Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hi ,

I was wondering if any of the girls have typical masculine hobbies / pleasures , and how do they feel about it ?

Personally , I never enjoyed violent toys/games as a child , neither sports : watching or playing , yet I had some pleasures from car models , I don't know if it was about the cars or about scale models , nowadays scale models still fascinate me ,unrelated to cars.

Although I work as a truck driver , I didn't like to drive , and i still don't like it now ( i only have 2 more days , so it will be over ) .
As a teenager , i enjoyed some car themes ,like tuning ,  it was on of my things , to try to show masculinity and get attention . Now i am not interested in cars at all , i can appreciate /envy the life of a luxury car's owner , but i definitely don't like them .

It still bothers me though , that i didn't have a more feminine favorite toy as a child .It bothers me about what could say about my gender and also about loosing the opportunity of being more feminine now , if i wouldn't chose that job .

I am interested if any of you have something similar .

Well, I drive a truck, but I don't like it because I wanted an IT job where I could work in an office and be home everyday. I hadn't really considered how "masculine" the job is, only about 10% of our drivers are women.

As far as hobbies I like video games, computers, anime, and paintball. I would think that men are more into those things than women, but I don't care. I am me, I like what I like, I suspect had I been born properly female I would be considered very strange lol.

I mean when I was a kid I played with barbies, easy bakes ovens, alongside transformers, and erector sets. I am not so sure it really mattered much to the final outcome of who I am, since my gender identity isn't even remotely androgynous.

I do note that, after I accepted myself, some things changed:
I noticed that violence isn't nearly as appealing of a theme in video games, like I enjoy the violence with a purpose, I do like seeing the bad guy get whats coming to him, but just violence for violence's sake bothers me in a way it used to not. This has made me shift more strongly to RPGs in what I like to play.

Also, I used to not mind having an older car and replacing things myself, but I really hate getting dirty. I still appreciate the way a car from the 60-70s looks and drives but, I got rid of them and bought a Toyota Prius. Simple, reliable, carries as much cargo as I need and economical. It is likely the slowest car I have ever owned, but that just doesn't bother me anymore.

I also found myself being much more interested in on road cycling rather than off road. I now worry more about taking my mountain bike onto the trail than I actually enjoy it. Perhaps this is a reflection of my entire outlook being more cautious, which I doubt was caused by hormones or self acceptance, but maybe it could be I don't know.

I still like classic cars and bikes,metal and punk rock(go to the Rebellion punk festival every year).I did the usual guy stuff of muscle cars and bikes.As a kid I had hardly any friends so made models(war planes,tanks,army vehicles and cars(usually 50s cars and muscle cars).Now I enjoy birdwatching and wild life.
I'm not keen on driving having spent 10 years as a bus driver.

Well if you were socialized as a boy and these are the things you were supposed to like and the things your friends liked, it goes to figure you would become interested in them. It's called fitting in and everyone's doing it. I used to play with only girls when i was in first grade but somehow that stopped and I playyed with no one. Then I became BFFs with this other girl in second grade and we used to go to the bathroom togethr, until we got caught. I wasn't allowed to talk to her after that and started being treated as a criminal. And that's what I became. The bad kids started to like me cause I never told them I went to the bathroom with her cause I believed I was really a girl and something went wrong and that eventually things would get better I just told them I was kissing her. Then I was in with them. But it didn't take long for them to figure out how i'm like but they stayed friends with me but they just picked on me a lot.

But I became a witch at age 15 and at the same time liked video games and Mortal Kombat (I was always the girl) and so you can have both interests. Or whatever. My teenage friends did notice that I was always the girl and a witch so im surprised they didnt ditch me. But I'm a really cool fun nice person so maybe that's why. We were also punks and skaters. So that's more of an accepting group as opposed to jocks and whatnot. (Gawd, I ramble too much) but your interests are your interests. Do what makes ya happy, cause it can't be that bad. hhehe

sorry can't help you . I don't touch any thing masculine

I suppose modifying and repairing guitars and basses is one of those things. It's sort of an offshoot of me playing them for so long, although most people can't even set their own guitar up lol.

Playing bass is another ungirly thing I do, I suppose. There are not so many female bass players. I also play upright bass.

