I write like a man!

[MarinaM]

Don't I?

I wonder, is there anything that the girls here hold onto from their "man experience," and continue to embrace it as a simple part of their identity? Behaviorally, I mean (let's not dip into the physical). Have any of you had trouble "un-gendering" things?

You know? Barbeque, beer, sports, bravad(a)...

Okay, okay, at the risk of attack, I'll start:

I like to attend barbeques
I like to have the occasional Blue Moon
I follow my city's basketball team religiously
I ride my bicycle all over everywhere
I sometimes think of myself as a bada** woman
I collect flashlights
I love to hike and go camping

I have found women who like to do all of those things, and BAM! They're un-gendered. Or maybe re-gendered. I love the mental exercise Of course, a woman who collects flashlights was VERY hard to find.

You know what though? Those are ALL of the "guy" things that I like to do...

[azSam]

Write like a man, you mean in the way you write out a sentence, or your hand writing? I just have terrible hand writing, but I don't think there is a "girl" or "guy" way to form a sentence, just a more thoughtful and a less thoughtful way. I really can't stand it when people only put the minimal amount of effort into forming their sentences and paragraphs.

Things I've held on to:
Cars are fun. I'm by no means a nuts n bolts kind of gal, but I do enjoy the thrill of cars.

That's really about the only thing.

But I've stopped looking at it was "what do girls do?" and "what do guys do?", I simply do what I do, and if I do it, and I'm a girl, then girls must simply do it. If I enjoy cars, then why can't girls enjoy cars? It's not a manly thing. Girls go to BBQs, Drink beer, watch sports, play sports, and go camping all the time. I know a girl who does all of those things, her name is Emma, and she just enjoys life without the restraints of an arbitrary label.

[japple]

Blue Moon is a totally girly beer.  It's the only one I can stand.

Seriously though, there are so few guy things or girl things.  I don't want to change anything I do..although in the societal social constructs I suppose I fall on the girl side alread

Drink wine. Sometimes cider if everyone else is having beer.
No interest in sports or video games.
Feminine handwriting (but who writes by hand)
A hugger
Design and craft and cook.
Love shopping. Love a bargain. Have lots of shoes, guys and girls.
Cry during almost every movie and TV show.  Favorite shows are Glee, Greek, The Office, 30 Rock.
All of my favorite bands have female singers.  I was obsessed with Ani Difranco in my early 20s.
Most of my good friends are girls, gay, or funny fat guys.

I am trying to think of anything guy like I do. I never do the laundry..but I often fold it and put it away.  My wife and I split all other domestic duties pretty 50/50 thought I usually take out the garbage.  I'm stronger...for now.

[Janet_Girl]

My physical handwriting is very much girly.

• I love to BBQ.
• I am your typical country girl.  I like Country Western, Horses and pickup trucks.  I have dipped in the past ( really nasty - Dipping ).
• I do drink beer, especially Guinness ( I am Irish after all ).  My G?F said she is going to get me into wines, and not the boxed stuff.  Two buck Chuck is what she calls it.
• I watch American Football and NASCAR.  I said I was a country gal.
• I love wearing skirts.
• I do play video games and I enjoy them.

And I do laundry, dishes and windows.  I also do Spring cleaning and that includes walls and ceiling.

[annette]

You all made me doubt.
There are things I like in your posts.
I even don't know how my writing is because I'm glad I can express myself one way or another in English.
So, now I don't know what I am anymore.

What should I do? transition again?

No, just kidding, there are some common interesting by men and women.
There are men who hates sports and women who love it.
There are even men who likes shopping
Just be who you are, don't worry be happy

hugs all
annette

[MarinaM]

 

Thanks y'all. I only bring it up because I was just thinking of a friend who is transitioning, and he felt as though he was being forced to lose parts of himself by giving up doing certain things or acting in certain ways.

I told him: un-gender it.

I don't really think I write like anything, I was just trying to be funny 

A long island sounds really, really good right now! Fun!

[Jenna_Nicole105]

If it makes you feel any better Emma:

While I'm not really into things like camping...

I am an absolute sports nut, especially Oakland A's baseball.

I also love and adore beer to the point of being considered a beer connoisseur. If one of my friends or family members have a beer question, I'm the person they go to. Love a well made craft beer or certain imports, especially German and Belgian beers.

I've had close to half of the top 100 beers on Beer Advocate at least once and beers from every state except Hawaii. I've also ordered beer online a few times, simply to get access to highly rated beers that aren't available here in Missouri. Twice ordered from The US and once ordered directly from Belgium.

