 | 14% | 8% | 13% | 8% | ||||||
| 36-40 | 12% | 17% | 25% | 14% | ||||||
| 41-50 | 32% | 37% | 38% | 41% | ||||||
| 51- 60 | 18% | 17% | 13% | 19% | ||||||
| 60+ | 3% | 5% | 0% | 3% | ||||||
| Marital Status: Index |
TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| single | 18% | 25% | 14% | 27% | ||||||
| married/ living together | 65% | 50% | 57% | 60% | ||||||
| separated/ divorced | 17% | 24% | 0% | 5% | ||||||
| widowed | 0% | 1% | 0% | 3% | ||||||
| Children Index |
TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| no children | 43% | 41% | 38% | 36% | ||||||
| under 5 years old | 15% | 7% | 20% | 13% | ||||||
| 5-10 years old | 19% | 7% | 20% | 22% | ||||||
| 11-15 years old | 31% | 11% | 60% | 22% | ||||||
| 16-20 years old | 22% | 22% | 20% | 30% | ||||||
| 21+ | 48% | 39% | 40% | 61% | ||||||
| Family Background - do you have sisters or brothers? Index |
TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| No | 17% | 7% | 13% | 19% | ||||||
| sister(s) only | 26% | 16% | 13% | 24% | ||||||
| Brother(s) only | 24% | 37% | 50% | 22% | ||||||
| both sister(s) and brother(s) | 33% | 40% | 25% | 35% | ||||||
| If you have sister(s) and brother(s), do you have | TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| Older sisters | 25% | 23% | 13% | 20% | ||||||
| Younger sisters | 36% | 40% | 25% | 43% | ||||||
| Older brothers | 26% | 30% | 50% | 22% | ||||||
| Younger brothers | 34% | 43% | 38% | 41% | ||||||
| Were your parents still together while you were growing up (ie until you were 16)? | TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| Yes | 70% | 84% | 88% | 81% | ||||||
| no - they separated | 16% | 15% | 13% | 19% | ||||||
| Average age when parents separated | 9 | 5 | 16 | 9 | ||||||
| my mother died | 1% | 8% | 0% | 3% | ||||||
| my father died | 3% | 8% | 0% | 13% | ||||||
| Both my parents are dead | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | ||||||
| Average age when Mother died | - | 14 | - | 3 | ||||||
| Average age when Father died | 6 | 14 | - | 6 | ||||||
| If parents separated or died, lived with | TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| Father | 20% | 21% | 0% | 0% | ||||||
| Mother | 50% | 37% | 100% | 80% | ||||||
| both at different times but mainly mother | 15% | 21% | 0% | 10% | ||||||
| both at different times but mainly father | 0% | 5% | 0% | 0% | ||||||
| other relation | 15% | 16% | 0% | 0% | ||||||
| Other | 0% | 0% | 0% | 10% | ||||||
| did the parent you live with have multiple partners while you were living with them? | TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| No | 59% | 74% | 100% | 50% | ||||||
| yes | 41% | 26% | 0% | 50% | ||||||
| Father absent for long periods (more than 3 months at a time) | TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| yes frequently (more than 3 times) | 10% | 19% | 0% | 16% | ||||||
| yes - but on less than 3 occasions of less than 3 months | 5% | 4% | 13% | 3% | ||||||
| yes on less than 3 occasions but for more than 3 months | 0% | 1% | 13% | 0% | ||||||
| No | 59% | 49% | 50% | 68% | ||||||
| not absent for long periods; but worked long hours so hardly ever around | 26% | 26% | 25% | 14% | ||||||
| Mother absent for long periods (more than 3 months at a time) | TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| yes frequently (more than 3 times) | 3% | 4% | 0% | 3% | ||||||
| yes - but on less than 3 occasions of less than 3 months | 2% | 1% | 0% | 0% | ||||||
| yes on less than 3 occasions but for more than 3 months | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3% | ||||||
| No | 88% | 88% | 100% | 94% | ||||||
| not absent for long periods; but worked long hours so hardly ever around | 8% | 9% | 0% | 0% | ||||||
| Influence in your home Index |
TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| female dominated | 22% | 15% | 25% | 17% | ||||||
| mainly female | 18% | 10% | 0% | 3% | ||||||
| more female than male | 19% | 16% | 25% | 42% | ||||||
| Equally female & male | 21% | 39% | 25% | 22% | ||||||
| more male than female | 9% | 12% | 25% | 6% | ||||||
| mainly male | 7% | 2% | 0% | 3% | ||||||
| male dominated | 4% | 6% | 0% | 8% | ||||||
| As far as you are aware, did your mother have problems while pregnant with you? | TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| I do not know | 1% | 34% | - | - | ||||||
| No | 85% | 43% | 71% | 78% | ||||||
| Yes | 15% | 23% | 29% | 22% | ||||||
| Suffered any abuse as a child Index |
15% | 17% | 38% | 22% | ||||||
| Had a stable childhood Index |
80% | 85% | 100% | 81% | ||||||
| Had a happy childhood Index |
75% | 72% | 50% | 70% | ||||||
| Moved home more than 3 times during childhood Index |
