Just as race is being replaced by ethnicity as a meaningful category with emphasis on the culture of different groups of people who share a “consciousness of kind” ; gender is increasingly viewed as a cultural category rather than one that is specifically link to either biological sex or to sexual orientation. As such gender become a set of attitudes and performances which range from “masculine” to “feminine” with those terms taking on quite different meanings among different reference groups. Gender cultures vary among the biological males, females, hermaphrodites, as well as individuals who have undergone surgical and/or hormonal modification of their bodies. The recognition that gender culture need not be linked to biological sex in homo sapiens has been recognized by established status categories such as berdache (plains indians) and fa’afafine (Polynesians).
I am fascinated by the external representation of inner feelings and convictions. Gender among other things is an inner feeling sometimes becoming an overwhelming conviction. What do you feel?
Identity Explorer 
Hello Pippin, This is a very thoughtful piece of writing. I had not thought of the similarity of ethnicity and gender as umbrellas below which like groups can gather.
As someone who has only discovered the need to dress relatively recently and later in life, and who doesn’t dress for reasons of family, it is lovely to come across a site like this and someone from a like tribe.
Yes we really do need ways to feel connected.
I will return to visit your site to watch it develop.
Kindest regards,
Geraldine O’Brien
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Currently I am working on bringing to this site some of the ideas of Erving Goffman . The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life and Stigma seem particularly relevant to many thoughts expressed by cross dressers, non-binary and transgender writers.
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