Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I know that many of us have, in the past, tried something macho to "cure" or convince ourselves we weren't what we are.  With me it was drag (no pun) racing.  I had a '70 Plymouth Duster with about 700 HP that we raced and I drove a '73 Plymouth Roadrunner with around 500 HP on the street. 

I ask this because at conferences I have met former military (including a Green Beret), firemen, police officers, etc.  Lots of people who either had macho hobbies or did jobs that were considered at the time, manly.

Bev

skydiving! it was amazing. absolutely one of the very best things i've [ever done] in my life. i did a static-line jump from 3500 feet; that's when one end of a steel cable is attached to the plane, and the other end is attached to your parachute. When you jump, the cable is pulled tight and yanks your parachute for you as it releases. i had a walkie-talkie strapped to my chest, and they talked me through the landing. seriously, it was fun beyond all description. ;)

Hmm...I didn't have any "macho" hobbies.  In fact, I think people thought I was gay (which isn't to say that there aren't macho gay men out there...but I wouldn't have been confused with one).

Voting Republican, and therefore again women's health care, women's reproductive freedom, women's economic freedom and for the white patriarchy.

Bri

It's kind of funny... but I did all the daring stuff after my transition! (Excepting the republican thing which I have recovered from)

How does hang gliding off the cliffs sound?  Or high peak climbing?  Or diving?  Or setting up in the midst of coyotes alone to do a little star gazing? I never dared try anything like that before leaving the other life.

No... I am a woman of adventure!  I used to be a card carrying geek.

Cindi

So, I break the mold. Sorry.

I joined the carpenter's union.

One of the better decisions of my life, I think.  Really humbled me.  I have much respect for the men and women who break their backs for a living.  I went slightly mad after a while, though.  The atmosphere just drove me over the edge.  I practically fled back to college, and within a month of leaving the construction industry, I realized I was a transsexual woman.

Fancy that.

~ Blair

I used to club women over the head and drag them back to my cave by their hair.... ;)

Seriously, Mine was competitive Angling (Fishing) and I did a lot with a team of guys who enjoyed the social side sometimes more than the fishing. Never did enjoy going to the pub, drinking, playing darts.

Buffy

Driving my car very fast around various race tracks.

It wasn't "racing" per se, as it wasn't a competition. Its' something called "Track Time" where you simply SHARE the track with a dozen other lunatics, everyone just trying to learn and enjoy their driving.

I loved it because you'd get into this "groove" after awhile, where you HAD to stop thinking, trust your body and instincts, and just LET it happen. There's a lesson you learn: if you "try" to drive fast, you inevitably end up messing up and being slow... but if you just focus on driving WELL, you end up being fast even though it FEELS slow (because everything becomes so smooth).


Seriously... it was a religious experience for me.

Kate

P.S. There were always girls there too, so I'm not so sure how macho it was, lol...

Quote from: Cindi Jones on March 08, 2007, 03:54:36 AM
It's kind of funny... but I did all the daring stuff after my transition! (Excepting the republican thing which I have recovered from)

How does hang gliding off the cliffs sound?  Or high peak climbing?  Or diving?  Or setting up in the midst of coyotes alone to do a little star gazing? I never dared try anything like that before leaving the other life.

No... I am a woman of adventure!  I used to be a card carrying geek.

Cindi

So, I break the mold. Sorry.

Cindi, I'm kind of with you on this one.  There's so much more exciting stuff I would rather do after transition than before.  I want to try hang gliding.  That has been a goal of mine for a while now.

As for macho stuff, I would have to say auto mechanics because that's when I actually *tried* doing something that was more macho.  I also thought I would enjoy the technical aspect of it.  I actually hate getting grease all over my hands now (although I'm not afraid to work under the hood as a girl).  The grease could not all be washed off in one day, but it wasn't that bad having dirty looking hands as a guy.  Many of the other things I tried (lots and lots of hobbies) were mostly because they seemed fun to me and they still do.  I still love working with computers and electronics.  I don't think that will ever change.

Melissa

I learned how to fly, and became a licensed pilot.  I wanted to go on and get my instrument rating
(to be able to fly in most weather conditions) but I kept asking myself, "What the h*** am I gonna
use this for?"  So I quit- bad decision.  I always regret not trying to find some way to use it.

