I am a spouse of an MTF (still identifying male) and want to address an older subject from this forum, from the point of view of a CIS female. I thought it was interesting, but completely blind to the world of CIS women. Here's the link, you may want to review it before reading what I have to say.
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php?topic=133199.0There very definitely is female masculinity, and not in the ways described by those in the thread. Just think the term "butch lesbian."
It can be physical, a woman born with a body more traditionally male; tall, bulky, with narrow hips, and a walk with a mannish swagger. This mostly describes me. I am femme inside, but my outside presents in a manner in which I am sometimes mistaken for a trans woman or a large butch lesbian. I am a "mannish" woman, with the exception of my legs and large breasts, which really don't fit at all with my almost masculine body. I go out of my way to dress feminine, which sometimes helps and sometimes increases others' sense I am MTF. I was a competitive swimmer as a teen and when I get seriously fit I bulk up like a man, rather than the slim muscles of a woman. For several years my job required me to be work with a trans convention, and I was mistaken by hotel staff as being part of the convention. It has been a source of emotional struggle for me since I was a teen because I'm a girly girl who loves all things frilly, pretty and sparkly, which looks ridiculous on the body I was given by nature/DNA.
Sometimes mannish women will dress mannish as well, sometimes because female-fit/style clothes just look ridiculous on their bodies, and sometimes they simply prefer it.
It can also mean a woman who takes on a masculine personality, though that begins to cross over with FTM, though not always. Imagine a feminine looking FTM without the desire to be a man, and there you go. It exists, I know several. In fact, I have one as a tenant right now. I see her every day and think she MUST be FTM, but she isn't.
Female assertiveness and aggression look very different than the male version. The businesswoman in the picture in the thread I linked to is NOT showing feminine masculinity, but a very feminine leadership style that can work just as well, but looks and feels different. Her entire stance, the tilt of her head, it's all strong femininity.
Additional there is tomboyishness, which really isn't a form of masculinity. It's more along the lines of a CIS female with an adventurous spirit, and the embrace of situations when traditional feminine fripperies will get in the way. Because of old cultural expectations of gender roles, tomboys have always been frowned on and considered masculine only because they stepped outside of societal expectations. There is nothing inherently masculine about enjoying athletics, cars, etc.
I have at least two friends/acquaintances who definitely has feminine masculinity, and both are clearly femme in body and mannerisms, but also completely CIS men in their psyche.
Like anything else in life, it's not a "one or another" world. It's a world of spectrums, of lots and lots of shades of gray.
Thank you for letting me post here, and adding my explanation of "masculine femininity."
