Ann Landers

Dear Ann Landers: Your letter about the woman whose husband was a cross-dresser was right on target. People often are afraid of those who are different, whether the difference is racial, religious or gender. That is why minorities are the target of so much discrimination. Cross-dressers need protection from discrimination as much as any other minority.
The woman who wrote said her husband only recently discovered he was a cross-dresser. This is not unusual. Many of us cross-dress as children or teens but suppress the desire as we grow older. By the time we reach our 40s, the suppression can create deep anger and frustration. My wife is tolerant of my cross-dressing but not particularly understanding. We are in counseling, trying to keep our marriage together. By the way, Ann, we prefer "cross-dresser," not transvestite. Transvestite is a label coined by the psychiatric profession and implies that we are sick.
-- Joann in N.Y.
Dear N.Y.: I'm sure your letter educated a lot of people today. P.S. I would not use the word "sick," but cross-dressing is definitely a deviation from the norm.