What about trying to be a male afterwards?

[Alice-n-wonderland]

Some times we talk about trying to act like a women to go with our dress. After being dressed I have caught myself doing something really feminine around other people without really thinking about it. Has anyone else had a problem becoming a man again? I will add I find it to be a real drag becoming a man again.:battingeyelashes:

[Glenda58]

Yes my wife will tell me that I cross my legs like a girl or I the way I hold my hands. And yes it's a drag to go back to a man.

[Linda E. Woodworth]

Yes, I have had the problem of continuing feminine mannerisms after I'm back in drab mode.

No, I have never been called out for it but it is a definite possibility.

It's just something I have the be careful about.

[Crossdressersquirks]

No, not really. For me, crossdressing is dressing feminine, not necessarily acting feminine. I tend to do the stuff I'd be doing anyway, but whilst wearing a dress. Therefore, going back to 'male-mode' doesn't really cause any problems for me.

[Kate Simmons]

Never a problem with myself. I have both sets of behaviors pretty down pat. ;):battingeyelashes::)

[mariehart]

For me acting like a man was just that; acting. Even so I was constantly behaving and reacting in a feminine manner often unknowingly to the point where it was and is remarked on. When I dressed or was with someone who knew, I could let down my guard. But the rest of the time I was faking it badly. It was stressful. I had a constant knot in my stomach.

Lately I decided enough was enough and stopped bothering. Now I'm just myself. The knot is gone and I'm a nicer happier person.

[Jamie Marie]

My experience is similar to mariehart. I have always tended to have female mannerisms and it has always been commented on. I used to try to cover these things up. Cross my legs like a man for instance but now I can't really be bothered. It's too much effort. I also am not a sports fan at all. At one time I was in sales and the small talk was about sports. I used to read the sports section of the paper just so I could talk the talk. That all seems funny to me now and I would much rather discuss a cultural event or clothing.

[Billiejosehine]

By my very nature, I am very feminine. And growing up as a child, I often was drawn to girly things and at school I was teased at how I walked, the way I looked, or the way I acted. I did not know much about GD, but I knew I was different and could not understand why it was so hard to be like the other boys. Yet I tried so hard my whole life to fit the role of a guy and do what others expected. Over time I got really good at it and was able to mask certain parts of myself. After years of hiding behind a mask, I have become tired of living between two worlds. I'm now taking a more proactive approach in being my true self and I find myself much happier.

[StacyLynn]

I like both sides of me so I suppose I have an easier time keeping them separated. Sometimes I'm bummed out when I go back to guy mode but I think that's mostly due to the fact I don't usually have more than 4 hours to be Stacy.

[devida]

I don't try to differentiate male and female mannerisms, vocabulary, or much anymore even clothes. Why do I have to be my own gender police? But I'm not trying to do what a lot of people on this board are trying to do. I don't have a separation between my male and female sides. They are all just me. I tried becoming a man when I was younger. It was painful.

[Jane G]

Yes my wife tells me off sometimes. Nothing to do with having been dressed or not. It's just sometimes the female side comes out in public drab and she laughs at me a bit, hell I laugh at myself too, what can I say there's a girl in there somewhere.

[Princess Grandpa]

I have always had feminine mannerisms. I crossed my legs "wrong". I looked at my nails "wrong" etc. as I learned there was a male way of doing things vs. a female way I tried to train myself to be a man. It never really worked out. Eventually I quit crossing my legs like that. I think that was more because I got fat rather than learned to conform. Things are a lot easier now that I just don't care or more likely try to polish those natural inclinations to help my presentation.

Hug
Rita

[Beverley Sims]

If you do it often enough it is nice to exercise the variety it gives you.

Becoming male one minute and female the next does exercise the brain.

I am sure it is healthy, it can be invigorating and as I say, fun.

[Brittany CD]

Not too much since I'm the same person no matter which mode I'm in. The only thing I have to get used to again when I switch back would probably be going back to pants if I've been in a skirt, having my short hair again, and not having breasts

[UNDERDRESSER]

Eh, I've always had a tendency to use "feminine" poses, and types of behaviour, but I reject that should be considered as such. Too much harm is done these days because boys are brought up to be "manly" all the time. Conversely, if a girl want play sports, get into math or science, expresses disgust with 'home economics" type lessons, that's fine too. I dislike intensely girls being told "don't do that, the boys won't like you"

There is a difference between men and women, but the overlap is huge, and much wider than the difference between the averages. We should not encourage the tendency to self sort that does happen naturally. If a guy crosses his legs, likes to cook, is happy being a house husband, whatever, then what the hell? What harm?

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Alice, I sometimes catch myself walking in a feminine manner.

