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TRANSVESTITE WEDDINGS

Cross dressing is big business in the north and wedding weekends are special occasions. Inside Out joined a group of cross-dressers for a weekend in Scarborough to discover what lies behind the white veils and size 11 slippers.

You notice the shoes first. High heels and satin. Then the long, flowing meringue dresses that are hoisted up a little to reveal a peek of ankle.

A 'bride' takes part in a parade at Scarborough

At a glance, some of the wrists holding the dresses seem a little larger than expected. Maybe hairier too.

But in some cases it is not until you look at the carefully made-up faces that you realise that these brides are in fact men.

Support

One benefit of the weekend is for people to realise they are not alone.

In some cases, wives attend for support, seemingly without batting an eyelid as their husband wriggles into a wasp-waist gown.

Finding shoes to fit is often a problem for transvestites

What’s interesting is that when asked why they do it, men who enjoy wearing wedding dresses all come up with similar answers.

Sophie, a ‘bride’ says, "A wedding dress represents the pinnacle of femininity."

Others say that it is as close as they can get to knowing how a woman feels.

Reasons

The range of reasons for the men’s fascination with wedding dresses is as far stretching as their garters.

Sophie, who is happily heterosexual says, "From about 13-years-old I've been actively dressing."

"I was jealous of my sister, of the clothes she was wearing."

Gloria is the father of four children

For another, the story is far different.

Although always fascinated by transvestitism, it was late in life that 67-year-old Gloria squeezed into a skirt and blouse.

"My sex life came to an end because I became impotent."

"It gave me the permission I needed to put on a frock."

Relaxed

Inside the event there is no risk of facing the prejudices that transvestites often have to deal with.

The atmosphere is relaxed and attendees enjoy the social side of the event.

They certainly let their hair down, even though the hair may not be their own.

One thing is apparent by this point - there is no danger that the carefully chosen gown will spend the next ten years gathering dust in the loft!