Ash Ketchum, Crossdresser?!

 Hello There,

    There is certainly no shortage of crossdressing themed fan art online, but perhaps one of the most frequently featured characters is none other than Pokémon's own Ash Ketchum! Ash was the Pokémon franchise's main character in the anime television series for almost two decades. With his go to catch phrase of "gotta catch 'em all" you'd think he'd be talking about Pokémon, not women's clothing! This post is the start of a new series I will be working on covering crossdressing fan art based around classic cartoons and media. So zip up those dresses and strap on some Poké balls because Ash Ketchum is gonna be doing some crossdressing, or should I say "Ashley Ketchum".

    Let's start out by establishing that there is actually precedent for Ash crossdressing in the original anime. Over his twenty year span as Pokémon's protagonist Ash did actually crossdress several times for one reason or another. Be it to avoid the clutches of the evil team rocket, or to compete in a girls only Pokémon league, almost every new Pokémon generation saw Ash dressing as a girl for one reason or another.

    Although often used for comedic effect, for those of us who were struggling with gender identity at a young age, it still left a lasting impression on us. Ash's crossdressing hijinks seemed to have had a lasting impression on many people it seems because there is a massive library of fan art depicting him crossdressed. He has even been dubbed "Ashley" by his fans, who see him as one of the most commonly associated cartoon characters with crossdressing. I know I certainly developed quite the love for "Ashley Ketchum" when I was young, because I was at a similar age, loved Pokémon, and could identify with a young boy trying crossdressing for the first time. So it's no surprise that many others have the same fondness for Ashley as I do.

______________________________________________

    Interestingly perhaps the most commonly featured dress in Ashley Ketchum fan art is one he never wore. While exploring the Sinnoh region he traveled with fellow Pokémon trainer Dawn. Dawn competed in Pokémon contests which were essentially shows designed to show off a Pokémon's beauty rather than using them to fight in trainer battles. When participating in contests, competitors would wear elegant outfits to compliment their Pokémon. Dawn would typically wear a pink dress with a white collar accented by little pink bows. This is the dress that Ash is probably most commonly depicted wearing interestingly enough. Perhaps it is the popularity of this dress that drives artists to depict Ash as wearing it, or perhaps it speaks to how popular Dawn was as a character. Maybe it's just an amazing dress. What ever the reason Ash has been depicted as being no stranger to wearing Dawn's iconic contest dress!

    In addition to Ash frequently wearing Dawn's dress, Dawn is frequently depicted as being the one to either encourage Ash's crossdressing, or help him along in the process. Again this is probably due to Dawn's popularity as a character, or perhaps its just because in the end most young crossdressers just long for a friend to dress with. But Dawn's role in the "Ashley" crossdressing saga is well represented.

    In addition to Dawn, Ash has had several female companions who have accompanied him across his journeys through the different Pokémon regions. To fan artists, it sure seems like there is no shortage of Poké-girls willing to indulge Ash in his crossdressing. His own mother Delia Ketchum even gets in on the crossdressing fun sometimes!

    It's not just Ash's female companions that want to get in on the fun however, many of Ash's fellow male Pokémon trainers have shown an "interest" in his Ashley persona. Granted unlike the Poké-girls, these boys seem to enjoy Ashley more for her appearance than the act of getting her all dressed up. Ash must make quite the convincing girl, because all the boys seem to swoon over Ashley!

    Ash certainly seems to have a lot of fun with his Ashley persona, and what could be more fun than dressing as Disney Princesses (ya'll know I'm a big fan LOL). Ashely just couldn't help herself and had to partake in some princess fun as well!

    Interestingly enough a modern trend of Ashley fan art is to pair her with the Jessie from the villainous Team Rocket! Jessie has gone so far with Ash's crossdressing that she is even beginning to call him her daughter!

        In addition to dressing up as Jessie's daughter, Ash has gone so far as to dress as his "mom" Jessie. Although Ash often seems to use dressing as his mother as an excuse to dress sexily, maybe some Oedipus Complex going on here?

______________________________

    Well there you have it friends, I've covered almost all the aspects Ash Ketchum's crossdressing fan art, or should I say Ashley Ketchum? He certainly seems to enjoy indulging in the joys of femininity, doesn't he! Given that throughout his tenure as Pokémon's anime protagonist he would periodically crossdress every few years, meant that generations of young viewers got to connect with a male character who wore women's clothes. For many, Ash may have been their first exposure to crossdressing, and with such a massive backlog of fan art online, the influence Ashley Ketchum has on many young crossdressers can not be overstated. 