Playing shows at bars at least 3 or 4 times a month is another thing that isn't so girly - however I also do solo piano gigs playing classical and jazz.

The only other thing would be my interest and ownership of many guns. 4 are simply gifts or inherited (.22, .308, 20ga, 10ga), two rifles and two shotguns, but I also bought myself 3 pistols (.45, 9mm, .22) and a shotgun (12ga) since I turned 21. Gun ownership is pretty high in Alaska though, and we've got extremely relaxed gun laws - at 21 you can concealed carry with no permit, as long as you aren't a felon. I also could just shoot in my yard or even right out my windows when I lived in Ninilchik. I liked waking myself up by shooting my XD45 out my bedroom window.

That being said I have plenty of feminine interests to balance those out haha.

Quote from: ath on February 13, 2014, 11:52:23 AM
I suppose modifying and repairing guitars and basses is one of those things. It's sort of an offshoot of me playing them for so long, although most people can't even set their own guitar up lol.

Playing bass is another ungirly thing I do, I suppose. There are not so many female bass players. I also play upright bass.

Playing shows at bars at least 3 or 4 times a month is another thing that isn't so girly - however I also do solo piano gigs playing classical and jazz.

The only other thing would be my interest and ownership of many guns. 4 are simply gifts or inherited (.22, .308, 20ga, 10ga), two rifles and two shotguns, but I also bought myself 3 pistols (.45, 9mm, .22) and a shotgun (12ga) since I turned 21. Gun ownership is pretty high in Alaska though, and we've got extremely relaxed gun laws - at 21 you can concealed carry with no permit, as long as you aren't a felon. I also could just shoot in my yard or even right out my windows when I lived in Ninilchik. I liked waking myself up by shooting my XD45 out my bedroom window.

That being said I have plenty of feminine interests to balance those out haha.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, I heard Sarah Palin can field dress a moose

Quote from: ath on February 13, 2014, 11:52:23 AM
I suppose modifying and repairing guitars and basses is one of those things. It's sort of an offshoot of me playing them for so long, although most people can't even set their own guitar up lol.

Playing bass is another ungirly thing I do, I suppose. There are not so many female bass players. I also play upright bass.

Playing shows at bars at least 3 or 4 times a month is another thing that isn't so girly - however I also do solo piano gigs playing classical and jazz.

That's awesome! I LOVE jazz piano :)

I don't find playing music a masculine thing which is my main passion. I play acoustic and electric..So yeah besides that I love video games(recently hooked up my gamecube  :laugh:)role playing, comic books, and combat sports.

If anything the reason why so many industries are still dominated by men is cause of the terrible pink and blue syndrome our society has. Thankfully more women each coming generation are entering male dominated industries.. BALANCE SHALL BE ATTAINED.. eventually  ;D Especially in IT

I can make a list of "masculine" things that I've learned to enjoy over the years and that are a part of me. I am not ashamed of having these "masculine" traits.

I have never liked sports, except for a recent (less than 5 years) passion for watching Formula One races. I still find it boring, but I really like to watch it, I just can't tell why...

Talking about cars, althought I really don't care about sport cars, I can name most of the "normal" cars I see on the streets. I just need to give a look and I can say the brand/model/year of the car. I also care a lot about my car and I love to keep it very tidy. It is very common for me to spend a morning wahsing and cleaning it.

I also love playing videogames. I don't like shooters or terror games, but I do enjoy RPGs like Final Fantasy and MMORPGs like World of Warcraft. But...girls can also play videogames, right?

I like action and science-fiction movies! Not that I like to watch Rambo or any Chuck Norris movie, but I do like Die Hard and any Star Trek! Not many girls enjoy this kind of movies...

About music...I enjoy classical music and I love the epic ones. Marchs or anything that feels epic as an army marching to Mordor to fight aggainst Sauron! :) I think am a really nerdy girl lol

Quote from: stephaniec on February 13, 2014, 12:01:07 PM
I wouldn't worry about it too much, I heard Sarah Palin can field dress a moose

Never killed a moose myself but I have killed and field dressed a grizzly bear, a couple black bears, as well as several Sitka blacktail deer, and many snowshoe hares and ptarmigan. My family does lots of hunts.

Not to mention literally thousands of fish (I used to work fishing industry in the summers haha). Last summer I cleaned probably 10,000 clams. When tides are low people would bring in buckets and buckets and buckets and..... $0.50 per clam in my pocket, plus tips.

