Counselor Education Comprehensive Exam (CECE) Practice Exam

Individuals who dress in clothing traditionally worn by the opposite sex are referred to as?

1. Transgendered

2. Transsexuals

3. Cross-dressers

4. Intersexed

The correct answer is: Cross-dressers

Individuals who dress in clothing traditionally worn by the opposite sex are referred to as cross-dressers. This term specifically describes people who may wear clothing and adopt behaviors associated with the gender different from their own, often for various reasons including self-expression, performance, or comfort, rather than as a reflection of their gender identity. The distinction of being a cross-dresser is important because it does not imply anything about an individual’s gender identity or sexual orientation. Unlike those who identify as transgendered or transsexual, which relate more to a transformation or transition in one's gender identity, cross-dressing involves the act of wearing clothing typical of the opposite gender without necessarily altering one's gender identity. Transgendered individuals may seek to transition socially or medically to align their gender identity with their gender expression, while transsexuals often pursue medical procedures to change their physical bodies to match their gender identity. Intersexed individuals, on the other hand, are born with physical sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female bodies. Thus, while these other terms relate to gender identity and biological differences, cross-dressing specifically pertains to the practice of wearing clothing associated with another gender.