To what extent would putting on make-up and high heels change the attitudes of the average red-blooded male? Would a woman who binds her breasts and slips a sock into her underpants think differently?

Cross-dressing invokes often comical images: we think of Lily Savage and Dame Edna Everage, of Jack Lemmon in Some Like it Hot and Dustin Hoffman as Tootsie. Such portrayals rarely explore the difficulties of crossing the gender divide. Blurring the boundaries makes us suspicious and uncomfortable.

Boy Meets Girl shows that cross-dressing can throw up important questions and insights into the way in which women and men view themselves and how they view the opposite sex.

In our special feature, Jon Lusk explores the social, personal and political issues raised by crossing gender boundaries.