My Philosophy on Pronouns

Hello There,

    There's no end to the controversy being stirred up by the LGBTQ+ community for just existing, and preferred pronouns are probably the perfect example of unnecessary outrage. Calling someone by their preferred pronouns is among the easiest ways to be kind and courteous to gender non-conformists, especially if they've identified their preferred pronouns. I can't tell you how many times I've read online how being called Ma'am has made someone's day, or how being called Sir has made someone utterly crushed and dysphoric. It's the little moments like that which can really make or break someone's gender expression experience.

    But what about when you don't know a person's preferred pronouns? Perhaps you're just referring to someone you saw online, or recounting a story about someone you briefly met; if you don't know their pronouns how do you refer to them? I realize that this might be a hot take, as pronouns are the subject of much passion in the LGBTQ+ community, but I believe when you don't know someone's pronouns, that referring to someone as the pronouns which most closely align with the gender they are presenting as is totally acceptable. Sorry if I'm stirring up controversy with that one, but if I don't know your preferred pronouns I'm just going to default to what you most resemble: he/him or she/her. What about the case that someone appears androgynous, or seems to embrace both genders? A perfect time to use they/them! Ultimately, just having some observational skills and a little common sense goes a long way.

    That being said, what are my pronouns? Well easy peasy, if I'm presenting as a male: He/Him, if I'm presenting as a female: She/Her. Since I'm genderfluid both sets of pronouns apply depending on what gender I'm presenting as. This is why I've developed the philosophy of using pronouns for how people present. I'd imagine that the safe bet for most people is to just call them by the pronoun that most resembles their appearance. Regardless of how well they pass, if they're walking around in a dress with a wig, she/her is probably a safe bet. But if I'm walking around in my everyday guy wear, I'd rather not be called Ma'am. 

-Carly

The Queen of Phoenix Crossplay: Jay Stilipec

 Hello There,

    Today I'm highlighting another crossplayer, this time specializing in the character of Jean Grey, also known as the Phoenix! Crossplayer Jay Stilipec specializes in a few different characters, but perhaps they're most fiery (pun intended) is the mighty Phoenix! As a massive X-Men fan, Jean Grey's Phoenix has always been a favorite costume of mine; and I just love when a cosplayer nails the look! Dark Phoenix's fiery red hair against the red bodysuit screams baddy, and who doesn't love a bad bitch!

    Jay Stilipec specializes in cosplaying busty and curvy characters, and Jean Grey fits the bill, particularly when empowered by a cosmic fire bird LOL! Jay has said previously that large breasted women and characters are exactly the kind of ones worth cosplaying; given that Jay is quite the fan of the large breast esthetic. Needless to say Jay's Jean Grey looks amazing with all those curves!

    Jay was even lucky enough to meet the legendary creator of Jean Grey, Stan Lee himself, while dressed as the character Stan created! When Stan created Jean Grey in 1963, he probably didn't have any idea that she'd explode in popularity to the point of appearing in movies, or having people meticulously create and wear costumes of the character. As per usual Stan hit a narrative home run, and I'm sure enjoyed seeing Jean brought to life by Jay.

    Of course Stan probably also didn't envision the character he created, teenage mutant Jean Grey as one day becoming the host of a celestial fire bird, capable of destroying planets. As her Dark Phoenix persona, Jean Grey is the embodiment of raw power incarnate! Jay certainly gives off a powerful aura as the phoenix, am I right?! This is why I think Jay is by far the queen of crossplaying the Phoenix!  

    Jay's cosplay is so breathtaking, it even catches the eye's of comic artists. Here's a video of Jay being gifted a piece of Dark Phoenix artwork simply because the cosplay was so amazing! I'd love to get free things just for walking around conventions!

    What would the phoenix be without Jean Grey? In Jay's continued attempt to pay homage to all things Jean Grey, a crossplay of Jean Grey in her iconic 90's costume was obviously necessary as well. Playing host to the Phoenix Force or not Jay looks great as Jean!

    Well there you have it, my tribute to Jay's incredible Dark Phoenix crossplay. Jay is by far the most consistently amazing Phoenix crossplayer I've ever seen. Jay is no stranger to the comic convention seen, so if you or I are lucky enough, maybe one day one of us will catch a glimpse of this phoenix in the wild!

-Carly Belle

Crossdresser Reveals Secret To Disney Princess

 Hello There,

    Today I thought I'd share a cute little true story that features my two favorite things gender non-conformity and Disney Princesses! Part time crossdresser and occasional drag artist "Kandi", like me was also a huge fan of Disney Princesses. Also like me, Kandi's favorite Disney Princess was Aurora; and Kandi wanted to make her trip to Disney World extra special. While in guy mode, Kandi decided to share some of her photos of herself all dolled up to none other than Princess Aurora herself! See the actual photo of her sharing the pictures with Aurora below, as well as Aurora's reaction!