Carol

P.S.  Even then, I showed some signs of being "something" besides normal.  I tried out several
male instructors, and didn't like any of them.  Instead, I opted for a woman 25 years my senior
who had an Airline Transport rating, and who was later inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation Hall of Fame.  Our minds just "clicked" and as a result, I've never forgotten all of the lessons she taught me.

I fought. A lot. But that was more of a means to not getting killed.

Quote from: Cindi Jones on March 08, 2007, 03:54:36 AM
How does hang gliding off the cliffs sound? 

Horrible.  I'm afraid of heights.  Not nervous afraid, we're talking hyperventilating, paralyzed type afraid.

Quote from: Melissa on March 08, 2007, 11:44:27 AM
As for macho stuff, I would have to say auto mechanics because that's when I actually *tried* doing something that was more macho.

Melissa, my late friend Sherri used to joke, "I worked on cars before I transitioned and I still work on them."  Then she would look down at Toby Meltzer's handiwork on her chest and add, "I just have to jack them up a LOT higher now."  ;)

Bev

Bev, that was one of my last attempts at doing something new before transitioning.  I had taken a correspondance course on auto mechanics and completed that.  It was actually something that I didn't hold a lot of interest in, but more of an attempt to cope with the real problem.  After transitioning, I usually bring my car to a mechanic, but at least I know if they are talking out of their mouth or their other end now.

Melissa

Really, the only hobby I have had in the last 5 years, I don't know about macho or not, but it keeps me very busy and that is marine aquariums.  That and Scuba Diving, but I haven't done any diving in probably 8 years.

I am thinking about starting a freshwater planted aquarium soon though.

My reef is 100 gallon with a 20 gallon sump and a 30 gallon refugium.

I have a 125 gallon tank with a 55 gallon sump that I am not using at the moment that I am considering starting a freshwater planted tank in.

If there is a heaven, I hope it will be a reef :)

Hmmmmm, what macho thing did I do.......

Im an HVAC tech who worked in dangerous conditions and thought it was fun  <still do>
I used to go repelling... jumping off walls and mountians and buildings with only a little rope to help me on my quick decent to the ground...
I allways wanted to but never had the money for sky diveing... Same goes for bungie jumping...
I was in a punkrock band <Still am>
Was a skilled mechanic.. <Still am>
Ummmmmmm.....  You know what...  I really dont know.....

Oh Yeah....
My friends used to drag me off to strip clubs all the time where Id end up friends with all the dancers with out spending a dime....  Nope... wait, thats not macho....
Ummmmmm....

Ok, now I remember...  I was an egotistical jerk, arogant B******, Alchaholic coke adict....  That was my macho thing and I dont miss a day of it.

I think most of my past jobs were in a very macho environment and culture. 
Cheffing  and M d' H in restaurants. Driving trucks in the mountains in Corsica. Building-site Electrician, Crane maintenance. Factory maintenance Electrician. Electronic & Robotic Engineer. CNC Milling machines and Routers, CNC Lathes, CNC Grinders, CNC Spark Eroders, TIG & MIG Welding Equipment, Injection Moulding Machines maintenance Engineer. PLC and Manufacturing Robotic programing and commissioning. Engineering skills and Construction skills Instructor.

Only in the last ten years as a Tour Guide, as a Mediator and as a Career and Education Counsellor I have studied and worked mostly in a feminine environement where I sometime would be the only man on the course or in the job.

For sports: In school I played Rugby and won a few medals in the 1000 and 1500 meters and 10 K races. In Corsica I did mountain climbing and cliffs absailing and raced motorbikes. I still follow the 6 Nations Tournament and Formula one racing. I enjoy GGA (hurling and football) but have no interest whatsoever in Soccer, Darts, Pool, Snooker or Golf.

My main hobby: restoring and sailing old traditional gaff-rigged working boats is still a very male dominated domaine. I also love fishing and hunting.

At home I always did and still do my own domestic chores of washing, cleaning, ironing, tidiing, shopping, cooking, decorating etc... I also do all the gardening, house maintenance and DIY as well as my car maintenance. All these keep me busy and out of mischief.

What does all that say? May be when I was younger I might have tried to deny my feminine side but now both have learned to co-exist and express themselves in a complementary way? I hope so, anyway.

LL&R
Maebh

Quote from: Buffy on March 08, 2007, 06:31:10 AM
I used to club women over the head and drag them back to my cave by their hair.... ;)

I used to do that    :)     Still do!    ;)

Quote from: Jessica on March 08, 2007, 04:44:31 PM
Really, the only hobby I have had in the last 5 years, I don't know about macho or not, but it keeps me very busy and that is marine aquariums.  That and Scuba Diving, but I haven't done any diving in probably 8 years.