Quote from: brianna1016 on February 13, 2014, 12:40:06 PM

That's awesome! I LOVE jazz piano :)

Maybe later when I get home I'll post some recordings for you. :)

Well, I'm an ardent feminist, so I think women can enjoy anything men can and vice versa. :) That said, I don't really have many stereotypically masculine hobbies, and didn't before; I do play video games, but as someone else pointed out, plenty of women like the kind of RPGs I do. (I also got into playing online so I could present as female.) I like hockey and baseball, but also curling and figure skating. I do tend to like chick-lit books and fantasy, but I'm a huge sci-fi fan and do NOT tell me women can't enjoy/read/write sci-fi!

I tend to look at it as, I got to develop the hobbies I would have outside of a society that's so highly into stereotypes - the "male" ones because I didn't have people telling me girls aren't into that, and the "girly" ones in secret.

Someone must tell her to stop what she is doing as it is regarded as being a male dominated interest.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/motorsport/24873795


Competition flower arranging anyone ?


:eusa_wall:

In all honesty I don't understand this at all.

Someone I used to be friends with regularly played in an all-girl clan/group/whatever-you-call-it in a few FPS games, like Call Of Duty etc. She loved it. And didn't seem bothered by it at all. One of my friends strips out and rebuilds old cars just for the heck of it. She is only happy when she's up to her elbows in grease and oil and god knows what else. Neither think it takes anything away from who they are, or even consider that it makes them any less "womanly".

I can see why it might be rebelled against as possibly symbolic of something, by some people. But I don't honestly think it is. You like what you like. You are who you are. I don't think the two are dependant on each other or that enjoying certain things is indicative of anything other than what you've been exposed to and taken an interest in while living life.

If you're a rugby-playing, beer-chugging, automobile-modding, kill-streak building, adrenaline-junkie kinda gal... more power to you. Seriously. And if you're not... more power to you, too.

Do what makes you happy. Who you are is already there, and not in question.

Quote from: Claudia_FF on February 13, 2014, 09:15:43 AM
Hi ,

I was wondering if any of the girls have typical masculine hobbies / pleasures , and how do they feel about it ?

Personally , I never enjoyed violent toys/games as a child , neither sports : watching or playing , yet I had some pleasures from car models , I don't know if it was about the cars or about scale models , nowadays scale models still fascinate me ,unrelated to cars.

Although I work as a truck driver , I didn't like to drive , and i still don't like it now ( i only have 2 more days , so it will be over ) .
As a teenager , i enjoyed some car themes ,like tuning ,  it was on of my things , to try to show masculinity and get attention . Now i am not interested in cars at all , i can appreciate /envy the life of a luxury car's owner , but i definitely don't like them .

It still bothers me though , that i didn't have a more feminine favorite toy as a child .It bothers me about what could say about my gender and also about loosing the opportunity of being more feminine now , if i wouldn't chose that job .

I am interested if any of you have something similar .

I don't subscribe to the notion that there really exist "masculine" or "feminine" hobbies.  I think that is purely a social construct.

Quote from: ath on February 13, 2014, 11:52:23 AM
I suppose modifying and repairing guitars and basses is one of those things. It's sort of an offshoot of me playing them for so long, although most people can't even set their own guitar up lol.

Playing bass is another ungirly thing I do, I suppose. There are not so many female bass players. I also play upright bass.

Playing shows at bars at least 3 or 4 times a month is another thing that isn't so girly - however I also do solo piano gigs playing classical and jazz.

I never thought of being a rocker as a guy thing. I still play and repair guitars and basses as well.  I used to be a professional luthier/guitar tech. I lost count of how many guitars and basses I have, but they always keep me busy because I'm super picky about how they play.  Haven't had a gig in ages, but I would like to get another band going after I get my home studio up and running.  I'm not looking to be a rock star or anything, but I miss playing out.  I think I would like to try an all female band next time around.

Quote from: Jamie de la Rosa on February 13, 2014, 06:57:02 PM
I don't subscribe to the notion that there really exist "masculine" or "feminine" hobbies.  I think that is purely a social construct.

