FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla.—Circle of Q is a new website whose aim is to provide the first private social community and dating site for crossdressers (CDs) and their admirers looking for friendships, activity partners, online play and social connection.
The number of men who feminize regularly (for recreation, not gender identity) has yet to be measured, and estimates vary widely, with many in the range of 3–15 percent.
Ava Durga, CEO and cofounder of Circle of Q, explained the unique challenges that crossdressers face: “Unlike transwomen, crossdressers identify as male. They’re usually straight or bisexual, often with a wife or female partner. They dress in women’s clothes for recreation, comfort, erotic fantasy and personal exploration, not for congruence with an internal gender identity. So, their needs and motivations are very different.”
“Crossdressers are lumped into other communities, like transgender, LBGTQ+, and the kink lifestyle, but they’re usually not negotiating gender transitions or sexual orientation concerns, and they’re not all into BDSM,” noted Rebecca Lynn (aka “Sissy Becca”), COO and cofounder of Circle of Q. “So, CDs and admirers feel out of place in those groups. They want to socialize and play with like-minded friends in other ways.”
Dedicated websites for crossdressers and sissies do exist, but are limited. Some provide advice on wardrobe and life as a CD, but discourage social connection. Others are designed primarily for fetishized hookups. Becca’s personal experience with the sissy dating and chat sites was unsatisfactory.
“I never felt a sense of safety or community there," Lynn reported. "So many of the profiles were bots, fakes, findoms, scammers and time wasters. CDs and sissies can be desperate to connect with others, which makes them vulnerable. It was really discouraging.”
Ms. Durga’s crossdressing clients expressed similar frustrations.
“They dream of having friends and playmates to socialize with," she noted. "Some are looking for hookups, sure, but many just want online friends to confide in, or a place to show off a new outfit, or to find a ‘gurlfriend’ to hang out with en femme. Becca and I developed Circle of Q as a private social community that could accommodate all those interests.”
A monthly membership fee keeps the community private and protects members from the problems that plague free sites. Members can search profiles and contact other members; post photos, videos and articles; communicate anonymously via text chat, voice, webcam and forums; attend online events; post classified ads; and be invited to occasional live gatherings.
