I have to violate a gender role for a day

[tinkerbell]

*giggles* this should be fun.  I just received an email from my youngest sister asking for help.  Honestly she caught me off guard as I am not usually thinking about this anymore    I will translate her email into English since it was originally written in Spanish.

Hi so and so, I need your help with something you are very familiar with.  I have a project for my psychology of gender class.  We're supposed to be gender outlaws for a day. I'm serious!  LOL, we are supposed to violate a gender role for a day and write about the reactions we receive.  I thought this was going to be easy but I'm having trouble coming up with a good idea of what I should do.  If I were a guy, I think that task would be easier.  Perhaps I'd paint my nails, wear a dress, lipstick, or something like that but being a girl complicates things a bit.

So I thought about you, my well-gendered sister    BTW it has to be something that would actually cause some sort of response from people I randomly meet on the street, so I challenge you my sis; I want to hear what you have to say about this.  Help me think of some good female gender roles I can violate in order to obtain a good reaction from people along with a good grade for this project.  Don't take your sweet time now as this project is taking place next week.  Call me or email me; love, your sis......so and so

Well?  Something that will cause a reaction from people?    Hmmmmm....  I quite agree with her though, this whole "experiment" or whatever it is would be easier for a guy, but for a girl?  I mean whatever gender role she "chooses to break for a day", it has to be something that people WILL NOTICE.  In other words, people will have to be aware of the fact that she is female and breaking/violating a gender role associated with her birth sex. 


tink

[TheBattler]

Tink,

I am sure she could have fun with that - going into the gents and saying the ladies queue was to long. Pick up on the male manerism etc.

We had a cross dress for red cross day last week. No-one asked my to cross dress  (ok - I would of said no). It would of been interesting crossing dress but trying to look as if it was my first time cross dressing (from what I know I would of been spotted a mile away).

Alice

[Nero]

Hmmmm... The only thing I can think of would be a men's wear suit and fake moustache. Maybe draw one on? It is easier for guys = just put on a dress.

[mikke]

Well she should definitely use a men's room- or several of them, to get a wide variety of reactions. Though tell her to be careful and pick one in an area she feels relatively safe in- on her school campus or something like that. Before she starts her project, she should try watching guys to get a sense of their different mannerisms- how guys sit, walk, talk etc in comparison to females. Even just riding around on a bus for a few hours can give you a pretty good visual idea.

That's an awesome project!

[Christo]

it gotta be hair.  moustache, beard. arm. leg hair.  sittin w/her legs open maybe. dunno.  lmao   kissin another girl in fronta everybody >

[Butterfly]

Oh my gosh, I think I love her psych instructor already ~laugh~ Excellent, excellent task to have been assigned. I also love challenging the status quo. Here's a very simple suggestion:
Tell her to give a directive to several males she may come across on the day of her assignment. Men don't like taking orders from females. >

[Shana A]

I'd say to add some facial hair, a beard or mustache, with feminine clothes. That'd get everyone's attention!  >

Z

[Karla B]

I would agree that clothes and hair would create some attention.
She should tie her hair back or wear it up, wear a beard and a mustache while wearing feminine clothes, like a dress or a low cut top exposing some cleavage.

[Nigella]

Hi all,

Had to reply to this, sorry, I think the men's room thing is a bad, bad idea tooooooooo dangerous even on campus.

Keep safe

Nigella

[Nero]

Hi all,

Had to reply to this, sorry, I think the men's room thing is a bad, bad idea tooooooooo dangerous even on campus.

Keep safe

Nigella

I agree. It would definitely garner attention, but it's not safe. A girl should never put herself in a situation like that.

[Lisbeth]

I'm kind of disappointed that people haven't come up with anything more novel than fake face hair and using the men's room.  If it weren't for the danger, I would suggest spending the day going top-free.  But violating gender norms has to involve something more basic like violating female submissiveness.  If she could get a body guard to protect her, I think the best idea would be to get into men's personal space the same way men are always doing to women.  You know?  Touching and getting too close.  I bet it would make them feel really uncomfortable, like they make us feel.

[Karla B]

I'm kind of disappointed that people haven't come up with anything more novel than fake face hair and using the men's room.  If it weren't for the danger, I would suggest spending the day going top-free.  But violating gender norms has to involve something more basic like violating female submissiveness.  If she could get a body guard to protect her, I think the best idea would be to get into men's personal space the same way men are always doing to women.  You know?  Touching and getting too close.  I bet it would make them feel really uncomfortable, like they make us feel.

The only problem with that is that most men might welcome that, which could make her be or feel uncomfortable with the situation.

[Lisbeth]

I'm kind of disappointed that people haven't come up with anything more novel than fake face hair and using the men's room.  If it weren't for the danger, I would suggest spending the day going top-free.  But violating gender norms has to involve something more basic like violating female submissiveness.  If she could get a body guard to protect her, I think the best idea would be to get into men's personal space the same way men are always doing to women.  You know?  Touching and getting too close.  I bet it would make them feel really uncomfortable, like they make us feel.

The only problem with that is that most men might welcome that, which could make her be or feel uncomfortable with the situation.

Don't count on it.  Most men are more uptight than that.

[Karla B]

She could dress as a male and hit on Girls in the same manner guys would. That way alot of the guys would see what they're really like and some of the GGs might even get a good laugh out of it.
There are a few movies where the female plays a male role. She should rent one or down load one and study it. That might give her some ideas.

[NickSister]

I like Kieras idea.

My ideas:
Get a group of women together, dress normaly, but hang out and wolf whistle at all the passing women.

She could change her name for a day, take on a male name and insist on everyone calling her it for no reason other than she likes that name...

[Rashelle]

BAD BAD idea for her to use the mens restroom when obviously a female. Once upon a time when I was nervous about which restroom to use I did use a mens restroom and I did "pass" as female. I won't go into details but suffice it to say females in mens restrooms is a bad idea. (Unless they are earning extra cash.) 
Rashelle

[tinkerbell]

Thank you all very much.  I agree with Lane, it is an awesome project, but at the same time I wouldn't want her to get harrassed in the process.  We live in a very violent world unfortunately. 

Yeah, I don't think the bathroom idea is going to happen anyway, but it was a thought.  I kind of like Karla's idea: lots of facial hair (very thick and black..LOL  ), a sexy dress, heels and showing more cleavage than Erin Brockovich  >

tink

[cindybc]

Hi Rashelle

I quite agree with you. Back before I transitioned I use to go out on Halloween night dressed as a woman. Well This one Halloween  night I went to a bar with my friend Tracy and her boyfriend, and I just LOVE to dance especially in the female roll, and I can dance me up a storm. I got myself accustomed living as a female by going on trips out of town dressed as a female back then.

Anyway I had to go to the bathroom and not even giving it a thought I went into the men's washroom, now remember that I am all of 120lbs and just 5' 3" tall, my size has been a blessing in my transitioning, but just barely passible as a female facial wise until after I got on the hormones which softened much of my facial appearance . Anyway I was on my way back out when these two quite burly guys walked in and had me pinned to the wall asking me, their exact words were, "Well now, what have we got here?"  "did you know miss that you are in the wrong washroom?" I was lucky to manage to duck and slip out and ran all the way back to where my friend and her boyfriend were sitting.

Cindy

[SarahFaceDoom]

We did this exact same experiment in my women's studies course.  I don't remember what everyone did though.

[Suzy]

She could come over and change the oil in my car.  lol

If she's gonna do hair, have her wear a dirty white tank top and have bushy armpit hair, drinking a beer, belching while smoking a cigar.