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Why Tri-Ess?
The second reason is a large one: Community, that's right, COMMUNITY! Since the age when I came to be aware of a desire for things feminine, I felt alone, very alone, very isolated, very different, weird even. Just the knowledge that there were others like me, that there was understanding about this, that there was rational thought and, yes, even acceptance. I no longer felt isolated, different or alone, I even began to think of my self as, and dare I say it? Normal. In addition to this, an even larger reason, very allied, came to the fore: Now that I have an understanding and acceptance of who I am, I can help others that had much the same experience with their discovery, understanding & acceptance.
Identity; Crossdressers tend to get "put in" with all other TG/TS groups. There are clear distinctions that separate, no, distinguish crossdressers from transvestites, drag queens, fetish dressers, etc. Tri-Ess has clearly defined where we are in the gender spectrum, definition like no other group has. When our chapter makes a presentation to a college class, there is no confusion in our explanation of "who we are" and this clarity makes the communication with the class much simpler and understandable. After the inevitable "are you gay" question is dealt with, we can answer the other questions in a manner that clearly defines who we are: Heterosexual crossdressers, mostly married, with lives remarkably similar to those in their experience. This takes us out of the confusing pile of the TG community and defines us as relatively normal men who have a venue to express a feminine portion of our personalities.
