Susan's Place Transgender Resources

So, I have been wandering the internet looking for information on how to move / act like a girl.  I am interested in this subject because it is one of the things I can start practicing immediately.

I found a website by Denae Doyle, has anyone tried her dvds on the subject?  (if so, specifically which dvds?)

The only good free resource I found was from tsroadmap.  From which I have been able to collect the following:
Do not exaggerate movements
Smile on greeting
Keep your knees together and your elbows in when possible
Try to keep your head up, almost like your looking into the distance
Keep your shoulders back, especially if you're broad shouldered
Look people in the eyes when listening or talking
Take shorter steps (I have been teased about walking like a girl, so one thing I hopefully have right)
Walk into your line of travel
Avoid leaning forward or hunching over

Almost all the guides I read said to study the females around oneself, but that is the one thing I would think would be most difficult.  I think it would be off putting to have someone study me for any length of time, almost rude. 

Does anyone else have any suggestions?

-- Galantha

Once I started hrt I didn't need lessons. I just stopped acting like a guy and things just naturally happened. Drives my wife nuts. I am so girly. She thinks I got an orchi or something.

Lori's right- the best way to act like a girl is to stop acting like a guy.

On TV, they can't see you staring back, or talking back either for that matter.  :laugh:

Laura, that sounds almost exaclty like my experience. I didn't even think twice about some of the girly things I did when I was little (like "painting" my nails with markers, pencils, or pens). Mostly I just followed my older sister's lead.

I'm working on the "unlearning" of the masculine traits, but I definitely remember making a conscious effort when I was maybe 10 or 15 years old to be more masculine. People saw through it, sure, but when I went away to college, nobody cared.

I've always studied women. It's not rude. When I see a woman I think is attractively feminine in some way, I note all the things I can about her appearance -- the pattern on her shirt, the way she holds herself, the inflection of her speech, her hair style, etc.

For a while I forced myself to do this with guys so that I could get by living as a man. But it always just came naturally to study women in this way. And all women do this. It's how all girls learn to be women.

Quote from: Galantha on July 13, 2009, 02:33:05 PM
So, I have been wandering the internet looking for information on how to move / act like a girl.  I am interested in this subject because it is one of the things I can start practicing immediately.

I found a website by Denae Doyle, has anyone tried her dvds on the subject?  (if so, specifically which dvds?)

The only good free resource I found was from tsroadmap.  From which I have been able to collect the following:
Do not exaggerate movements
Smile on greeting
Keep your knees together and your elbows in when possible
Try to keep your head up, almost like your looking into the distance
Keep your shoulders back, especially if you're broad shouldered
Look people in the eyes when listening or talking
Take shorter steps (I have been teased about walking like a girl, so one thing I hopefully have right)
Walk into your line of travel
Avoid leaning forward or hunching over

Almost all the guides I read said to study the females around oneself, but that is the one thing I would think would be most difficult.  I think it would be off putting to have someone study me for any length of time, almost rude. 

Does anyone else have any suggestions?

-- Galantha

I have a couple Denae Doyle's DVDs are I can thoroughly recommend them.  They are very professionally produced and full of great advice. 

Um, sex.

Being sexually active with a wide audience has done more than anything else has for transforming my entire body language.

Just make sure to use a rubber, and be safe, and don't date creeps.

Dancing also helped me a lot.  Just go with a close friend who's crazy about dancing and get embarrassed for an hour and then pick up some moves and learn how to work it.  So hit up the clubs:D

I liked going to the mall.  You can see how people in real life walk, talk, interact.  All you have to do is find a bench and sit, make it look like you're on a break, or waiting for someone.  I also found it helpful for seeing how real people dress since fashion magazines tend to have really cute stuff that's wayyyyy outside my price range. 

Seeing real people will also help you understand what kind of visual cues can help you be perceived as a woman versus what will cause others to see you as a man.  I've seen some very masculine looking women, but it's pretty easy to tell (in most cases) that they're women. 

For me it was just an extension of my natural self expression.  I have always been effeminate in my body language which lead to bullying in school.

I have been called everything under the sun,  Use your imagination.  >:-)

As I began HRT it was just the release of the safety valve to my true nature and body language.  And I have many guides to walking like a woman, body language techniques, expressing yourself as a woman.  Most of which as just natural to me.

Janet

Quote from: FairyGirl on July 13, 2009, 02:40:56 PM

On TV, they can't see you staring back, or talking back either for that matter.  :laugh:

that's what I did when I was young. I tried really hard to imitate acceptably feminine women. there's a few movies I know by heart simply from watching them over and over trying to turn into the female lead. Also magazines and clothing catalogs.

Quote from: Nero on July 13, 2009, 06:36:32 PM
that's what I did when I was young. I tried really hard to imitate acceptably feminine women. there's a few movies I know by heart simply from watching them over and over trying to turn into the female lead. Also magazines and clothing catalogs.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend? Breakfast at Tiffany's? Those kind of movies?

Quote from: Lori on July 13, 2009, 06:40:47 PM
Diamonds are a girl's best friend? Breakfast at Tiffany's? Those kind of movies?

eeeeew

Quote from: Galantha on July 13, 2009, 02:33:05 PM
Smile on greeting

Many women here do not smile so much, but I think I should smile much to look feminine.

Quote from: Galantha on July 13, 2009, 02:33:05 PM
Keep your knees together and your elbows in when possible

I tend to do that way, but a lot of women in heels here walk with their toes outward. When I see this, I become a little bit upset in that they are so careless about their walking style in heels. I would not wear heels if I were them. My wife also walks with the toes out, but seldom wears heels, and it's OK to me.