33% | 45% | 33% | 32% | ||||||
| Schooling Index |
||||||||||
| What level of education did you reach | TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| left without qualifications | 8% | 4% | 0% | 0% | ||||||
| minimum high school qualifications (UK-GCSE) | 17% | 14% | 13% | 16% | ||||||
| advanced high school qualifications (UK-A Levels) | 13% | 7% | 0% | 14% | ||||||
| College/University | 62% | 75% | 88% | 70% | ||||||
| Type of School Attended | TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| Single Sex - day | 11% | 17% | 0% | 19% | ||||||
| Single Sex - Boarding | 4% | 6% | 0% | 6% | ||||||
| Co-educational - day | 80% | 72% | 100% | 75% | ||||||
| Co-educational - Boarding | 4% | 5% | 0% | 0% | ||||||
| Favourite subjects (multiple choices OK) | TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| English Language | 29% | 40% | 57% | 24% | ||||||
| English Literature | 20% | 42% | 29% | 14% | ||||||
| Foreign Languages | 9% | 12% | 43% | 8% | ||||||
| Mathematics | 39% | 37% | 43% | 46% | ||||||
| Sciences | 55% | 63% | 86% | 67% | ||||||
| History | 50% | 51% | 57% | 54% | ||||||
| Geography | 35% | 33% | 29% | 38% | ||||||
| Arts | 33% | 47% | 71% | 35% | ||||||
| Computing | 29% | 32% | 14% | 19% | ||||||
| Practical | 30% | 23% | 43% | 19% | ||||||
| Childhood Friends: how readily did you make friends as a child? Index |
TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| I had no problem making friends | 57% | 50% | 63% | 61% | ||||||
| I found it difficult to make friends | 43% | 50% | 38% | 39% | ||||||
| Would you have: | TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| a mixed group of friends | 38% | 27% | 50% | 46% | ||||||
| have a group of mainly same sex friends | 23% | 17% | 38% | 32% | ||||||
| have a group of mainly opposite sex friends | 9% | 25% | 0% | 5% | ||||||
| tend to have only one main friend at a time - usually same sex as you | 27% | 22% | 13% | 11% | ||||||
| tend to have only one main friend at a time - usually opposite sex | 3% | 6% | 0% | 0% | ||||||
| Girl/Boyfriends - did you have: | TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| several (5 or more) girl/boyfriends (not necessarily at the same time!) | 41% | 40% | 38% | 32% | ||||||
| fewer than 5 | 45% | 43% | 63% | 49% | ||||||
| none | 14% | 17% | 0% | 19% | ||||||
| Ethnic Background; are you: Index |
TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| Asian | 1% | 1% | 0% | 3% | ||||||
| Afro-Caribbean | 0% | 1% | 0% | 3% | ||||||
| White | 95% | 95% | 100% | 94% | ||||||
| Other | 4% | 2% | 0% | 0% | ||||||
| Religious Background: Index |
TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| Buddhist | 1% | 1% | 0% | 3% | ||||||
| Christian - Roman Catholic | 25% | 22% | 38% | 33% | ||||||
| Christian - Anglican | 27% | 26% | 13% | 19% | ||||||
| Christian - Non Conformist/Other | 21% | 21% | 13% | 14% | ||||||
| Jewish | 2% | 2% | 0% | 3% | ||||||
| Muslim | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | ||||||
| Other | 7% | 7% | 13% | 6% | ||||||
| None | 18% | 20% | 25% | 22% | ||||||
| Employment (if unemployed - usual employment) Index |
TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| Homemaker | 0% | 0% | 13% | 0% | ||||||
| Managerial/Professional | 42% | 50% | 38% | 49% | ||||||
| Social Services/ Nursing/ Teaching | 7% | 6% | 0% | 5% | ||||||
| Military/ Police/ Fire Service or similar | 6% | 2% | 0% | 8% | ||||||
| Skilled/ Technical | 34% | 33% | 38% | 27% | ||||||
| Unskilled | 2% | 2% | 0% | 0% | ||||||
| Student | 5% | 0% | 13% | 5% | ||||||
| Other | 4% | 6% | 0% | 5% | ||||||
| Have worked in a very "macho" environment (military/ police/ fire/ construction/ oil rigs/ forestry/ ranching etc): | TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| Yes | 55% | 58% | 63% | 44% | ||||||
| Sports - prefer: Index |
TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| competitive team sports - football, hockey etc | 40% | 21% | 38% | 41% | ||||||
| competitive partnership sports - doubles tennis, dinghy sailing etc | 4% | 6% | 0% | 5% | ||||||
| competitive individual sports - singles tennis, athletics etc | 11% | 22% | 13% | 11% | ||||||
| non competitive sports | 20% | 53% | 38% | 6% | ||||||
| don't like any sports | 25% | 8% | 13% | 35% | ||||||
| Sexuality - consider themself to be Index |
TV | TS | Female | Male | ||||||
| heterosexual | 61% | 31% | 63% | 81% | ||||||
| gay/ lesbian | 1% | 7% | 0% | 3% | ||||||
| bisexual | 14% | - | 25% | 16% | ||||||
| TVs - hetero when in male mode - but bi when en femme | 38% | |||||||||
| Pre-Op attracted to females | - | 27% | % | |||||||
