Why is it WOMEN can crossdress without a word being said,but MEN get flack from almost everyone if they do it?

Cause men look funy when they dress like women, all the hair, they don't know how to walk in heels...

Woud you be a honey bee and answer this?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071016184302AAgOa35&pa=FYd1D2bwHTHwLbhjHO84SWRKPrZEGBUhJ8l6g1cQ0aBnlw--&paid=asked&msgr_status=

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071016172130AAyLy1T&r=w

I'm crossdressing for halloween and no one has said anything negative. I guess girls wearing masculine clothes is seen as okay because a lot of girl's cloths look like men's cloths. Although they do get some negative stuff for it. I had a friend tripped and kicked in the ribs for dressing as a boy. I hate discrimination!

Women can not cross dress without suffering the consequences. If a woman does not dress all frilly and sexy they are treated with less value by men. For instance put an attractive woman in a short skirt push up bra and very uncomfortable heels and everywhere she goes men will go out of their way to hold open doors for her. They will follow her around like desperate fools slobbering and frothing at the mouth and do near anything to please her. If you put the exact same attractive woman in mens type of clothing she will not gain this extra attention from men. She will have to open her own doors and do a variety of other things that she could otherwise have a slobbering idiot do for her.
Well you asked.

I think it is because (and there are lots of reasons out there, I'm sure) women can have suits tailored to their bodies, so their femininity shows through. Most dresses are form fitting, so they really don't show men's attributes off as well as perhaps they could. It was a big deal when the early movie stars (such as Katherine Hepburn) began to wear trousers, but things began to change as women's clothing began to cater to those women wanting to wear pants. Perhaps fashion and haute couture should design dresses, etc. that flatter the male physique.

Society believe that it is healthy when boys like being boys and girls like being girls,

When a girl wears pants she still looks like a girl. A girl who wears boys clothes is not pretending to be a boy.

When a boy wears girls clothes he is trying to look like a girl, act like a girl, and may even give himself a feminine name. He will wear a bra and stuff it with pretend breasts. Why? Because a boy crossdresses for the sexual pleasure he receives from the experience.

However, if a boy wants to wear women's clothes - he can. He will have to put up with some flack, but who cares. Why should he be afraid of what others say? It will only seem like a trial for a short time. After a while he will enjoy the reaction he gets out of others. I've heard of crossdressers who say that the reaction they get from others is a big part of the fun.

Halloween is the one day of the year that society deems it okay for a guy to dress as a girl. Use the day to test out the reaction you get from others. Wear a prom dress, petticoat, wig and a small crown. A sash over you declares you to be Miss America. Tell everyone that you are doing this to bring world peace.

It's not *entirely* "without a word." In most places people probably won't look twice at a woman in men's jeans and a t-shirt (though in some areas even this is considered odd), while a man in obviously girly jeans and a tank top would get ****. But show up for work in men's business casual wear, and it's a bit more likely to cause trouble. Show up at the beach in men's swim trunks, unshaven legs, a bound chest and a rash guard shirt and there's likely to be more. Show up at your cousin's black-tie formal wedding in a tuxedo, and families frequently have apocalyptic meltdowns.

But you're right, generally speaking there's more leeway for women (or people socially assumed to be women) to wear clothing normally considered "masculine." This is almost certainly due at least in part to the self-conscious normalization of men's wear for women which started in the 40's. When women started moving en mass into heavy industrial jobs (think Rosie the Riveter), they put on the clothing appropriate to the job - heavy denim protective wear, and skirts just aren't going to work on a construction site.

The second wave Feminist movement in the 60's and 70's took this farther, normalizing (to some degree) women wearing clothing designed with men in mind as casual wear, instead of just on-the-job clothing for manual laborers.

There's been no similar social normalization of "feminine" clothing worn by men. There's been a bit - look at the high glam of the 70's, or how makeup and some "girls" clothing has been incorporated into punk or goth or other "extreme" social/fashion trends, but it's still small time, and it's not mainstream.

While at least some "men's" clothing could be adopted by women on grounds of practicality on the job, very little of "women's" clothing could be similarly appropriated. And really, society values masculinity much more than it does femininity. There's a certain limited tolerance for women who appear "masculine" because it's assumed (often unconsciously) that of *course* women would want to take on masculine attributes, since masculinity is associated with power and value.

Preceived "femininity" is definetly devalued. There's a reason we still consider the word "emasculate" to be derogatory. Someone seen as a man taking on "feminine" attributes or clothing is seen as a man voluntarily emasculating himself - and this freaks people the f*ck out. It stirs up castration anxiety among many men, as well as the fear that they might accidentally hit on/be attracted to someone before realizing they're a man.

And all the negative steriotypes of "femininity" are associated with it - superficiality, playing "dress up," childishness, etc. While someone seen as a woman adopting "masculine" attributes is seen as (possibly inappropriately) appropriating valued traits, someone seen as a man adopting "feminine" attributes is seen as shaming and degrading themselves.

Just this afternoon, I saw a high school student walk past my window wearing a knee-length skirt. It wasn't a kilt, it was a skirt.

He looked fine in it, and made me wish I were 17 again, but not for long. I wondered what kind of flack he got for wearing it, but since I'm 45 and in a wheelchair, I didn't bother trying to go outside and ask him.

Good on him though. Men should wear what they want. Same with women. Clothes should make you look good, nothing more.

i've always wondered that. my perosnal opinion is that its a double standard just like with women and certain jobs that men can do but not women. i think its because when women cross-dress its not as obvious as a man in a dress. however, when the woman is extreme in the cross-dressing, it is noticed, and teased, just not as much as a man. it could also be because back in the 1900s when men ruled trhe world and women were thought of as inferior the men were suppsoed to be manly and wear manly clothes and bring home the money and women were supposed to dress up nicer and play house. and when women began fighting for equal rights, a lot, not all, but a lot of those thoughts left. however men are still thought of as the money maker and masculine, so when a man wear "women clothing" its thouoght of as wrong because history says men arent suppsoed to, howver when women do its looked at as them exercising their rights. remeber, this is my personal opinion. personally, i say if putting a womens clothing on a man, or mens clothing on a woman makes them feel good, i say go for it. : )

Because the world is F***ed up. To say men that want to wear what is considered to be feminine, but makes them feel good, will want to wear high heels, wigs and suspenders (although good on you if you do) is very narrow minded! Women can introduce items of mens clothing into their wardrobe without anyone batting and eyelid, but that does not mean to say they want to put on a pair of mens briefs, a mans suit and shoes and a short wig and gel their hair down. I sometimes wear some eye liner when I go out because I like how it looks and that is my right and privilege, If I wanted to go out in a skirt then I would because it is no one else's business!

Actually it depends on when and where in history. It was illegal to dress as the other gender in both Europe and America. In modern times, many countries don't allow women to wear men's clothing. By the way, punishments ranged from social ostracism to death! Anyway, cross-dressing has a long and convoluted history. For some good examples, check out the link. In the meantime, I'm gonna hum "Sweet Transvestite" to myself :)

Because in human nature men are always expected to be masculine than feminine. Just like when everybody makes a big deal when women sleeps around with different partners. But when men does the same, he is praise rather than disgraced.

Hey, may I ask you a question?

Umm.... do you like dressing a girl, because if you do, that could be quite disturbing.