How Tall Must Women Be Before Getting Mistaken for Men? {article}

[Nero]

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/962468/how_tall_must_women_be_before_getting.html?cat=69

Getting Mistaken for Men?
August 18, 2008 by
Jillita Horton 

"How many tall women get mistaken for men? If you're a tall woman who gets mistaken for a man, how do you know it's because you're tall?"



"When tall women think they look like men: Does this woman look like a man? Do you think this woman feels masculine because she's taller than her friend?"

[placeholdername]

The article is kind of bleh, but I want that dress.

[Imadique]

I'd like to use my 6ft height advantage to beat down on that "journalist".

[K8]

It's not the altitude; it's the attitude.

- Kate

[Miniar]

6'2 and having a hard time getting taken for a bloke at all!

I've been "mistaken" for a boy twice in my entire life and the person corrected themselves immediately!

Height ain't helping me one bit!

[sneakersjay]

I am short (5' 3 3/4"!) and secretly pleased when I meet guys my height and shorter!!   


Jay

[childofwinter]

There's plenty of attractive, feminine-looking tall women around. Does the journalist think Danny de Vito or Verne Troyer get mistaken for women or something?

[Janet_Girl]

I have always be concerned about my height, 5' 10", but I worked with a gal who was a good head taller than I was.

And Kate is right,

It's not the altitude; it's the attitude. ;0

[sneakersjay]

Ok, I went back and read the article.

What is this woman's problem?  Why does she have to pigeonhole people's gender?  And the use of *it* when she couldn't determine gender in reference to masculine-appearing women was just wrong.

I think Jillita has issues.


Jay

[BunnyBee]

The sad thing is I think the author, in all her ignorance, actually meant well.  However, in her apparent attempt to encourage tall women she managed to discourage no fewer than five kinds of peeps, not the least of whom being... tall women.  Nice one.

And the 5'11" woman from the tall website can go to hell.

I guess I should just get used to going to the movies by myself. I sure wouldn't want anybody to have to worry about people thinking they're with a ... Dun dun dun.. ->-bleeped-<-.  Oh lawd, could there be anything worse!?

Grr... maybe I can just get a couple vertebrae removed or something..

[cassie09]

6'2 and having a hard time getting taken for a bloke at all!

I've been "mistaken" for a boy twice in my entire life and the person corrected themselves immediately!

Height ain't helping me one bit!

It will though. Let the hormones do their trick, especially as an FTM it will have such a profound affect.

I am an MTF and my height has been huge in my ability to pass. I am 5'5 which is average height for women and significantly below for men. Given this, my dress, and my mannerisms most people rarely question my gender.

[Stephanie]

A few years ago I saw a really tall girl aged about 16-17.  Even from a distance it was completely obvious that she was just a really tall girl and not a man.  Why was she not mistaken for a transsexual - by at least some people?   Well, from a distance and close up her gestures and body language were naturally feminine, not stiff, mannered, or overly feminine, like many a nervous, unsure transsexual.  Her hair and face contained no hint of masculinity, and as a genetic female she obviously didn't have to worry about her voice.   
  Tall men almost always will have broad shoulders, big hands and feet, or at least two out of the three.  What gave this girl her poise and confidence was her knowledge that had anyone seriously questioned her gender then she would have been able to quickly and easily satisfy any doubters.
   

Love that dress!

[Miniar]

I have big hands and feet.
Significantly bigger than my husband's who's only an inch shorter than me.
My big paws don't seem to aid my passing at all.

[Naturally Blonde]

In the pic at the start of the thread both the guy and the girl are the same height. She is wearing heels, he is not wearing heels! 

[rejennyrated]

There is one girl in our local Waitrose Supermarket who is fully 7 foot tall and big boned with it. She also has a deep powerful voice and huge feet and hands.

But for all that I'm actually pretty certain she is a natal female - and my heart goes out to her because a.) she must really struggle to get clothes - and b.) I hate to think the number of times that she could be misread.

[jade]

The society is aware trans women try to be discreet about themselves so they seem to think they can bust their secret by observing certain features. Some natal women may get subjected to this treatment as well. There is always that someone in an environment who is obsessed with transsexuals and they are always too busy trying to 'catch the ->-bleeped-<-'. It is a sickening act, is very much like modern day witch hunt. People are people at the end of the day and some people just need to understand this and let go.

[rejennyrated]

...what are the reactions of natal woman to this?

Absolutely no different to you or I. Depending on how they are feeling it's either irritating, funny (because the spotter is wrong), or it hurts.

A very long time ago (prior to 1988) I went out briefly with a natal female who occassionally got wrongly spotted in clubs. She was in her own words a very "butch" bike dyke (her own description not mine so please don't get offended).

Her reaction when wrongly spotted was to verbally anihilate the offender by loudly enquiring what sort of idiot it was who couldn't tell the difference and then to ask him if he would care to step outside...

She was hard!  But I'm not sure I would exactly reccomend her approach!

[jade]

Being hard on those bastards is the best way too i think, they are very offensive by making such remarks or asking such questions so they deserve what they get.

[tekla]

Her reaction when wrongly spotted was to verbally anihilate the offender by loudly enquiring what sort of idiot it was who couldn't tell the difference and then to ask him if he would care to step outside...

That's so British.  It's a different game to do that in the States where the odds of someone being armed are much higher.

[K8]

Years ago I was friends with a natal woman who was 6'2" and big-boned.  She had a feminine shape and was attractive, not butch at all - just big.  She said she used to slouch around and be ashamed of her height until she realized the power it gave her. 

She started going to bars, see a man she was attracted to, and say: You, come over here – I want to talk to you.  And odds were that he would.  I think that's how she met her husband.

- Kate