Crossdressers-Haven.com

Merinda Widget wrote:I don’t know whether anything like this has ever been discussed before, but I was wondering if CDs claim to a certain colour (spelt color if in America ). In Australia, we have the standard pink for girls, blue for boys, and yellow for gays, although some gays also lay claim to pink. 50% girl pink + 50% boy blue = 100% purple me, just like mixing paint. ... Does anyone else ... think it should become the traditional CD colour?

     Purple does make a lot of sense as a CD color, for it is (as you said) what results when we combine pink (en femme) and blue (en homme). Since we as CD’s combine genders, purple is a logical color for us. But let’s also keep in mind the history of such symbolic colors and the icons that typically display them.

Pink-Triangle.org wrote: The pink triangle has become one of the symbols of the modern gay rights movement, but it originated in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. In many camps, prisoners wore badges. These badges were colored based upon the reason for imprisonment. In one common system, men convicted of homosexuality wore a pink triangle. The icon has been reclaimed by many in the post-Stonewall gay rights movement as a symbol of empowerment, and, by some, a symbol of rememberance to the suffering of others during a tragic time in history.

     It might be nice to have a roughly analogous symbol for the CD community, but purple was the color of the Nazis’ badge for Jehovah’s Witnesses. Here is a webpage that describes the symbols used for classifying prisoners during Hitler’s Third Reich.

     But notice that the JW icon was an inverted purple triangle. We could get around the problem of taking someone else’s icon by making ours a triangle sitting firmly on its base. Although our icon would not be rooted in World War II history, it nonetheless would symbolize both that (1) we are stable and well-grounded, and that (2) we combine the best of en femme and en homme. Aren’t these the two messages we most wish to present?

Hi all,

Great idea, Merinda... well exposed, Jamie Ann. Thanks, both of you. Any other comments?

Love,
CJ

ahem, I don't think icons are needed or desired. but that's just me!

Hi Alexandra,

You?

ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuns!!!!

Think I will have a T-Shirt made up tomorrow!
Deborah

I guess I'm with Alexandra on this one, even though over the years I've joined in discussions with groups who have endeavoured to come up with an acceptable way of identification. But identification only to each other is admitting to society their misformed beliefs about us, it won't help to create any lasting changes in attitude.

Rather than searching for an an icon, which really only establishes a group as being set apart from all else, my endeavours are more to being out there and in their faces. But that's just me .

I realise that everyone's circumstances are different but I believe that only by more and more of us getting out of the closet and lending our weight to those fighting for equality can we ever hope to educate the world that gender and sex variance is just another natural part of the human equation.

The more we paint ourselves into a corner and keep ourselves hidden then the less chance there will be of any change in the general community's attitude. If we don't have pride in who we are and how we were born then we will never gather the strength to demand our civil or human rights. A small voice will never be heard, in small numbers we stand alone, only by affiliation, co-ordination and pooling resources of support groups world wide amongst the gender and sex varied communities, will there ever be enough lobbying or educational power to effect any real lasting quality changes.

Anyway, that's my take on icons as such, I think I caught my heel in my soap box so I'd better stop waving the .

Kind Regards to all.

Sally.

Does not interest me one way or the other.

Thanks Jamie Ann ,

The idea originated from a visit to the local pub many years ago ( no I wasn't cross dressed or drunk ) , a gentleman sitting near me had a purple top on and the light bouncing off it broke into pink and blue rays of the spectrum
( OK! maybe I did have a few too many ).
From there I decided that purple was my colour because it described who I am , I went on to wear a purple top that had a hidden meaning in the colour of it.

I am not voting in the poll as I think that 2 of the three would be right. I like the color purple as it is a mix of Blue and Red. Blue being for the male and red being for the female. However using a triangle I feel might not be the best idea as it is so close to the G/L pink triangle. I like the purple idea though I feel the icon needs to be different. Sadly no animal would fit the spot as unlike the butterfly we can change back when ever we want.

Hi Y'all,

Ok, what kind of a gril would I be if I kept my mouth shut so here's my two cents. I agree with Sally that a symbol hidden and known only to our own is defeating the idea of getting more acceptance. But (- - there's always a But!), many of us live in areas where getting out in public is not the smartest move to make. As I've said before, this area of North Florida is known for pointed sheets and disappearing people, especially if they are different from the "norm". It would be nice if those of us who lived in areas such as this had a way to recognize others who felt as we do. This might lead to the formation of more chapters of Tri Ess or other such supportive groups which in turn could ultimately lead to more acceptance. Remember, those of us with no support local to us are alone and there is truly strength in numbers.

OK, a smart girl knows when enough is enough. It's time for me to turn the soapbox over to someone else. I hope I didn't step on anybody's toes and if I did, )))))) .

Howdy, I think the adoption of an icon would be a step forward to let everyone know how many people are cder's. I also think it might mean a little more to have blue in one bottom corner, red in the other than shadded to form purple at the top corner. We are complicated girls aren's we? Kristen

I definitely like the color purple!

(and no I'm not talking about the movie, LOL)

LMFAO!!!!!

OMG!!!

ROFL!!!!



I have no idea why I am laughing my arse off. but that is SO FUNNY!

Kristen wrote:Howdy, I think the adoption of an icon would be a step forward to let everyone know how many people are cder's. I also think it might mean a little more to have blue in one bottom corner, red in the other than shadded to form purple at the top corner. We are complicated girls aren's we? Kristen

Hi Kristen ,
I had the same thought today , perhaps one side is pink on the edge and the other edge light blue.
If we lop the top off the triangle it will form a short skirt .

I'm not really sure how to answer this one. The purple triangle seems ok as an icon--whether it's the best one possible is a matter of debate. What strikes me about crossdressers is their diversity. Drag queens; TG's who may give tentative consideration to transitioning; married, middle-of-the-road, suburban 9-to-5 types who wear the clothing because they find it relaxing or liberating; fetishists--what do all these folks have in common? The basic situation of a male who wears women's clothes. What else? Difficult to say. If there's a simple graphic that expresses the diversity of this group of people together with the unity they have by virtue of their activity, I think it'll probably be a winner. E pluribus unum.

-Celia