Crossdressing, body image and feminism

[JamieG]

I have always thought of myself as someone who believes that what's on the inside of a person is more important than what's on the outside. I was a scrawny boy who turned into a scrawny man; not the sort of person that most women would look twice at. However, I was okay with myself because I thought I was reasonably smart and a good friend, with an okay, if somewhat twisted, since of humor. I would shake my head at people who spent hours every day in the gym or who felt they needed nose jobs or breast implants or whatever.

That said, I'm a bit surprised by the changes in my body image since I've started crossdressing more seriously. At first, I felt that being skinny was finally an asset. A negative en homme is viewed as a plus en femme. But I couldn't be happy. I've started to really be bothered by my nose (not that I plan to change it), I've become concerned as my weight has inched up. A few weeks ago I did a photoshoot in a bikini, and was especially anxious about a little roll of fat that has taken hold around my belly. Most people who have seen the photos say I look fine, but I keep finding flaws. The strange thing is, no one has told me "You look fat," so where is this coming from? Am I falling for the media's vision of what a woman is supposed to look like? The impossibly thin Barbie doll?

So this is where the feminism part comes in. I like to think of myself as a feminist. Obviously, born male, I can never truly understand what it is like to be a woman. However, I believe in equal pay and opportunities for women, I believe that young girls should be encouraged to be scientists, CEOs, athletes, etc. I am pro-choice. And yet, I STILL find myself falling into this body image trap. If the media forces are so insidious, how do young women avoid it? Don't get me wrong, it would be hypocritical of me to condemn dressing up and looking your best, but what bothers me is an obsession with what is "wrong" with you, as opposed to being happy and confident with who you are.

I welcome responses from everyone, but am especially interested in hearing from the GGs. What are your feelings on our culture's view of the ideal woman, the pressure put on women to achieve that ideal, and how do we combat it? I am especially concerned for my two little girls. How do I protect them?

[Kate Simmons]

Despite who we are and what we do, we may always be a woman "deep down" Jamie. That being the case, we will always have the need to look our best Hon.:battingeyelashes::)

[Angela Campbell]

Unless I do a lot of work to look the part I will appear to be a normal male on the outside, but on the inside I am a woman and have always been one. I know a little of what it is like to be a woman but a very distorted view of it because of being forced for years to look and act like a male. Once I decided to fully try to look like a woman I have had much more of a desire to look better. It is just the way we are.

[Brittany CD]

That said, I'm a bit surprised by the changes in my body image since I've started crossdressing more seriously. At first, I felt that being skinny was finally an asset. A negative en homme is viewed as a plus en femme. But I couldn't be happy. I've started to really be bothered by my nose (not that I plan to change it), I've become concerned as my weight has inched up. A few weeks ago I did a photoshoot in a bikini, and was especially anxious about a little roll of fat that has taken hold around my belly. Most people who have seen the photos say I look fine, but I keep finding flaws. The strange thing is, no one has told me "You look fat," so where is this coming from? Am I falling for the media's vision of what a woman is supposed to look like? The impossibly thin Barbie doll?
Jamie, I've known girls who are as thin as broomsticks and they still think they're fat. It's an unfortunate reality that many women believe that there's something wrong with their body because it's not what's on the magazines. The women on magazine covers and other photo shoots are heavily photoshopped, so they are all fake. I remember you posted your bikini shots in the Pictures gallery last week and I thought your body looked fine. If you have a little bit of fat on you, that's natural for every person