| Post-Op attracted to females | 0% | |||||||||
| Pre-Op attracted to males | 7% | |||||||||
| Post-Op attracted to males | 5% | |||||||||
| Pre-Op attracted to females and males regardless of whether en femme or not | 19% | |||||||||
| Pre-Op attracted to females when not "en femme" and males when en femme | 18% | |||||||||
| Post-Op attracted to females and males | 0% | |||||||||
| Pre-Op not interested in sex until I am post op | 13% | |||||||||
| a-sexual (no interest in sex) | 3% | 11% | 13% | 0% | ||||||
| TSs whose sexuality has changed since commencing hormones | 32% | |||||||||
| TG "Status" - do you consider yourself to be: Index |
TV | TS | ||||||||
| Transvestite | 38% | n/a | ||||||||
| Cross dresser | 47% | |||||||||
| Transgendered | 11% | 15% | ||||||||
| Drag Queen | 1% | n/a | ||||||||
| Shemale | 0% | 6% | ||||||||
| Unsure - possibly TS | 3% | 20% | ||||||||
| other | 0% | 0% | ||||||||
| Transsexual - Pre-op | n/a | 52% | ||||||||
| Transsexual - Post-op/ female | 6% | |||||||||
| If Transsexual: Average Age first Index |
TS | |||||||||
| - felt "different"? | 7 | |||||||||
| - thought might be transsexual? | 20 | |||||||||
| - accepted were/are transsexual? | 31 | |||||||||
| - sought treatment for transsexuality? | 36 | |||||||||
| - had surgery | new question | |||||||||
| If currently consider themself TS/TG, had regarded themself TV/CD | 69% | |||||||||
| First dressed en femme Index |
TV | TS | ||||||||
| before 10 years old | 69% | 59% | ||||||||
| 10-12 | 18% | 17% | ||||||||
| 13-15 | 4% | 18% | ||||||||
| 16-20 | 5% | 3% | ||||||||
| 21-25 | 2% | 1% | ||||||||
| 26-30 | 0% | 0% | ||||||||
| 31-35 | 2% | 0% | ||||||||
| 36-40 | 0% | 0% | ||||||||
| 41-50 | 3% | 1% | ||||||||
| 50+ | 1% | 0% | ||||||||
| Of those who are now TS and had considered themselves to be TS: Index |
considered themself to be TV/CD rather than TS | period seriously consider themself potentially TS/TG but not decided | ||||||||
| less than 1 year | 25% | 31% | ||||||||
| 1 - 2 years | 13% | 31% | ||||||||
| 3 - 5 years | 10% | 13% | ||||||||
| 6 - 10 years | 8% | 10% | ||||||||
| more than 10 years | 44% | 15% | ||||||||
| Have tried to stop dressing en femme/ Transitioning? Index |
TV (dressing) |
TS (dressing) |
TS Transition |
|||||||
| Yes | 75% | 83% | 26% | |||||||
| No | 25% | 17% | 74% | |||||||
| if yes: were these occasions | ||||||||||
| when starting new relationships | 33% | 31% | 39% | |||||||
| at times of facing new challenges (jobs, studying/ exams etc) | 17% | 29% | 22% | |||||||
| Pressure from partners/ family | 33% | 29% | 28% | |||||||
| after other problems in your life | 17% | 37% | see below | |||||||
| because of problems encountered as a result of transitioning | 22% | |||||||||
| because of medical problems related to hormones | 11% | |||||||||
| because of doubts about whether you were actually TS | 17% | |||||||||
| None of the above/ random | 40% | 31% | 17% | |||||||
| Have you ever sought counselling for your cross dressing/ transsexualism (General Public - for any reason) Index |
||||||||||
| *(visits to Gender Identity Clinics/ Psychiatrists required for TS treatment disregarded) | TV (dressing) |
TS (dressing) |
TS transsexuality* |
Control | ||||||
| Female | Male | |||||||||
| Yes | 17% | 33% | 36% | 63% | 41% | |||||
| if yes: was the counselling at | ||||||||||
| Your own instigation | 55% | 57% | 89% | 100% | 73% | |||||
| Because of pressure from others to seek "help" | 45% | 43% | 11% | 0% | 27% | |||||
| How long did your counselling last | ||||||||||
| Number of sessions | 34 | 9 | 17 | 18 | 28 | |||||
| Years | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| What did you hope to gain from the counselling: | ||||||||||
| to try to stop dressing/ transsexuality | 29% | 23% | 4% | not relevant | ||||||
| to feel less guilty/ ashamed of dressing/ transsexuality | 33% | 41% | 62% | |||||||
| Other | 38% | 36% | 35% | |||||||
| did the counselling achieve what you hoped it would (partly or completely)? | ||||||||||
| Yes | 60% | 27% | 68% | 100% | 53% | |||||
| did it help in ways which you had not expected | ||||||||||
| Yes | 50% | 14% | 48% | 10% | 73% | |||||
| Did you consider the counselling to be | ||||||||||
| no use at all | 15% | 55% | 8% | 0% | 0% | |||||
| some minimal benefit | 15% | 18% | 27% | 0% | 38% | |||||
| quite useful | 40% | 18% | 38% | 60% | 8% | |||||
| very useful | 10% | 5% | 12% | 20% | 31% | |||||
| extremely beneficial | 20% | 5% | 15% | 20% | 23% | |||||
| How do you feel about your cross dressing/ transsexualism? Index |
TV | TS | ||||||||
| fine, I accept that it is part of me and there is nothing wrong with it (even if I know others do not share this view) | 74% | 88% | ||||||||