It is a social construct, no doubt. Both sexes are, most of the times, equally able to perform any task. On the other hand, as something stablished by our society, there are hobbies/jobs that are hugely dominated by one gender, such as hair stylists are usually women and construction workers are normally men. Why? Gender stereotypes plus a real natuaral hability to work on that area.

Usually men are stronger, so heavy jobs are reduct of men. Of course a woman can work there, but it is much less usual and women, biologicaly speaking, don't have as much muscle mass as men, so they tend to be outperformed on this tasks.

So, sure, "masculine stuff" and "feminine stuff" are social constructs most of the times....nonetheless they are real. If you are a woman and you love to repair the engine of a car, you are breaking the rules, dissolving the stereotypes, being an exception. I'd love to see these gender stereotypes falling down, but I think our society, as it is today, will need a lot of time until those stablished "laws" can come to an end.

I don't think following sports is very masculine. Open any nfl catalogue and there's more female apparel than anything else!

I know gamer girls and car girls and tough girls and nerd girls and girly girls. It's just stuff you like to do. Your femininity is not defined by the perceived girlyness of you hobby. It's just that typical girl hobbies are so boring!

I make an excellent gingerbread. Does that offset my other hobbies?

Quote from: SuchisLife on February 14, 2014, 02:40:47 AM
Swordfighting aka Historical European Martial Arts

So, I guess fighting with two-handed steel swords counts as masculine.

Your skills in the impending zombie apocalypse will be greatly valued  ;D

As a child, I was pretty girly and didn't have any "masculine interests" but my father was a mechanic and as the eldest I was occasionally 'conscript labour' even though I HATED getting dirty  :-\ The only exception was that I developed an interest in steam engines and the people who ran them.

When I transitioned in 1974 it was to a very stereotypical female life typical of the 1950s and 60s and my integration to woman's life was pretty complete. It wasn't until 10 years later that my interest in steam was rekindled and I began volunteering and getting involved with steaming. With previous knowledge and experience I was quickly accepted as "an old hand". After running one day one of the older gentlemen came up to me and commented "I always though running an engine was 'man's work' but watching you work with the engine I see you definitely bring a woman's touch to it..... very nice!"

It isn't what you do but how you do it!  ;D

It has become a fact that many "male trades" now prefer to hire women (if they can find them) - such as welders, heavy equipment operators - because they bring "a female touch" to their work that is beneficial.

Another driver here. I chose that profession as a second choice which ended up being the only choice. It really isn't a bad occupation because most of the time you can dress how you want while driving. And going coast to coast afforded me to experience true diversity first hand instead of through a television.

As for hobbies, well that's hard to say. I like scale models, I like firearms and target shooting. I hate sports and when I used to hunt I never could bring myself to kill anything but rather enjoyed being in nature itself. Now instead of a firearm I hunt with a camera and try to capture nature that moves me emotionally, not neccisarily wildlife but just anything that I felt moved by like an old rosebush that was planted long ago thriving among the ruins of someone's old homplace long abandoned.

When I was a child I used to play with dolls until I figured, or socially programmed, that it wasn't right for boys to play with babydolls (insert sarcasm here). I started to play with the HotWheels then and most of them turned out hot pink when I was done with them. Same with car models I would build. The colors would be of more feminine tones. I liked hair and makeup and used the guitar as an excuse to have big hair, wear nailpolish, makeup and dress a little slutty in school without looking or feeling awkward. My band was pretty popular in our school and the surrounding area and of course that was the eighties. Most guys had mullets anyway but my hair was party all the way around and could put most girls to shame hair for hair. But I was still far more into girly stuff like clothes and all instead of the guy stuff.

Still very much into the guitar. Still like firearms and target shooting. Still love playing with my hair and makeup and clothes. Masculinity residue? I don't really know because a lot of my female cousins played more sports and with the hotwheels and matchbox cars, learned to shoot and admire firearms and hunted way more than I did. It's just that they actually got to be openly female and I seemingly felt more feminine than they did buy had to masquerade around as a male.