Yep I love beer! 

In the end I would expect some of the things you enjoy as a guy to hold firm, even once you do things like start hormones and go full time. I even consider myself deep down inside to be a girly girl in a lot of ways, but the beer and sports? Going nowhere!

[Rock_chick]

Have any of you had trouble "un-gendering" things?

I honestly don't think about it, probably due to the fact I haven't thought of myself as being male for a very long time. I've known I was a girl and identified as such for nearly a decade, it just took me a while to let the world know.

Basically anything I do is something a girl would do, simply because it's me doing it.

[rejennyrated]

I honestly don't think about it, probably due to the fact I haven't thought of myself as being male for a very long time. I've known I was a girl and identified as such for nearly a decade, it just took me a while to let the world know.

Basically anything I do is something a girl would do, simply because it's me doing it.

This x1000

Beside I am totally gender blind. I had my physical sex corrected - my gender, whatever that is, remains that same.

[azSam]

Basically anything I do is something a girl would do, simply because it's me doing it.

Bingo.

[spacial]

My own observations suggest that the big difference between what men say and women, is that men will, eventually, bring sex into almost any conversation.

I don't accept that men think about it more often. But they do seem to be innately more insecure about it.

[MarinaM]

Basically anything I do is something a girl would do, simply because it's me doing it.

This x1000

Beside I am totally gender blind. I had my physical sex corrected - my gender, whatever that is, remains that same.

Hook, line, sinker.  Honestly, that's exactly what I needed to hear. How on earth do you two do it? I think there's something in the water over there in the U.K. 

By the way Helena, I have brought you fans- at least two dear friends of mine now read your blog, as I mentioned it in my own. Hope you don't mind.

[Rock_chick]

Hook, line, sinker.  Honestly, that's exactly what I needed to hear. How on earth do you two do it? I think there's something in the water over there in the U.K. 

By the way Helena, I have brought you fans- at least two dear friends of mine now read your blog, as I mentioned it in my own. Hope you don't mind.

I honestly don't know how I managed it, i just know that I don't think of myself as anything but a girl these days.

[MarinaM]

No no, I mean to tell you both that you've been an amazing help, and that your words of wisdom are appreciated (not to mention in great supply). If I couldn't manage thinking like a girl I don't think I would have made it this far!

[Rock_chick]

Trust me to totally not get what you were saying...I must hve banged my head harder than i thought when i feel off my board earlier (I didn't actually bang my head)

[xxUltraModLadyxx]

i don't think i've changed myself much at all and said "ok, i'm transitioning into a female. i have to keep tabs on all the socially acceptable female activities, and live them out." no, i didn't do that, but i did embrace my female identity more, and started doing the feminine things i've wanted to do, but was afraid to because it's "not what a man does." i've taken more of an interest in fashion magazines, cosmetics, skin care, things like that. i still play video games, and wear pants, but is it the end of the world? no. i'm not about to take up baking, reading romance novels, and dating as a hobby just because "that's what real women do." i didn't transition to be a "real woman." i transitioned to be a real me.

[Mara]

I haven't really tried to change anything much, but I notice that I suddenly have more stereotypically female behaviors at times now that I've been on HRT a while.  Like, I walk differently (mostly due to the change in my center of mass), I instinctively talk differently when I'm not trying to, I find myself actually enjoying romance novels (which I never, ever expected), and I suddenly enjoy getting new clothes.

[xxUltraModLadyxx]

Don't I?

I wonder, is there anything that the girls here hold onto from their "man experience," and continue to embrace it as a simple part of their identity? Behaviorally, I mean (let's not dip into the physical). Have any of you had trouble "un-gendering" things?

You know? Barbeque, beer, sports, bravad(a)...

Okay, okay, at the risk of attack, I'll start:

I like to attend barbeques
I like to have the occasional Blue Moon
I follow my city's basketball team religiously
I ride my bicycle all over everywhere
I sometimes think of myself as a bada** woman
I collect flashlights
I love to hike and go camping

I have found women who like to do all of those things, and BAM! They're un-gendered. Or maybe re-gendered. I love the mental exercise Of course, a woman who collects flashlights was VERY hard to find.

You know what though? Those are ALL of the "guy" things that I like to do...

you see, gender is open to interperetation. i don't think of anything you listed as something that is a male stereotypical thing other than drinking alcohol or the cities basketball team. still, it doesn't matter. there's no point in transitioning if you have to force yourself into being something you aren't. which is the whole reason we transition in the first place.