| I feel good when dressed - but guilty/ ashamed afterwards | 24% | - | ||||||||
| I would prefer not to cross dress/ be TS | 1% | 10% | ||||||||
| I hate myself for being TG | 1% | 0% | ||||||||
| I don't feel it is wrong - but I really wish I could stop dressing/ being TS completely | 1% | 2% | ||||||||
| Would you have preferred? | TS | |||||||||
| to have been born male with no transsexualism | 3% | |||||||||
| to have been born female with no transsexualism | 84% | |||||||||
| I'm happy to have seen both male and female sides | 14% | |||||||||
| Have you ever seriously considered suicide because of being TS and the problems associated with it? Index |
TS | |||||||||
| No | 49% | |||||||||
| Yes - but I did not do so | 39% | |||||||||
| Yes - I have attempted suicide | 12% | |||||||||
| What would be your reaction if you were told that continuing use of hormones would probably kill you? Index |
TS | |||||||||
| I would take the risk and continue | 58% | |||||||||
| I would stop hormones but continue to live as female | 41% | |||||||||
| I would revert to male mode rather than live in limbo | 1% | |||||||||
| What would be your reaction if you were told that SRS/GRS would probably kill you? | TS | |||||||||
| I would take the risk and indemnify the surgeon against liability | 34% | |||||||||
| I would continue to live as female without SRS | 36% | |||||||||
| I would continue to live as female without SRS but would consider an Orchidectomy | 19% | |||||||||
| I would not be particularly concerned as the actual operation is not that important to me | 9% | |||||||||
| I would revert to male mode rather than live in limbo | 0% | |||||||||
| I would consider suicide rather than live in limbo or revert to male mode | 1% | |||||||||
| Do others know of your cross dressing/ transsexualism? Index |
TV | TS | ||||||||
| other TGs at a support group | 17% | 30% | ||||||||
| partner/ ex partner | 84% | 61% | ||||||||
| some of your children | 6% | 10% | ||||||||
| all of your children | 5% | 33% | ||||||||
| mother | 12% | 43% | ||||||||
| Father | 6% | 20% | ||||||||
| Some of your sisters/ brothers | 9% | 6% | ||||||||
| all of your sisters/ brothers | 8% | 34% | ||||||||
| other family members | 5% | 23% | ||||||||
| some friends/ neighbours | 24% | 35% | ||||||||
| all / most of your friends/ neighbours | 4% | 21% | ||||||||
| work colleagues | 4% | 30% | ||||||||
| If you are now divorced/ separated, was your transgenderism a significant cause of the separation? Index |
TV | TS | ||||||||
| yes | 38% | 46% | ||||||||
| Were you "cross dressing" or consider yourself to be TS when the relationship started ? | TV | TS | ||||||||
| yes I was "cross dressing" - but did not consider myself to be TS when the relationship started | 89% | 80% | ||||||||
| yes I considered myself to be TS when the relationship started | 11% | |||||||||
| no I neither considered myself to be TS and was not "cross dressing" when the relationship started | 11% | 8% | ||||||||
| Of those Actively Dressing/TS when starting current relationship Index |
TV | TS | ||||||||
| she met you when dressed | 4% | 16% | ||||||||
| Told her before the relationship/ dressing became significant | 31% | 18% | ||||||||
| Told her later | 54% | 45% | ||||||||
| she found out without you telling her | 10% | 22% | ||||||||
| Partners reaction to Index |
TV | TS | ||||||||
| Cross dressing | transsexualism | |||||||||
| total rejection | 10% | 9% | 15% | |||||||
| anger/ hurt that you kept it secret | 20% | 40% | 36% | |||||||
| ultimatum that you seek help to stop or she would leave | 5% | 15% | - | |||||||
| asked if you were gay | 34% | 62% | ||||||||
| asked if you planned to have sex change | 31% | 47% | ||||||||
| concern about what neighbours/ family would think | 37% | 45% | 39% | |||||||
| asked that it be kept secret from your children | 22% | 42% | 40% | |||||||
| she would prefer that you stop - but ignores it | 17% | 19% | - | |||||||
| tolerance - providing she does not see you dressed and you are discrete | 30% | 28% | ||||||||
| she asked intelligent questions and tried to understand | 38% | 0% | ||||||||
| she sought help from other sources to understand the condition | 12% | 9% | 9% | |||||||
| she sought counselling for herself | 7% | - | - | |||||||
| acceptance; she has no significant problem with seeing you dressed but will not get involved | 17% | 9% | - | |||||||
| actively involved, helps you with make up advice, shopping etc | 19% | 17% | see below | |||||||
| total involvement - goes out with you dressed | 16% | 23% | ||||||||
| extremely vindictive causing significant problems for you | 13% | |||||||||