I am not talking about what society says it is feminine and masculine . In a way the society developed from us as early gregarious animals ,and the instincts and pleasures helped us in the surviving task , so many of this standards are true at the origins . I am questioning the instincts one have , including in his/her/their childhood . For example a girl brain would induce a child to be a little fearful  , not going to far away from mom . Or a masculine brain would induce more competition / aggression even in play . These traits are often visible from childhood and could say something about how a person will be as an adult , including regarding ' gender '.
I guess I am doing that in my obsessive quest of understanding myself , my real gender , in finding my peace.
I know they are girls that wrestle or practice bodybuilding at top levels , for example , but I think these are the social standards , that a person assumed a gender because of their genitalia could do things typical for the binary-opposite gender and still belong to the original assumed gender.  I want myself to be as feminine as possible , when I imagine myself in the future , i don't want to see the boy traits .Maybe that means to change myself , but I think that is ok , as what I am now  is not the result of a happy scenario , but what I became after an tumultuous life . I just hope I will find out how , not in habits as I already have no interest anymore in old boy stuff , but in accepting myself , in forgetting how and who I though I was before . 
I hate that looking back in my past I can see a lot of 'boy' activity , even that there were many factors involved in my awful childhood . I hate it now when involuntary  I tend to get a body response to a truck , even that could be just a habit after so many years  . I want to be just the girl , I feel inside the need to do that .

BTW , 4 more days until starting psychotherapy , so you will be fine , I won't bother you so much with my crazy mind  ;D

Eh I didn't have any hobbies really to begin with..

I did play video games.. But that died down to an extent after E. I mean, I still do play them, but not with the same consistency.

Is flying helicopters masculine?

Quote from: Natalia on February 13, 2014, 07:18:07 PM
It is a social construct, no doubt. Both sexes are, most of the times, equally able to perform any task. On the other hand, as something stablished by our society, there are hobbies/jobs that are hugely dominated by one gender, such as hair stylists are usually women and construction workers are normally men. Why? Gender stereotypes plus a real natuaral hability to work on that area.

Usually men are stronger, so heavy jobs are reduct of men. Of course a woman can work there, but it is much less usual and women, biologicaly speaking, don't have as much muscle mass as men, so they tend to be outperformed on this tasks.

So, sure, "masculine stuff" and "feminine stuff" are social constructs most of the times....nonetheless they are real. If you are a woman and you love to repair the engine of a car, you are breaking the rules, dissolving the stereotypes, being an exception. I'd love to see these gender stereotypes falling down, but I think our society, as it is today, will need a lot of time until those stablished "laws" can come to an end.

Sexual dimorphism can certainly play a factor.  But, babe, I was born to break the rules!

I am a comic book geek - love super heroines! I know chicks can and do read and love comics, but it's been seen as a domain for boys and men for so long I sometimes feel like it's some vestigial male hobby.

The other thing though is an utterly weird fascination I have for building sites, especially for large complexes. Love seeing all that excavating and scaffolding and cranes and heavy machinery and sweaty muscled dudes and seeing something emerge story by story out of a hole in the ground. Once they're finished though, meh, not interested anymore. I'm not sure what it is that makes me feel so excited and interested by it - never wanted to be a builder or an architect but I can still the amazing planning and management needed to get something like a 25+ story building built. Have three large apartment blocks going up along my route home from the train station so you can imagine I'm in seven heaven at the moment! :D

Quote from: DrZoey on February 15, 2014, 01:53:32 AM
Is flying helicopters masculine?

I am pretty sure it falls under the gender neutral category of awesome :p

That's not a masculine 'residue' it's just a masculine nature, like the majority of MTF has.

Nothing to worry about, it's completely normal and mainstream in the MTF society.

Quote from: Dahlia on February 15, 2014, 07:06:01 AM
That's not a masculine 'residue' it's just a masculine nature, like the majority of MTF has.

Nothing to worry about, it's completely normal and mainstream in the MTF society.

Like snide remarks?

Quote from: DrZoey on February 15, 2014, 01:53:32 AM
Is flying helicopters masculine?

No, but pretty much anything not designated as women's work - sewing, cooking, serving, etc could be seen as masculine. Mostly because for so long women weren't really permitted to do much outside the home. Going to college used to be masculine. Studying used to be masculine.

Even the things women are said to traditionally like - clothes, shoes etc have their roots in the old system. Women weren't allowed to own anything but their clothes, so of course they were particular about them.