I am thinking about starting a freshwater planted aquarium soon though.

My reef is 100 gallon with a 20 gallon sump and a 30 gallon refugium.

I have a 125 gallon tank with a 55 gallon sump that I am not using at the moment that I am considering starting a freshwater planted tank in.

If there is a heaven, I hope it will be a reef :)

Awesome, another reefer. :)  I had a 55 gallon reef tank set up a while back and I had purchased a 120 gallon custom acryllic tank with curved from corners for $500, and I built a stand myself for about $60, but I never got it up and running due to limited money.  I would have needed to drop at least another thousand dollars in to get it up, but I started transitioning before I ever had a job that paid enough.

I also did scuba diving about 8 years ago as well.  I got certified, but I only went out on 1 dive after that.  I will probably just get recertified after I'm done with surgery.  I wouldn't feel confortable before then with the chance that my dive partner could accidentally discover I'm TS.

Melissa

Melissa, you aren't kidding about the expense involved.

The Tank and stand are almost inconsequential in cost compared to the rest of it.
I quit keeping track after $3,000 on my 100 gallon.
130 Lbs. of Live Rock alone was $650.00
The lighting was $900.00 (Metal Halides + T5's)
it goes on and on.

It's my escape though, I can sit there and watch for hours.

One day I'll post pictures, if anyone is really interested in it.

Jessica

Since I was continually "mistaken" as a girl, I was introduced into weight lifting.  My narrow shoulders popped out after that (and a bit from the late puberty) and I started working out all of the time.  Hard to believe that I used to bench 300+ pounds.  Not too long ago I had to take a jar to a neighbor to get the top off.   :laugh:

the martial arts, shooting, and paintball I did because I really love doing those things.  Only the weight lifting was ever done with the purpose of trying to be a male and hoping that once I reached some goal, all of the girl feelings would go  away.

Quote from: Jessica on March 09, 2007, 08:50:39 AM
Melissa, you aren't kidding about the expense involved.

The Tank and stand are almost inconsequential in cost compared to the rest of it.
I quit keeping track after $3,000 on my 100 gallon.
130 Lbs. of Live Rock alone was $650.00
The lighting was $900.00 (Metal Halides + T5's)
it goes on and on.

It's my escape though, I can sit there and watch for hours.

One day I'll post pictures, if anyone is really interested in it.

Jessica

Yeah, I still had to get a sump, a pump, protein skimmer, lights, more powerheads and a hood.  Not to mention all the stuff to go inside of it.  I even have the best saltwater fish book available (the conscientious marine aquarist) signed by the author. ;D  I'll see if I can find a picture of my old tank.

Melissa

Well, I spend time working on my truck.  Been redoing the interior and the engine.  Cheaper than buying a new one.  Funny thing is nowadays I really hate the greasy hands!

Would you count fishing and hunting?

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fganjataz.com%2F01smileys%2Fimages%2Fsmileys%2FloopyBlonde-blinking.gif&hash=4545ddf8251cf9c32ae6074d56e48bc34a755857)Kristi

Quote from: Kristi on March 09, 2007, 03:39:36 PM
Would you count fishing and hunting?

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fganjataz.com%2F01smileys%2Fimages%2Fsmileys%2FloopyBlonde-blinking.gif&hash=4545ddf8251cf9c32ae6074d56e48bc34a755857)Kristi

I would!

Fishing (with my Dad), hunting, shooting (skeet), reloading my own ammo.  I got into woodworking too.

But the thing is, I still like a good walk in the woods, that's all hunting was to me anyway, mostly.  And I still like spending time in my small workshop making nice things out of wood, mostly, but using other materials as well.  These are solitary pursuits, however, shooting sports are too filled with testosterone fueled machismo for me to be comfortable doing it.  So maybe most of the stuff I liked, and still do, isn't a macho thing?

hugs & smiles
helen

I used to target shoot.  Never got into hunting, though.  I just like the skill of placing a small projectile in a distant paper target.

Does liberating a civil-war cannon & firing a bizzilion pounds of black powder count as macho?

Chaunte

Yes, the cannon is back where it belongs.   :'(  Right next to a 1908 Caddy & the carriage President McKinley was taken to the hospital in when he was assinated.

