Feminine or effeminate? I struggle with this.
How would you characterize yourself? Do you think there is a difference? How do you define each? All thought on this subject welcome.
Patti Remick
Feminine or effeminate? I struggle with this.
How would you characterize yourself? Do you think there is a difference? How do you define each? All thought on this subject welcome.
Patti Remick
There can be a fine line here. Being feminine can be as natural as breathing, regardless of plumbing. Being effeminate may be close but to me it means puting on an "act" and/or not being totally convinced of who you are.
Second star to the right and straight on till morning
LOL I am across the board in my presentation. Some days I am really femmy at work. Other days I toy with butch. Also I will mix it all up and confuse the hell out of my lesbian co-workers.
In any case for the most part I am just a biker babe.
Unless I'm messing up -- definitely feminine
There is a road—no simple highway—between the dawn and the dark of night.
And if you go no one may follow. That path is for your steps alone.
When I dress I am Feminine. If I understand the definitions correctly Feminine is acting the part of a woman or showing womanly traights. Effeminate is to actually have these traights as part of your personnallity even while in drab.
Put a little lipstick on you'll feel better
I puzzle over these words too. They are only words, and are a blunt instrument when it comes to defining our position.
With the words at my disposal I'd say I was an effeminate man, but that is just not the whole story.
[SIZE="2"]Always be true to yourself because the people who matter don’t mind, and the people who mind don’t matter.[/SIZE]
Yes, it is a fine line. To me, being effeminite is a male in the male role exhibiting some feminine qualities such as gestures and mannerisms. Feminine, on the other hand, is actually behaving and appearing as female would in a given set of circumstances
That's my take on it anyway
[SIZE="3"]Brandi[/SIZE]
Love life and find happiness where you can.
I wish i could be feminine, now that would be a gift from the heavens as that would be permanent and you cannot fake that , so hopefully i pass as effeminate most of the time.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Joanne
I am feminine when I am dressed and show no feminine traits while not dressed. Effeminate traits are not wrong in a male however in many cases a male who has these traits have been around girls more than boys and pick up the feminine mannerisms.
I think that the perception of men with those traits is wrong and I know some men how have the traits and are not interested in men.
My mannerisms are somewhat effeminate - MsA is 100% feminine.i i i o
Fulfilling a Lifetime Dream of Living as a Woman in My Adult Years.
My Love of Cat's Eye Frames, Bangles, Red Lipstick, Nails, & Cheeks, Comes From My Mother - An Irish Beauty
I'm Always Rainbow Proud
This is such a good question!
I guess feminine is about how one feels and acts from within, whereas effeminate is just the act of mimicking and exaggerating female affectation.
My two cents.
To me -
Feminine means womanly.
Effeminate is more less gay, like flaming. Kind of like this guy I go to school with who prances around like his name should be tinkerbell.
I mean here I am the school tranny and *I* get a kick and roll my eyes at how effeminate he acts.
It takes a true Erin to be a pain in the assatar.
I think this is correct.Originally Posted by Brandi Wyne
I've met at least a couple of men who appear effeminate and whom most would assume are gay and who are not. Also, most of the (admittedly few) gay men I've met arn't effeminate.
Mina Lost aka Lynda
Tina attempts to be feminine, thus showing effeminant traits (after all, how does one act feminine without acting feminine?!)
As a male, there isn't a hint of either that I know of!
tina
I would say (hopefully) feminine. To me, the word "effeminate" brings to mind too many negative connotations of a lisping, mincing drag queen trying so hard to be over-the-top feminine that they are nothing but a caricature of a woman.
Kathi
I think 'Albert' in the movie 'Birdcage' is effeminate.
Lots of gray areas so who knows?
I like to think I'm a bit of both.
As a male / MsA I talk with my hands. t
Fulfilling a Lifetime Dream of Living as a Woman in My Adult Years.
My Love of Cat's Eye Frames, Bangles, Red Lipstick, Nails, & Cheeks, Comes From My Mother - An Irish Beauty
I'm Always Rainbow Proud
so a woman cannot be effeminate? One definition is adj 1: having unsuitable feminine qualities [syn: emasculate, epicene,
cissy, sissified, sissyish, sissy]
2: characterized by excessive softness or self-indulgence; "an
effeminate civilization" [syn: weak]
If that was true, then I know a lot of women who don't want to be effeminate and most here probably object to the emasculate part.
At least with this definition, it would be an undesirable thing no matter what gender
The earth is the mother of all people and all people should have equal rights upon it.
Chief Joseph
Nez Perce
“Love isn't a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.” - Fred Rogers,
To me, definition number one is the one that I always seem to think of, which, as I mentioned, seems a bit negative.
Kathi
as Kathy L says, its hard to avoid the perjoratives associated with the word effeminate. Objectively, tho, I think the term relates to presenting feminine behavior or appearance, so any crossdressing male would hope to be effeminate.
In my twisted perception:
"Feminine" is quiet and yielding.
"Effiminate" is loud and pressing.
And so we go, on with our lives...
We know the Truth, but prefer Lies.
Lies are simple, simple is Bliss.
Why go against tradition, when we can admit defeat,
Live in Decline, be the victim of our own design?
yeah that is about it.
So would a drag queen be considered effeminate?
It takes a true Erin to be a pain in the assatar.
Thanks Brandi. I couldn't have said it better myself.
Jen
I completely agree with this version of the difference between feminine and effeminate. One is a gay or drag queen thing (I hope I am not offending anyone with this)and the other more related to being a woman on the inside - which leads to feelings, thoughts and behaviour....DeeTo me -
Feminine means womanly.
Effeminate is more less gay, like flaming. Kind of like this guy I go to school with who prances around like his name should be tinkerbell.
I mean here I am the school tranny and *I* get a kick and roll my eyes at how effeminate he acts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandi Wyne
Yes, it is a fine line. To me, being effeminite is a male in the male role exhibiting some feminine qualities such as gestures and mannerisms. Feminine, on the other hand, is actually behaving and appearing as female would in a given set of circumstances
Brandi seems to be on track. You very seldom here a woman described as effeminite so in todays world, that term pretty much describes a particular male. However, there are some effiminate men who are not gay. Occasionally, some men have a few effiminate characteristics - It would be a shame to characterize them as "flaming fags " or some other term of endearment because of a few flaws.
If i am in a dress and showing my feminine character - I would not want to be called effiminate. However, If I walked like I do when dressed - when in drab, then I guess I might deserve the term effiminate.
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