Quote from: FA on February 15, 2014, 07:36:59 AM
No, but pretty much anything not designated as women's work - sewing, cooking, serving, etc could be seen as masculine. Mostly because for so long women weren't really permitted to do much outside the home. Going to college used to be masculine. Studying used to be masculine.

Even the things women are said to traditionally like - clothes, shoes etc have their roots in the old system. Women weren't allowed to own anything but their clothes, so of course they were particular about them.

Knitting was a men's guild during the 16/17th century.

I don't have a overly masculine hobbies. I can, however, build a house with my eyes closed.
Whenever one of my friends needs a garage built, or an addition on their house, it will be me up in the trusses with a nail gun hanging from my belt.
My male friends don't think that's weird, but women stop and talk to me, almost in awe that a fellow woman can use a mitre saw. Most of them say they wish they could do more home repairs and renos.
I do go girly girly in my construction attire, because I feel I do have something to prove, so I'm usually out there in my pink boots, pink hard hat, and a pink tank top. And the boys can carry the shingles to the roof while I watch, there is SOME feminine privilage!

I did wonder how long it would be before Dahlia showed up to express her traditional opinions. I guess I'm just lucky to have never encountered this majority of trans women who are all still basically just like men... though funnily enough, since I live next door to a major lesbian hot spot, I see lots and lots of butch cis women. ;) Personally, since I think trans women ARE women, I think we're entitled to as broad a range of interests and personalities as the cis population.

Quote from: ath on February 14, 2014, 03:21:22 AM
Your skills in the impending zombie apocalypse will be greatly valued  ;D

I think Selene and Violet will appreciate your skills

We all seem to carry insecurities in the gender department, call it dysphoria or else.
I remember so clearly during my life of denial anything remotely feminine was quickly identified and annihilated at once.
I after all, needed to present the hyper-masculine pose to be accepted as a male I so diligently worked on being.

Then came the reckoning stage when slowly I allowed femininity to infiltrate my life. Then after tasting the forbidden fruit, that is "being your self", I opened to her with all my heart.

Then third stage, as in the first, it is a mask, however, this time around it is a true representation of my psyche and inner core. So here to I play up the essence, just as any woman out there.

The more secure we are within the gender of self, the less we care how others see it. We simply take life by the horns and dance tango intertwined and fulfilled.
Dysphoria though will make one crawl down on fours until such doubt is gone!

Quote from: FA on February 15, 2014, 07:36:59 AM
No, but pretty much anything not designated as women's work - sewing, cooking, serving, etc could be seen as masculine. Mostly because for so long women weren't really permitted to do much outside the home. Going to college used to be masculine. Studying used to be masculine.

Even the things women are said to traditionally like - clothes, shoes etc have their roots in the old system. Women weren't allowed to own anything but their clothes, so of course they were particular about them.

My grandmother had a scholarship to Rutgers University in the 50's, and she was born in 1933. It certainly wasn't unheard of or too unfeminine to go to college back then. What went on earlier is definitely a different story. I'd like to add that she did end up dropping out despite being a good way along, due to getting pregnant with my oldest uncle. I know many women from my time in university kept going on with their education after having a kid, but I suppose society back then wouldn't have looked too kindly upon it.

I have a B.A. and went to a university from 2007-2012, and I noticed most classes had more women than men. In fact, I can't think of a single class I had that had more men than women. I double majored in Languages, and I also had a minor in History and used history classes to fill out a lot of my requirements, so maybe this has something to do with it. For the first two years though, I majored in Biology, and the gender ratio I was talking about applied to my science and math classes, as well. Not to mention the general requirement classes required by all majors, giving a good look at how the school was populated in general.

I remember reading a New York Times article may 5 or 6 years ago though not sure that said woman were the majority in colleges

Quote from: stephaniec on February 15, 2014, 08:43:03 PM
I remember reading a New York Times article may 5 or 6 years ago though not sure that said woman were the majority in colleges

Yes, now there are more women. But for a long time, women weren't allowed in college. In fact, it was once thought that studying wasn't healthy for women and could affect their reproductive systems. My point was basically that any 'outside of the home' activity was once considered masculine - basically everything. So any activity's gendering should be taken with a huge grain of salt. Often it is steeped in the history of what was 'improper' for one gender to do.