| acceptance of the fact that you are TS and remains friends but not partners | 19% | |||||||||
| Has your partners attitude changed since learning about your cross dressing/ transsexualism Index |
TV | TS | ||||||||
| crossdressing | transsexualism | |||||||||
| Yes | 56% | 56% | 61% | |||||||
| if yes has her attitude become | ||||||||||
| more tolerant/ understanding | 73% | 57% | 71% | |||||||
| If her attitude has become more tolerant, how long did this take? | TS - Transsexualism | |||||||||
| less than 6 | 55% | |||||||||
| 6 to 12 months | 18% | |||||||||
| 1 to 2 years | 14% | |||||||||
| 2 to 3 years | 5% | |||||||||
| more than 3 years | 9% | |||||||||
| How would you describe your relationship now? Index |
||||||||||
| antagonistic | 6% | |||||||||
| cool. We talk politely when necessary | 16% | |||||||||
| Quite amicable | 12% | |||||||||
| Close Friends | 12% | |||||||||
| Living together as companions | 20% | |||||||||
| Living together as Partners | 33% | |||||||||
| To what extent do you cross dress: Index |
TV only | |||||||||
| when you dress, it is usually completely en femme or not at all | 41% | |||||||||
| as far as the circumstances permit at the time | 47% | |||||||||
| only ever underwear or other selected | 4% | |||||||||
| garments just wear female underwear even under male outer clothes | 2% | |||||||||
| clothes only - not make up/ wigs | 7% | |||||||||
| How often do you cross dress? | TV Only | |||||||||
| whenever you can - even for just a few minutes and circumstances only permit a few items | 41% | |||||||||
| frequently - but not just for a few minutes at a time | 29% | |||||||||
| only when it is possible to do so completely | 31% | |||||||||
| Is this: 3 or less times per year | 8% | |||||||||
| 4-10 times per year | 20% | |||||||||
| Almost every week | 32% | |||||||||
| more than once a week on average | 19% | |||||||||
| most days/ every day | 20% | |||||||||
| What do you do when dressed: Index |
TVs |
|||||||||
| Usually | Sometimes | Never | ||||||||
| Use a professional "dressing" service | 1% | %17 | 76% | |||||||
| Go to an "enforced dressing/ male maid/ bondage" service | 1% | 6% | 81% | |||||||
| Stay at home (or in hotel rooms etc) : | 72% | 17% | 4% | |||||||
| Drive around - but avoid contact with others: | 4% | 46% | 37% | |||||||
| Go to closed support groups: | 3% | 17% | 67% | |||||||
| Go to TG tolerant venues : | 8% | 18% | 60% | |||||||
| Go wherever you wish - out in public to non TG venues/ shopping etc | 6% | 22% | 56% | |||||||
| Go out to seek sex with males/ other TVs etc | 2% | 14% | 69% | |||||||
| If you go to an "enforced dressing/ male maid/ bondage" service, does being forced to dress relieve guilt you might otherwise feel about dressing? Index |
TVs only | |||||||||
| Yes, I feel less guilty being forced to dress. | 0% | |||||||||
| To some extent | 0% | |||||||||
| No - I still feel guilty | 0% | |||||||||
| No - I don't feel guilty about dressing in any case | 71% | |||||||||
| I have a pressure job and this is a way of relaxing - taking orders instead of constantly making decisions. Guilt or otherwise is not a factor | 29% | |||||||||
| When dressed have you ever been approached by males wanting to "chat you up" and possibly have sex with you? Index |
TV | TS | ||||||||
| Yes | 34% | 73% | ||||||||
| if yes, how did you feel about this? | ||||||||||
| horrified | 0% | 3% | ||||||||
| excited | 41% | 37% | ||||||||
| nervous | 41% | 46% | ||||||||
| flattered | 66% | 61% | ||||||||
| it made you feel more feminine | 53% | 53% | ||||||||
| did you encourage the approach or permit the person to join you? | yes | 47% | 61% | |||||||
| How far did the contact go | ||||||||||
| you rejected the approach | 33% | 18% | ||||||||
| he bought you a drink and you just chatted/ danced together | 24% | 20% | ||||||||
| you allowed him to have minimal physical contact (holding hands etc) | 0% | 8% | ||||||||
| "light petting" you kissed and touched each other - but not in the area of genitals | 6% | 15% | ||||||||
| "heavy petting" | 0% | 0% | ||||||||
| masturbation | 3% | 0% | ||||||||
| oral sex | 15% | 17% | ||||||||
| penetrative sex | 18% | 15% | ||||||||
| you had a significant relationship with him | 0% | 7% | ||||||||
| How did you feel after the first encounter? | ||||||||||
| disgusted | 3% | 0% | ||||||||
| no problem - but it wasn't what you wanted | 34% | 26% | ||||||||
| good - you enjoyed it and if it happened again, that would be fine | 38% | 55% | ||||||||
| you looked forward to a repeat | 6% | 1% | ||||||||
| you would actively seek a repeat | 19% | 17% | ||||||||