Quote from: Galantha on July 13, 2009, 02:33:05 PM
Take shorter steps (I have been teased about walking like a girl, so one thing I hopefully have right)

It is inevitable while wearing heels > 3 inch.

And, it think lip shape is also important. Rather than a firm-set lips, slightly opened lips would look prettier. It became my habit to shut my mounth firmly since my 20s when I intended to look more manly. Nowadays, I try to get rid of this habit.

Barbie~~

Quote from: barbie on July 13, 2009, 08:49:06 PM
slightly opened lips would look prettier.

Guys like lips to be open and welcoming>.>

Dearest Galantha,

I see that you have a lot of very good advice. I will simply add my two cents... What I do is to be aware of how females that I admire carry themselves, their mannerisms, their speech patterns, their behaviors. Obviously, I do not stare at them intently. I am just aware. As I am aware of them, I am aware of myself. I simply try to move with grace, be warm to those that are around me (like a loving grandmother), and be confident. There is no formula to acting feminine, simply be yourself, and flow with your femininity.

Oh, and cross your legs when sitting  :)

Love

Brenda

Quote from: Annwyn D'Fenwyr on July 13, 2009, 05:51:43 PM
Dancing also helped me a lot.  Just go with a close friend who's crazy about dancing and get embarrassed for an hour and then pick up some moves and learn how to work it.  So hit up the clubs:D

Oh, that's good advice. I need to do that.

Dancing has always been a major problem for me, gender-wise. I've always seen it as very gendered (whether male or female) and I could never bring myself to do it as a guy. Also, I've always thought guys look dumb dancing. A few can do it, but most look like huge dorks. As a girl it's much better; I feel much less self-conscious. But I'm only starting to get over it.

Go to goth or alternative clubs.  You can dance like crap and they'll just think it's some kind of new style.

Quote from: Lori on July 13, 2009, 02:38:06 PM
Once I started hrt I didn't need lessons. I just stopped acting like a guy and things just naturally happened. Drives my wife nuts. I am so girly.

Same here.....estrogen and no testosterone and I became instantly girly.  Marcy teases me about it a lot.

Quote from: Annwyn D'Fenwyr on July 13, 2009, 10:58:48 PM
Go to goth or alternative clubs.  You can dance like crap and they'll just think it's some kind of new style.

LOL

I had to learn how to "act" like a guy. Even then folks commented on my fem. persona. Now when folks tell me that I act like a girl, I just smile and say "Thank You". Now that Virginia has taken control, I'm as girly as I want to be and proud  :laugh:

You can dance like crap

Ain't that any, and every, club full of white folk?

Quote from: tekla on July 14, 2009, 08:00:17 PM
You can dance like crap

Ain't that any, and every, club full of white folk?

Are you having racial issues? What's that got to do with being fem.?

Nothing, but it has everything to do with watching people dance, or try to dance, for 30 years now.  Hippies are the worst.  Sometimes we find them pacing themselves to the spinning mirror ball, so we slow it down and sometimes they fall when it stops - true story.

Oh, well it must be OK to screw with people because you have bigoted notions towards them. So what does that have to do with acting fem.?

It's impossible to be bigoted against a group your a member of.  Self hating perhaps, but I don't even hate the people I dislike.

I love dancing, it's always been one outlet for being able to move fluidly and openly express my feminine side, even when I was more or less pretending to be male. Now I just gots happy feet (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.faeriewylde.com%2Fimages%2Fsmiles2%2Fdancing.gif&hash=6a7f150b76df0a4b7e94e43d3db8d4a758f59dd2)

Quote from: tekla on July 14, 2009, 11:34:21 PM
It's impossible to be bigoted against a group your a member of.  Self hating perhaps, but I don't even hate the people I dislike.

Well, OK, but if you'd still like a spanking..... >:-)

Oh, I just love watching Fairy Girl's dancing banana  :laugh:

It's not racist to recognize cultural differences. Most white people just can't dance. It's not part of the culture.

If you grew up in most parts of Latin America, it's kind of expected that you can dance. In parts of Africa, I'm told, people will laugh at you if you can walk or talk, but claim you can't dance or sing. How can you do one but not the other? But white Northern Europeans and Americans -- not so much. Some can do it, but it's not the norm.

I expect white people to make a mean tuna casserole (well, Midwestern Lutherans, anyway). I don't expect them to tango or make a good curry.

Plus, from where I'm sitting and watching (on the other side of the barrier, at a safe distance) they aren't starting with much, then you add beer, liquor, ecstasy, acid, pot - well, it doesn't make them much better.

However - for whatever reason, cultural I guess - gay men dance very well.

QuoteI expect white people to make a mean tuna casserole (well, Midwestern Lutherans, anyway). I don't expect them to tango or make a good curry.

Ha!  Luckily, I landed the trifecta.  :)

Thank you everyone for your reponses,

-- Galantha

Virginia Marie,

you obviously never heard of Brad Paisley - Alcohol (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df53LWQuezQ#noexternalembed-lq-lq2-hq) and Tekla has.   ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Janet

Quote from: tekla on July 14, 2009, 09:44:10 PM
Nothing, but it has everything to do with watching people dance, or try to dance, for 30 years now.  Hippies are the worst.  Sometimes we find them pacing themselves to the spinning mirror ball, so we slow it down and sometimes they fall when it stops - true story.

LMAO thats funny...

Or this.

Frank Zappa - Dancin' Fool (live) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trqfeg-5Duo#lq-lq2-hq-vhq)

bonus, amazing drumming work