While things aren't nearly as rigid nowadays, a lot of things labeled 'manly' such as working on cars and such simply aren't traditionally taught or encouraged for women. There are probably lots of cis women who would enjoy traditionally masculine hobbies who simply never tried them. Because they weren't encouraged to try, mistakenly believe they don't have the aptitude or it simply never occurred to them. And vice versa for men, except with men there's also a heavy dose of discouragement to try anything seen as feminine.

Well I still happen to be big into electronics TV's, Surround Sounds, Ect......Also cars will always get giddy over a classic car lol. but really that's about it on the masculinity side of things well besides my job which I hate I'm still a light diesel Mech. :( which glady to say I'm starting school soon so that will be a past that will no longer exsist :) 

Quote from: innainka on February 15, 2014, 07:37:24 PM
We all seem to carry insecurities in the gender department, call it dysphoria or else.
I remember so clearly during my life of denial anything remotely feminine was quickly identified and annihilated at once.
I after all, needed to present the hyper-masculine pose to be accepted as a male I so diligently worked on being.

Then came the reckoning stage when slowly I allowed femininity to infiltrate my life. Then after tasting the forbidden fruit, that is "being your self", I opened to her with all my heart.

Then third stage, as in the first, it is a mask, however, this time around it is a true representation of my psyche and inner core. So here to I play up the essence, just as any woman out there.

The more secure we are within the gender of self, the less we care how others see it. We simply take life by the horns and dance tango intertwined and fulfilled.
Dysphoria though will make one crawl down on fours until such doubt is gone!

Hi, thanks for your answer , you really seem to understand what bothers me , what was the real reason behind this topic . Anyway , I am always glad when another person could describe what I feel , especially when the story seem to have  a happy ending . You just give me a boost of happiness and peace . Thanks :D

Masculine things I do:

Fly my own airplane
Scuba Dive
Ham Radio
Concealed Weapons Permit
Motorcycle
Sports Car (but it's a Miata -- widely considered a "chick car")

Feminine things I do:

Member of League of Women Voters
Sing in church choir
Go to Opera, Symphony and Theatre
Listen to classical music
Do water aerobics with 95% women in the class, exercise by walking or using elliptical trainer or pin select weight machines.
I have 10 times as many women friends as male friends.
I ignore most team sports with the exception of minor league baseball, which I consider a social event.

I think one of the most telling things is that any social or family gathering where the men and women separate into different groups I am always with the women.  It's always been that way.

Randi

Well, there's another Pilot here both fixed and rotary wing,
I own a very fast 21 foot Bass Boat & love to fish as well,
I own a 97 Ram 2500 4x4 lifted 8 inches with 35's on 17 x 10's & V10 motor,
I love the outdoors, and doing home improvements,
I own an arsenal of guns and other weapons,
I'm an avid Star Trek/Star Wars fan and play many online computer games Such as Star Wars: The Old Republic,"
And I very much enjoy working on and modifying my Boat to make it go even faster.
And before my aircraft accident in 91 (mechanical falure) I played drums, bass, keyboards, guitar, and sax, and wrote my own songs.

But do those things make me any less of a Woman? I certainly don't see it that way and neither do my neighbors nor the guys at the boat ramp.

I do alot of feminine things as well:

I love knitting and chroche,
I have 4 kitties I love very much, Gizzy, Angel, Jester, and Luna,
I love shopping for shoes, and shopping in general as long as it isn't for groceries,
I love to cook, and make up my own recepies,
I love a good mani/petty, painting my nails pink, and coming up with unique styles for my long straight black hair,
I love reading Cosmo with my daughters,
I love to wear pink, And dress up for a night out in my favorite LBD (little black dress),
I love to get together with the girls in my neighborhood for girls night out,
And I love being treated like a lady ie: men opening doors for me, sliding in my chair, etc., etc., etc.
I also have many more interests too numerous to mention here.

The above for me, and the hobbies my sisters here have are just that, hobbies and things we like to do. They don't make us any less Female. And I too am an avid feminist. As women we are stronger emotionally and can handle stereotypes better than most cis men can. As a child I enjoyed playing with dolls and a big dollhouse I had and I mostly played with other girls. I also liked to ride my dirt bikes. I really didn't fit in well with boys which lasted into adulthood. None of the hobbies and occupations mentioned within this thread makes any of us any less women. In fact from what I read so far, we have some very talented girls here. ;)