| Have you had subsequent encounters? | yes | 68% | 65% | |||||||
| what is the furthest you have gone? | ||||||||||
| chatting/ dancing together | 8% | 0% | ||||||||
| minimal physical contact (holding hands etc) | 0% | 5% | ||||||||
| "light petting" | 8% | 13% | ||||||||
| "heavy petting" | 4% | 5% | ||||||||
| masturbation | 4% | 8% | ||||||||
| oral sex | 20% | 24% | ||||||||
| penetrative sex | 44% | 34% | ||||||||
| significant ongoing relationship | 12% | 11% | ||||||||
| do you consider that there is a common root cause for all forms of transgenderism with other factors affecting the degree of transgenderism in an individual and how they express it Index |
TV | TS | ||||||||
| yes - I consider that all forms of transgenderism share a common root cause with other factors influencing the extent and way in which it is expressed | 11% | 30% | ||||||||
| no - I believe that there are different basic causes for transvestism/ crossdressing/ drag queens and transgendered/ transsexualism | 26% | 21% | ||||||||
| I think some expressions of transgenderism share common routes - but not all | 41% | 34% | ||||||||
| I don't know/ have an opinion | 23% | 15% | ||||||||
| do you think that our transgendered state is fixed or that we can tend to move from one state to another | TV | TS | ||||||||
| fixed | 15% | 49% | ||||||||
| it can change; TVs/CDs etc can become TS and TSs can revert to being TV | 24% | see below | ||||||||
| it can change; TVs/CDs etc can become TS but TSs do not revert to being TV (although some TVs may have thought they were TS then realised that they were not) | 31% | |||||||||
| Fluid | see above | 51% | ||||||||
| I have no opinion/ do not know | 29% | - | ||||||||
| Considered causes of transgenderism (multiple answers acceptable) | TV Responses | TS Responses | Significant factor | score | Significant factor | score | ||||
| conditioning / the way we were brought up | 70% | 2nd | 74% | 3rd | ||||||
| genetic influences | 73% | 1st | 82% | 2nd | ||||||
| influences during the development of the foetus during pregnancy eg effect of testosterone | 67% | 3rd | 77% | 1st | ||||||
| other causes | 21% | 4th | 15% | 4th | ||||||
| I do not know/ have no opinion | 21% | - | 2% | - | ||||||
| Public's view of transvestism/ cross dressing Index |
||||||||||
| number of public responses to this question | 5 | |||||||||
| TV /TS responses are what they believe the public thinks. This does not mean that those responding share these opinions | What TVs believe the public thinks | What TSs believe the public thinks | Actual response from general public | |||||||
| disgusting | 66% | 65% | 0% | |||||||
| sickness which can be cured | 38% | 45% | 0% | |||||||
| should not be allowed in public | 47% | 72% | 0% | |||||||
| should not be allowed near children | 45% | 69% | 0% | |||||||
| ridiculous | 57% | 56% | 0% | |||||||
| TVs are all gay | 83% | 75% | 20% | |||||||
| do it to attract men for sex | 33% | 49% | 20% | |||||||
| if that's what they want to do, let them get on with it - so long as I don't see it | 36% | 48% | 20% | |||||||
| it's a sin | 35% | 47% | 20% | |||||||
| not interested in understanding it | 55% | 61% | 40% | |||||||
| a medical condition which should be accepted | 16% | 23% | 40% | |||||||
| Public's view of transsexualism Index |
||||||||||
| number of public responses to this question | 7 | |||||||||
| TV /TS responses are what they believe the public thinks. This does not mean that those responding share these opinions | What TVs believe the public thinks | What TSs believe the public thinks | Actual response from general public | |||||||
| disgusting | 36% | 52% | 0% | |||||||
| sickness which can be cured | 22% | 41% | 0% | |||||||
| it's wrong to mutilate a healthy body by having sex change | 41% | 53% | 14% | |||||||
| should not be allowed in public | 21% | 41% | 0% | |||||||
| it's a sin | 34% | 47% | 0% | |||||||
| they should not be allowed near children | 30% | 45% | 0% | |||||||
| ridiculous | 27% | 42% | 0% | |||||||
| they are all gay | 49% | 64% | 14% | |||||||
| they do it to attract men for sex | 25% | 39% | 14% | |||||||
| if that's what they want to do, let them get on with it - so long as I don't see it | 20% | 31% | 14% | |||||||
| they are failed "men" | 40% | 53% | 0% | |||||||
| whatever they do they'll never be real women | 58% | 62% | 29% | |||||||
| Treatment should not be allowed on the National Health Service | 33% | 46% | 14% | |||||||
| a medical condition which should be accepted | 19% | 26% | 57% | |||||||
| Do you think attitudes to transvestism/ crossdressing have changed over the last 5 years | TV | TS | ||||||||
| yes - it is significantly more accepted/ understood | 22% | 30% | ||||||||