    Kandi's friend who was taking the photography said that as he took the picture Aurora exclaimed "Is that you!!". Aurora then commented on how she was impressed that they look alike! It's always a thrill to share our feminine secret to people, but what a thrill it must have been to share it with a Disney Princess! It's great that Aurora had such a positive reaction! Seems like a lot of fun, I might need to try this myself someday, hmmmmm...

-Carly

Why Do Some Crossdressers Like Dressing as Little Girls?

Hello There,

    There's certainly no shortage of unique outfits and styles to which crossdressers are drawn to. Wedding dresses, French Maids outfits, ballet and dancewear, are among the many different styles which crossdressers frequent. However, one of the most interesting styles frequented by crossdressers is to emulate the style of a little girl. Dressing like a little girl seems like a strange choice for adults, especially those that are born male. It's hard to explain even for crossdressers, with one saying "Personally I think my 17 year old daughter can reluctantly get her head my gender dysphoria and the resultant need to dress as a woman but somehow I doubt she'd understand me slipping into an adult version of her 5th birthday party dress, even if I did look cute". It's certainly easy to see how that might be challenging to explain.

    Despite the strange contradiction for an adult to dress as a child, it's prevalence in the crossdressing community is noteworthy. Although little girl inspired clothing often has connotation with sissies (I have a whole separate blog post on Sissies), this is not always the case. Sometimes crossdressers just wanna dress and feel like a little girl. So let's dive into this topic and discuss why it may be that many crossdressers like dressing up as little girls!

Body Shape:

    Obviously women's clothing is designed for women's body's, so that can make wearing it as a man unflattering depending on your body shape. For men with broad shoulders, a wide chest, or thick waist, making a little black dress look good might be difficult. Little girls on the other hand do not have feminine curves, and their clothing is not designed to show off feminine curves. This means that regardless of the body shape wearing them, they should look appropriate. Listen to this testimonial about a crossdresser who tried little girl inspired clothing after feeling uncomfortable about his body in regular women's clothes:

"Now as you girls all know a 40 year old bloke with a very male body does not look good in every day street fem cloths. So when I first put on a very frilly dress with a petti and accoutrements to match, I felt transformed!! It was so outrageous that it was believable!!"

    I'd say that's a pretty passionate endorsement! For many men whose body's aren't accommodated by regular styles of women's clothing, little girl inspired styles may provide a more flattering outlet to femininity. 

Experiencing Childhood:

    The childhood experience for little girls is totally different from little boys. Real little girls get to play dress up, wear all the frilly things that mothers sometimes dress their daughters in, play with dolls, play house, have slumber parties, experiment with make-up for the first time, and enjoy the thrills of developing into a young lady. Since most people experiment with their gender identity at an older age, they miss the opportunity to participate in all these youthful experiences. Dressing as a little girl gives crossdressers wanting to experience what they may not have had a taste of earlier in life, an opportunity to experience that feeling as an adult , this time under their control. Dressing as a LG (or wanting to) when an adult could just act as a mechanism to make up for lost time. Here's another quote from a crossdresser who has often found themselves wearing clothes inspired by little girls:

"My childhood was not with dressing in siblings clothing, I am the youngest of three, all boys and so well it was never available to me. So if I put on a frilly dress etc., then I am exerting the chance to get in touch with that childhood part of me that didn’t happen, but yearns to be contacted and enjoyed within the safe boundaries of adulthood."

    It's all about experiencing something that they'd never had access to. As I mentioned earlier it's similar to crossdressers wearing wedding dresses, or prom dresses, an experience they'll never have. Dresses designed for little girls are a totally different style from adult clothing, wearing them is a unique experience. Look at them, honestly they're pretty cute, it'd probably be a fun experience!

Another Unique Style of the Trans Community

    When it comes to the transgender/ gender nonconformist community NO dressing style is a-typical. The Trans community is made up a vast array of people, all of whom have limitless styles and forms of dressing expressions. Additionally given how communicative and tight-knit the transgender community is with itself, all of these styles influence and feed off of each other. Crossdressers may be exposed to little girl styles through lolita fashions, sissies, school girl stylings, and many more. Experimentation and transformation are at the heart of gender nonconformity, so its a fundamental aspect of this community to want to try new things. Given little girl styles being so prevalent in the community, I'd say once most people try it, they end up liking it. 

___________________________________

    There you have it some reasons why crossdressers may go out of their way to dress as little girls. Be it for gender expression, body shape, or recaptured childhood magic, there's plenty of reasons to give being a little girl a try! Personally, I just think the styles are cute, so who knows, maybe one day I'll transform into a little girl myself!

-Carly