Anywhere from 2 to 10% of normal, healthy, heterosexual men say that they enjoy the sensations from wearing women's clothing. They often do this secretly. In their youth they say it makes them feel sexual gratification and as they age they say it provides comfort and reduces stress. They know it is socially frowned upon, but they cannot stop it. Their brain responds to cross-dressing by releasing dopamine and other neurotransmitters which produce the sensations of gratification. Why did nature designed the human male with this condition? Does it serve a purpose? To understand any possible answer we need to go back to our neolithic ancestors.
What was the social structure 10,000 years ago? Life was tough in the neolithic age. It was survival of the fittest. There were dangers everywhere. If you didn't get eaten by the wildlife, then you have to survive the bitter seasons and natural threats. There were dangers from hostile other groups of humans. You could even get killed by rivals in your own clan. Women needed protection and the men who protected them considered them property. Each clan has its powerful leader and he had his trusted lieutenants. The clan leader was a proven hunter and warrior who earned the respect of his peers. He wasn't elected as the leader, he fought for it and won. He didn't do it alone, he had his supporting warriors, and there was bloodshed. Then he rewarded his loyal lieutenants by giving them status, power and wives.
In fact scientists tell us that polygamy is natural. Monogamy is NOT natural. Just try explaining the Coolidge Effect if monogamy was natural. Boys are ruff and tough and bully each other because they are establishing dominance with their peers. Boys need to bully each other so that they can understand where they stand in comparison with their peers. The strongest rise to the top. The want to be super heroes, the alpha male.
Girls are drawn to the men with power. It doesn't matter what the situation is. Young girls want the hero of the football team, or the class president, or the guy with money, or even the guy who leads the Bible study. Women need to love a man they can respect and honor, and that usually is the guy who has the respect and honor of his peers, the leader, the powerful alpha male. In neolithic days the girls wanted to be with the powerful clan leaders. This would provide them with added security and their children would be privileged.
If nature designed men to compete with each other for dominance, and the winner receives power, respect, and women, then what about all the others? Surely there wouldn't be enough women for everyone to practice polygamy. What happens to less competitive males, to males who are not dominant? No problem. Nature designed the answer - male brains are inclined to develop fetishes. Fetishes are using objects as a substitute for human intimacy. When a man feminizes himself (cross-dresses), his brain interprets it as actual contact with a female and releases dopamine and other neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters are responsible for the sensations of well-being, pleasure, sexual gratification and bonding. It affects the reward centers of his brain, instant gratification, and thus it mimics the addiction response.
In this model of human sexuality we would expect that dominant, powerful men would have a little trouble with monogamy as girls being attracted to their swagger. Admired celebrities, like Tiger Woods, may be married to a beautiful woman, but would still be open to trashy girls who throw themselves at him. In this model of human sexuality we would expect that homosexuals have been beaten up since early childhood. We would expect that cross-dressers would have been less competitive with their peers during adolescence. We would expect that adult cross-dressers would desire a female partner, but still be able to find comfort with their female alter-ego. Their female partners may consider their husband's female alter-ego as competition.
So in our neolithic story we have the alpha male and his loyal lieutenants. We have his property that he defends (his wives, children, and extended family). And we have many men who envy their masculine leaders and want to be like them. But, there are also some men who are not competitive, who don't want to be like their fierce masculine leaders, and who even envy their mothers and other females. These men do not venture out with their warrior brothers when they fight and beat the ever-living snot out of each other. These men are considered half-men, they may be castrated, and left to protect the women and children at the camp.
So while the warrior men are away from the camp, waging war, and plundering their rivals, their camp is attacked. The very men who are being hunted by our men, attack us. Help Help!! The the cross-dressing autogynephial is forced to fight and protect the women and children. He protects them with everything at his disposal. He knows his own life depends on it. The attackers are finally turned away, but our cross-dressing hero is mortally wounded. He has suffered greatly. At last the other men return from their own adventures, and come to find their community mostly intact, and their transgendered clam member dying. He is given a funeral of honor.
http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2011/04/grave-of-stone-age-transsexual.html#.ULVUcuT7J3M
Autogynephilia may be as natural as polygamy, as natural as bullying is to a young alpha male, and as natural as homosexuality. The human race wouldn't have survived the neolithic age without it.