| a bit - but not much | 72% | 65% | ||||||||
| Not at all | 5% | 5% | ||||||||
| Do you think attitudes to transsexualism have changed over the last 5 years Index |
TV | TS | ||||||||
| yes - it is significantly more accepted/ understood | 30% | 49% | ||||||||
| a bit - but not much | 65% | 48% | ||||||||
| not at all | 5% | 4% | ||||||||
| Is there more understanding by the general public of transsexualism than transvestism Index |
TV | TS | ||||||||
| Yes - there is more understanding of transsexualism than transvestism | 36% | 42% | ||||||||
| No - there is more understanding of transvestism than transsexuality | 6% | 12% | ||||||||
| There is no difference between understanding of transsexuality and transvestism | 58% | 46% | ||||||||
| Would you agree or disagree with the view that "Transsexualism is considered a medical condition - whilst transvestism/ cross dressing is seen as a perversion?" |
TV | TS | Public | |||||||
| number of public responses to this question | 7 | |||||||||
| strongly agree | 8% | not asked |
0% | |||||||
| tend to agree | 40% | 14% | ||||||||
| neither agree nor disagree | 21% | 0% | ||||||||
| tend to disagree | 16% | 43% | ||||||||
| strongly disagree | 15% | 43% | ||||||||
| for TVs only if you were offered a choice of "magic pills" - one of which would enable you to change your body from male to female and back whenever you wanted - the other would eliminate all your crossdressing desires permanently and leave you totally male, which would you take? Index |
TV | |||||||||
| the pill to enable me to change physical sex whenever I wanted | 87% | |||||||||
| the pill to remove my crossdressing desires | 4% | |||||||||
| neither | 10% | |||||||||
| for TS only: if you were offered a choice of "magic pills" - one of which would enable you to change your body from male to completely female without the need for surgery/ hormones - the other would eliminate all your transsexuality permanently and leave you totally male, which would you take? Index |
TS | |||||||||
| the pill to enable me to change physical sex | 96% | |||||||||
| the pill to remove my transsexuality | 2% | |||||||||
| neither | 1% | |||||||||
| As far as you are aware, are any other blood members of your family transgendered (include grandparents, grandchildren, aunts/uncles & cousins)? Index |
TV | TS | ||||||||
| no | 91% | 84% | ||||||||
| yes | 5% | 14% | ||||||||
| I can't be certain - but I suspect others may be | 8% | 6% | ||||||||
| Percentage of relations who are suspected to be TG | 6% | 5% | ||||||||
| As far as you are aware, are any blood members of your family gay or lesbian (include grandparents, grandchildren, aunts/uncles & cousins)? Index |
TV | TS | ||||||||
| no | 13% | 27% | ||||||||
| yes | 13% | 27% | ||||||||
| I can't be certain - but I suspect others may be | 14% | 12% | ||||||||
| Percentage of relations who are suspected to be Gay/Lesbian | 12% | 4% | ||||||||
| How would you describe your Dressing Style Index |
TV | |||||||||
| Day wear: I do not dress during the day | 18% | |||||||||
| Fetish: basques, leather, pvc etc | 9% | |||||||||
| Schoolgirl, Maids outfits, Nurses Uniforms or similar | 3% | |||||||||
| over the top - heavy make up; my skirts are NEVER more than 6 inches long and my heels never less than 4 inches high! | 10% | |||||||||
| casual mid length skirts/ jeans/ trousers | 19% | |||||||||
| smart - lady executive style | 21% | |||||||||
| depends where I am going, I like to blend in | 20% | |||||||||
| Evenings/ Clubs: I do not go out to clubs | 49% | |||||||||
| over the top - heavy make up; my skirts are NEVER more than 6 inches long and my heels never less than 4 inches high! | 5% | |||||||||
| Fetish: basques, leather, pvc etc | 3% | |||||||||
| bridal wear - ballgowns, maids outfits, schoolgirl etc | 2% | |||||||||
| sophisticated | 9% | |||||||||
| casual mid length skirts | 8% | |||||||||
| smart - lady executive style | 6% | |||||||||
| depends where I am going, I like to blend in | 17% | |||||||||
| Has your dressing style changed since you started? | TV | |||||||||
| not at all | 17% | |||||||||
| my basic style hasn't changed - but I've become more skilled at achieving the look I want | 36% | |||||||||
| Yes - I have more confidence now and experiment with different, more adventurous, looks | 19% | |||||||||
| I am now less inclined to wear OTT outfits - though I still go for a sexy look | 8% | |||||||||
| Yes - I used to wear sexy/OTT styles but I now go for a more sophisticated look | 8% | |||||||||
| Yes - I now go for a more casual look | 12% | |||||||||
| How do you feel when dressed (multiple answers appropriate) Index |