My macho thing?  Hmmmmm  ::)

When I came out to the family, the comment I heard most often that surprised me was that people couldn't believe it because I was so macho.  Never would I have used that term to describe me.

Since I work in an all male and pretty macho environment I was probably comparing myself to these guys and by those standards I was anything but macho.  But to family and friends I was.  So I guess my macho thing was my life ................ until I gave myself permission to transition.  ;D

Julie

I never did the macho thing at all. All through elementary to high school, I was always the last one picked for any team, and tried to avoid guys whose idea of fun was to beat me up for being a ->-bleeped-<-got or sissy. I've always been the sensitive artist type, regardless of gender.

zythyra

Macho? I'm ALL ABOUT the macho.

Exhibit A: My "motorcycle".
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.resonancedigital.com%2Fbikeside.jpg&hash=453223f3317a468f97651b2a1a5b283aaad5b3c7)

:D

Quote from: nathan on March 10, 2007, 02:00:50 PM
Macho? I'm ALL ABOUT the macho.

Exhibit A: My "motorcycle".
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.resonancedigital.com%2Fbikeside.jpg&hash=453223f3317a468f97651b2a1a5b283aaad5b3c7)

:D

Exhibit B: your photo! ;D  cute!

*tinkerbell runs and hides*


tinkerbell :icon_chick:

hey even us GG's have macho things...I love to watch and play football, I love power tools and building things - especially with wood, I am a bit of a computer geek (if that counts), love fishing and camping too and I am a black belt in kickboxing and a purple belt in grappling! I grew up with 5 younger brothers, what can I say? lol

I joined the Marines. That's about the extent of it. I do or would like to do a lot more traditionally "macho" things now... I drive a race car and rock climb and I'd like to hang glide, scuba dive, learn to sail, get a pilot's license. I wouldn't mind doing some more rappelling. I did that in the marines and really liked it.

Karen Lyn      :icon_female:

Quote from: Tinkerbell on March 10, 2007, 02:11:50 PM
Exhibit B: your photo! ;D  cute!

*tinkerbell runs and hides*

I'd say that you made me blush, but that wouldn't be very macho. ;)

This girls macho thing was serving in the elite Canadian Airborne Regiment - Paratrooper extordinair :)  as part of the Special Service Force, and I trained with and instructed units of your 82^nd Airborne when they came to the Canadian far north for winter warfare training.  In fact I was so successful that I became a jump master, and ended my stint as a parachute instructor - happy memories - dark memories but memories none the less.

Steph

Quote from: Steph on March 10, 2007, 03:42:49 PM
...and I trained with and instructed units of your 82^nd Airborne when they came to the Canadian far north for winter warfare training. 

LOL  You might have helped train my brother.  He was 82^nd for about 12 years.

Bev

Hey everyone,

I coached little league football both as assisstant and head coach.

Love always,
Elizabeth

Kiera,

I have never understood this thing guys have to take off perfectly good parts on a new vehicle and replace them with something perceived (not shown) to be better.  My hubby has a new motorcycle and he has replaced all of the mirrors, stands, license plate holders, lamp mounts with chrome.  He want's to chuck the exhaust system as well.  I don't get it.  The bike doesn't look any better to me. Really, to me it looks the same.  I really don't get it.  I figure he's already spent more than a thousand dollars on this "upgrade".  I just look at him and smile.  What can I do? ;)

Cindi

Ah, but Cindi, you have to understand the male mind and the concept of nothing that came from the factory is good enough.  I know this because during my racing days, I hung out with a lot of male minds (ok the minds were attached to bodies before anybody asks  :P).  Men have this concept of taking the baseline product, changing this and that to make it their own.  I mean when I was pretending I took an 8000 dollar Plymouth, spent several more thousand on engine, transmission, wheels, tires, etc just so I could drive 55 mph.  Sheesh, I could have put that money in an investment and by now had enough to pay for somebody's SRS.

Or to put it simply as the old saw goes, "the only difference between little boys and grown men is the price of their toys."

Bev

  In my failed attempt to "be a man" I did the following:
Got married
Joined the Army
Practiced full-contact, kick boxing
Target practice: 357 & 44 magnum, 12 ga pump, browning 9mm. Colt 45 auto.
Built hot rods
Street raced
Made my wife and daughters "act like women."
Stitched up my own wounds.
Did all electrical repairs with the power on.

