Transvestism is another term for cross-dressing

Transvestism is another term for cross-dressing, and this and trans-sexuality and the association of both with homosexuality are often confused, even by some practicing cross-dressers.

A typical transvestite is a man who appears quite normal, except for the when he cross-dresses, and he's unlikely to be homosexual, he will more often than not prefer women as his sex partners and will most certainly not want to lose his penis. For many transvestites, cross-dressing provides them with a powerful sexual experience and most of them have their first cross-dressing experience around puberty or in adolescence.

In contrast, a typical male transsexual will not identify in any way with his physically normal male body and will most likely believe that he is a woman that is trapped in a man's body, and he will suffer terribly, and believe that his penis is one of nature's mistakes and will want to get rid of it.