TV | |||||||||
| Sexy | 66% | |||||||||
| Excited | 57% | |||||||||
| Scared | 14% | |||||||||
| Nervous | 25% | |||||||||
| Calm | 42% | |||||||||
| Relaxed | 50% | |||||||||
| At ease with myself | 58% | |||||||||
| Comfortable | 70% | |||||||||
| Happy | 70% | |||||||||
| Dressing doesn't make me feel any different | 1% | |||||||||
| I hate myself for doing it | 0% | |||||||||
| Do you masturbate (for TVs, do you masturbate when dressed?) Index |
TV | Female | Male | |||||||
| I (almost) always/ frequently masturbate when dressed | 21% | - | ||||||||
| I often masturbate (when dressed) | 12% | 25% | 46% | |||||||
| I sometimes masturbate (when dressed) | 38% | 50% | 41% | |||||||
| ] I rarely masturbate (when dressed) | 14% | 0% | 3% | |||||||
| I never masturbate (when dressed) | 15% | 13% | 0% | |||||||
| Do you wear/use female clothing in order to masturbate | TV | |||||||||
| I (almost) always wear/use female clothing to masturbate | 9% | |||||||||
| I usually wear/use female clothing to masturbate | 10% | |||||||||
| I sometimes wear/use female clothing to masturbate | 47% | |||||||||
| I rarely wear/use female clothing to masturbate | 32% | |||||||||
| I never wear/use female clothing to masturbate | 2% | |||||||||
| What fantasies do you usually use when masturbating when dressed? | TV | |||||||||
| I imagine myself to be a woman with a man | 46% | |||||||||
| I imagine myself to be a woman with another woman in a lesbian situation | 55% | |||||||||
| I imagine myself to be with a man having gay sex | 9% | |||||||||
| I imagine myself to be forced to have gay sex with a man | 9% | |||||||||
| I imagine myself to be forced to have sex with a woman who has discovered that I am a TV | 20% | |||||||||
| I imagine myself to be a sex slave to a mixed group of women and men | 13% | |||||||||
| Do you consider that transvestites/ cross dressers give transsexuals a "bad name" Index |
TS | |||||||||
| yes - their well deserved public image makes it more difficult for TSs | 4% | |||||||||
| yes - but their public image is undeserved | 18% | |||||||||
| yes - but this is due mainly to most of the public thinking all TVs/CDs are DQs | 41% | |||||||||
| no - I think the public realises there is a difference between TVs/CDs/DQs and transsexuals | 38% | |||||||||
| For UK girls only please: Are you being treated on the NHS or Privately? Index |
TS | |||||||||
| Privately | 45% | |||||||||
| NHS | 55% | |||||||||
| Primary treatment is Private, but GP provides NHS support for: | TS | |||||||||
| Converts private prescriptions to NHS | 67% | |||||||||
| Blood tests | 44% | |||||||||
| Speech therapy | 44% | |||||||||
| Cosmetic Surgery | 22% | |||||||||
| Electrolysis | 0% | |||||||||
| Prepared to finance SRS | 0% | |||||||||
NB. The general public responses are still far to low to be regarded as significant. As more than 100 TV/CD responses have been analysed, I believe that THESE give a fair indication of attitudes etc. It MUST however be born in mind where the fact that the responses have been collated soley from the Internet might skew the results - interest in science/ computing/ maths etc and possibly education. As you will have seen similarly high scores were obtained from the general public responses in this area.
I draw few conclusions from the survey results - except to reiterate my views that there is no evidence at all of common conditioning / nurturing causes of TGism.
It has frequently been suggested that female influences may have triggered TGism. Yet the survey shows clearly that a higher % of TGs consider their chilhood influences to have been primarily male than non - TG males do.
The figures for TGs who suffered abuse, who had unstable childhoods and were generally "unhappy" during childhood are hardly significantly different to non-TG males either.
I am encouraged by the number of TGs who are "out" to their partners and the reactions reported.
I am also encouraged by the (albeit extremely limited) answers given by the public to their attitudes to TGism. Perhaps, if these figures are typical, attitudes are changing. Our own assessment of the public's attitude could well be some years behind this improved situation.
I INTEND to update the figures in this summary at intervals of approximately 100 responses from TGs. I currently have a further 100+ responses to analyse and enter. Each return involves around 5 minutes work. As I have very recently started work again after a period of unemployment, My time is rather more limited than it has been. Please bear with me if these updates take a while to come through.
Helen Dale
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