I was an idiot!
Tiff

Julie Marie wrote:

QuoteWhen I came out to the family, the comment I heard most often that surprised me was that people couldn't believe it because I was so macho.  Never would I have used that term to describe me.

This is almost exactly trhe same thing i heard from my family, and the same internal reaction i had - in fact, i cringed hearing that particular response....

I fished in part because of this - became very skilled at it - especially later in life trying to hang with certain friends - i still do, but now it's much more about just being on or near the water and the outdoors in any way i can get there.

I was the world's most successful professional teenage vandal and thief.

I used to have a deep interest in certain maritial arts and various handheld weapons as a means of reconciling myself when i was much younger

Part of the reason i went to back to school as a professional Chef - lots of insanely macho people in that field sometimes...lots of insanely insane people in general - this appealed to my "machismo" in some very comforting ways.


there's more but brainlock has set in at the moment... :-\

Thanks,


Annagirl

I did a lot of things growing up to test fate, hide my pain and prove my macho. Things like jumping off the top of a train bridge that was over 50 feet high into a river and almost ripping off my arm, jumping off of high rocks into a river between rocks, catching rattlesnakes with my bar hands, climbing up the back side of Half Dome in Yosemite and hanging over the edge, solo free climbing (non-technical) mountain peeks in the Sierra's, driving out of control on acid in the mountains in my Porsche 911, building and racing a 911 race car that went 165mph and I took every drug imaginable in the 60's, 70's and 80's. (sober now for almost 14 years)

It's a miracle that I am still alive. I have given up all these past activities. Therefore, I am really hoping to someday completely put this obvious death wish behind.

Gwen

Quote from: BeverlyAnn on March 07, 2007, 10:56:42 PM
I know that many of us have, in the past, tried something macho to "cure" or convince ourselves we weren't what we are.  With me it was drag (no pun) racing.  I had a '70 Plymouth Duster with about 700 HP that we raced and I drove a '73 Plymouth Roadrunner with around 500 HP on the street. 

I've built alot HP in the chrysler and Ford camps
(still do )  :)

I always loved 4x4s, was driving instructor for UN aid caravans and Landrover offroad driving school.
It was hard to tell myself that the caravan years were only about the Aid work and not about the chance to drive on several continents, across the worst terrain on the planet because weather or a petty government wouldn't let planes fly.

I remember riding down a mountain on a motorcycle at a 100 miles per hour and on a straight flat road I've hit 115 mph. It was very scary!

Hum..I studied Shorinji Kempo for 7 years, but was too nice a guy for fighting (so I was told many times).  I also raced bicycles for 6-7 years including winning a state road race championship  and the mt. evens hill climb/road race, (from 7500 feet to 14200 feet), did that twice for some odd reason. It's actually not much fun to ride a bicycle above 12000 feet.  Who knew.  I also did the wrenching on cars bit and still love riding my 79 goldwing (my baby).  I just get waved at a lot more now. 

Beni

Trying to have sex with a woman

An auto related profession, collector of old cars, autobody repair, auto slavage, motorcycle rider, drag racer in my youth, and a person that tries never to ask for help from anyone provided it can be avioded.  Quite the opposite from my femme personality but the two sides co-exist very well together.  

played competitive paintball, went to school for welding, built a few 4x4 rigs, worked at an autoparts store, hunting, etc.

My friends call me the typical super macho male.

-Erica

Um, nothing really.

I used to like logic and computers, I still do.
I used to like sword fighting, I still do.
I used to like off road motorcycle riding, I still do. (and it still scares me just as much :P)
I used to like to get away from it all, I still do...

Et cetera.

To me, those are not 'guy' things, they are 'me' things.

^*shrug*

Just label me an odd one, if you like ;)

im sure I have my own little quirks.....but I was never into the stereotypically male things.....other than stickfighting....where you and your friends use a padded practice sword and fight.

that kind of choreography is just fun though, and it makes you think.....and i am never one to shun a chance to exercise my brain.

My macho thing?

As a teenager, I was constantly referred to in public by damn near everyone as "ma'am", so I didn't shave, ever, until i was almost 18.

Oh, it was awful for so many reasons.

And it didn't stop the ma'ams.  ???

About a hundred years ago it was facial hair. (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fhome1.gte.net%2Fres0kaor%2Fpre-everything.jpeg&hash=d01aad3f89a3316669313b481a310dfc5688b942)
For what it was worth. :-\


Karen Lyn     :icon_female: