The X-Men, The Cross-dresser And the "Pink Fog"

Sounds like a great movie title doesn't it? Well I watched "X-Men The Last Stand" this weekend for the first time (yea, I know, I don't get out much). It was the first time I identified with the mutants.

Hmm, let's see now, why would that be?

Mutants are:

• Feared
• Disliked
• Closeted
• Misunderstood
• Have awesome powers
• And need to be cured.

Yep, that's me alright. I'm not the only one to notice the parallels either. Dr. Richard/Alice Novic, M.D., of Alice in Genderland fame spotted it too. This is from her blog article "The Two Types of Transwomen"

But intersex conditions can just as legitimately be seen as simple differences, like green eyes or red hair, or strange, special powers. Rent the X-Men III, and tell me the writer didn’t have GLBT folks in mind.

So what are the similarities?

Feared

That's right, hide the children there's a cross-dresser in the neighborhood. Honey cast your eyes askance so that you will not gaze upon her finery. I don't understand this attitude, we are truly harmless. We're acting like loving compassionate women for cripes sake. What's to fear? Like the X-men I only use my special powers for good!

Disliked

The mutants were hated for what they were even though they had no choice in the matter. Cross-dressers too have no choice in what and who they are. By all accounts we are born this way. It doesn't help when religion weighs in with an odd reference or two. Yea, the next one to roll out Deuteronomy 22:5 on me and what an abomination I am, they just might have to fear me! Honestly, this old saw that they burned Joan of Arc on is way over rated. What's to dislike? Most surveys have found that cross-dressers are above average in intelligence, marry intelligent women (my wife's a Mensa member thank you very much) and are represented within many professions. So chances are you know or someone you know, knows a cross-dresser. So why don't you see more of us cross-dressers?

Closeted

Oh, yea that's right. Just like the mutants we cannot live openly among the "normal" people. Only a few strong willed people like the aforementioned Dr. Novic are truly out. Or in the case of the movie, Kelsey Grammer's character Dr. Henry 'Hank' McCoy. Even though we would not harm anyone or cause anymore trouble than anyone else on average, we fear loosing friends, family and our livelihood. There are those of us who venture out in public and try to be as discreet as possible. But for most, the thought of looking foolish by being found out overrides any chance of going anywhere.

Misunderstood

Yes, us cross-dressers are confused with drag queens and transsexuals. Yes we do have things in common with them, but for the most part, male to female cross-dressers are heterosexual and are not looking for surgery. We have a female component within us so we are not all male and not all female. And each one of us has a differing amount or percentage of the two genders. So dressing and assuming the personae of a woman brings out the feminine side of us. This is not much different than when Stacy and Clinton from "What Not To Wear" help a genetic "Tom Boy" female find her feminine side. (See the May 30, 2008 episode Natalie from Orange County you'll have to download the Move player first). So like the mutants, we are misunderstood and so are our powers.

Have Awesome Powers

And yes, cross-dressers have awesome powers like the X-men. We are like two people in one both male and female. How may men have the guts to even wear women's clothes? How many women wouldn't love to have a man to help her with her makeup and clothes? One that understands that compassion and nurturing are good traits for a man. One who is not all macho and violent yet can still fix the faucet and kill that spider when needed. And being secretive, we can hide whole wardrobes! Heck, we should all be working for the CIA!

And Need to be Cured

Yes since we are all of the above we need to be eradicated even though we are harmless, loving, have a wide range of emotions, creative, and know how to match shoes to a Spring outfit.

So Tracy, what does the "Pink Fog" have anything to do with this movie?

The "Pink Fog" is a term we use when we are blinded by our own cross-dressing and ignoring the rest of our life. This happens from time to time and us cross-dressers work hard to keep our cross-dressing and the rest of our lives in balance. So when I saw the character Jean Grey look like this:

I thought I know that look, that's me when I'm in the "Pink Fog"!

-Tracy