What the film doesn't address, nor does Caitlyn Jenner
Many straight men, who do not desire to be or act like a woman, love to crossdress for the erotic excitement. Almost everyone who doesn't do this or understand it, labels these men as "different" or "complicated" at the least, or perverted at the worst. I know liberal, tolerant, well educated women who when asked what they think of men who crossdress, simply say "it means he's gay."
The film does not address this phenomena, nor does Jenner. Because of repression, and an intolerant society, especially years ago, but slightly less now, crossdressing for sexual pleasure almost always meant "something is wrong with you sexually". I think it is very possible that the overwhelming pleasure of crossdressing some men feel, translates in their mind, mistakenly, that they need to be, or are actually, genetically female. Of course, some are correct. But my contention would be that many, if not most, simply get off sexually on crossdressing, and nothing more or deeper. No one, it appears to me, either talks about this disconnect, or believes it. I would also contend, that many men who crossdress, and admit it to a lover or wife, are often rejected, and that's a shame.
Caitlyn Jenner may be the perfect example of a heterosexual male who gets (extremely) turned on by wearing female clothes, but has somehow, likely because of an ignorant and intolerant 1960's and 1970's medical mislabeling, believed himself to be something much more complex. The urge to crossdress, especially with makeup, wigs and artificial breasts is "normal" sexual play, but many psychologists and so called sex experts, do not believe this. if you do it, you understand perfectly what I am saying. If you don't do it, and don't understand it, then you are going to disagree with me. How big is the segment of heterosexual men who like to, or love to, crossdress? Wow, who knows? Transgender is estimated at 0.6%, recently updated from 0.3%. But men who crossdress only for sexual pleasure, hmmm, my guess, 50%. Crazy, right? Okay, maybe 25%.
I don't judge C Jenner, I don't know her. But there is something incomplete about the inner workings. I'll write it off to "it's private," and "none of my business."
This film touched on the allure of the clothes themselves, and I know it takes the position that this was a female trapped in a mans body, and therefore, the operation was imperative. That's all good and fine. But with this film, and the current transgender awareness and movement, especially regarding Jenner, it seems to me the entire segment of men who crossdress for sexual pleasure only, are being ignored, or at the least, disregarded as not a dominant, or important sexual, or gender category. I believe the vast majority of open minded people know more about transgender struggles than they do about crossdressing as a sexual turn on.
Do I want to champion men who crossdress in private just for a sexual turn on, or with wives and girlfriends, again in private? Not really, these tendencies, or proclivities, are generally private, but not because they need to be, or want to be. I believe non transgender, non gay, men who crossdress (only) will never feel the need to be political about it. It's more akin to a sexual fantasy, like BDSM, which the recent 50 Shades film got completely wrong. Do I think this film and C Jenner overlook or ignore the allure of feminine clothes for straight men? No. But I do think a lot of people, maybe even liberal and tolerant, sophisticated people, do not understand that there is a huge difference between men who crossdress for pleasure, and men who may feel they are partly, or entirely female in a male body? Yes.