"Cross-dressing must be taken as a general indication of, and a cognate phenomenon to, homosexuality". The earliest citations for "cross-dress" and "cross-dresser" are 1966 and 1976, respectively.

Today, the term transvestite is commonly considered outdated and derogatory, with the term cross-dresser used as a more appropriate replacement. The term transvestite was historically used to diagnose medical disorders, including mental health disorders, and transvestism was viewed as a disorder, while the term cross-dresser was coined by the