My Transvestite Addictions is about a middle-aged crossdresser/transvestite who has long struggled with his gender identity as well as various addictions, including those involving alcohol and sex. The fiction-inspired-by-fact account is based on the life of the author and the lives of acquaintances of the author, though the names of all people and places have been changed from actual names, as have certain details of events described in the book. The stories have been crafted by the author to examine the way one individual is dealing with his complex issues of crossdressing and transgenderism and his chronic addiction problems.
The proudly independent-minded author delves into this taboo subject matter in a style that is serious, funny, outrageous, sexy, earthy, and unflinchingly personal. As a warning to sensitive readers, the book includes blunt language, swear words, and graphic sexual descriptions, as well as a fair amount of libertarian politics that some may view as politically incorrect.
The intention of the author is to both entertain and educate. He is always being asked, "Why do you dress like a woman?" and "What is it like?" and "Do you like guys or girls?"—in addition to many other interesting questions. Well, this book answers those extremely complex questions and many others—in ways that are sometimes shocking. The book also addresses the general lack of public knowledge regarding the multiple aspects of transgenderism, including the differences between crossdressers and transsexuals. And the author strongly advocates for greater understanding of, and respect for, transgendered people.
In the author's case, his crossdressing, which started out as a healthy and bold form of self-expression, eventually evolved into a type of addiction that became associated with other addictions, such as excessive alcohol use, an impulsive addiction to call girls and strippers, sex with strangers in bars, and an irresponsible addiction to spending money. After a long series of sometimes highly enjoyable and sometimes extremely disturbing experiences, the author finally reached a resolution on these issues—a resolution derived from both his own inner strength and independent spirit and the kind, caring help of others.
One of the themes of the book is that each of us is different. And each of us has to come to our own terms with our problematic behaviors. Human beings are extremely complex creatures. None of us can possibly fit neatly into particular expert-designed categories listed in psychology textbooks. We each need to discover our own truths, what works best for us, and what helps us live good lives as free individuals who are honest and true to ourselves and to others.
Despite all of his struggles, the author remains very proud of his crossdressing and of the feminine aspects of his personality. They are important parts of his truth. He hopes that this book will be of help to other people—either by learning from his mistakes or by being inspired by some of his better behaviors.