[Farrah]

I sometimes have problems with being a guy again. It doesn't help that I work in a female dominated profession.

[bimini1]

Two flip sides of the same coin is the analogy to me. People have asked me if I experience what they call "cross over" where one side drifts into the other. It is two different aspects of the same personality. Almost to the point of different personalities but not like Dissociative Identity Disorder where one side may not know about the other. While not uber masculine in male mode I still act the part. I don't think it's an act either. No matter how much I tell myself I am femme, I'm still a man.

I don't think anyone who knows me in male mode would suspect me to be TG. It's fascinating. I know some CD's who when dressed are soooooooo femme. Yet in male mode they present ultra masculine too. Totally mind-boggling.

[Marcelle]

Not really as I tend to do "boy" quite well since I have been one for 49 years. However one time I was at a retirement luncheon for a friend and was giving the "roast speech". A couple of GG colleagues who know about Isha said my mannerisms did creep over to slightly right of girly and one time I giggled. So I guess there might be a bit of drift here and there.

Hugs

Isha

[Cheryl T]

Most certainly! Having been able to relax and be myself now when dressed I don't slip from mode to mode. The mannerisms just seem to come naturally and surface sometimes at the worst moment in drab.
The way I wave to someone is especially noticeable and I have to catch myself constantly.

[Jenniferathome]

Nope. I'm a man before, during and after I dress.

[stacycoral]

No, when you have long legs like me, I have been crossing them like a girl my whole life, and haven cared what anyone has said, it is just nature, special for us T-girls. hugs.

[noeleena]

Hi,

Very interesting thoughts and answers, now whats it like to be male i;v no idear, And when i think about it what was i like years ago. i really did not try to be ether male or female as you most are saying ,
i know some of you say trying to be ...like ... a male or a female, and the differences between the both. i need to be a bit carefull as my peers would say they only see a female / woman as they have got to know me over some 5 years with in our groups,

i cant say while i was percived as male i did things like a male i could not think how to yet was i like a female then well most of my life, two friends knew i was female so they must have seen something in me to say that, spos i really was non discript in my manisims nether male or female in the context you talk about,

so never changed back and forth, what you saw was pretty much the same then as now, your term would be like in feminine....... maybe a little ill concede that .

...noeleena...

[Crissy Kay]

I think that most part timers like me, don't have any problems switching back to male mode. It is kind of a downer at times, as I enjoy my Crissy time as long as it lasts.

[Eselka]

As far as I'm concerned, there are no striking differences between girl and guy mode (apart from the clothes and hair, that is), I tend to act in my standard way (which is a blend of masculine and feminine traits) all the time regardless of how I'm dressed up. Never liked etiquettes of any sort I guess :angel:

[AlexisWest]

I know that I use feminine mannerisms while in drab, my wife tells me that a lot. I do cross my legs like a woman and many of my hand gestures are definitely very 'girly'. What I'd really like is to be able to ditch the obvious male mannerisms while en-femme, it certainly would help I go out in public as Alexis.

[lingerieLiz]

I was teased about my walk and crossing my legs etc. When I was young I didn't know that boys couldn't pass the test of putting your head on the wall and taking a couple steeps back and then standing. That was until a bunch of boys said oh he is really a girl. Little did they know.

[AnneC]

A very long time ago my sister told me that the way I crossed my legs looked too "girly". I just laughed and thought that was a neat compliment. The biggest thing I feel when I go back into guy mode is disappointment that my time as Anne is over. Think most of you agree with this.

[sometimes_miss]

First, I spent years learning to be a girl when I was a kid. Then, out of high school, I had to study for years to learn how to act the part of a normal guy. I've been doing it for years, I'm quite good at it. I never forget my 'lines', every movement has been carefully rehearsed for decades.

[grace7777]

Other than the clothes and the wig, I am basically the same in boy or girl mode. I do cross my legs like a girl and keep my hands in front of me like one too. One difference would be in girl mode I make an effort to talk in more of a feminine voice. I use female deodorant and perfume no matter which mode I am in.

In boy mode I am starting to more and more wear female slacks. Also in boy mode I wear panties, but have not worn breast forms. My goal is to be more feminine no matter which mode I am in.

[Rachel Morley]

I tend to act in my standard way (which is a blend of masculine and feminine traits) all the time regardless of how I'm dressed up.
I kinda agree with this quote as I don't have to exactly "act" my feminine mannerisms as they are just slightly emphasized versions of what I normally do in boy mode. Like others I've been called out in boy mode about sitting with my legs crossed and hands in my lap (etc).

[AlexisWest]

oh yes, isn't feminine deodorant have a much prettier scent?

[Alice Torn]

As one who has battled toxic shame all my life about almost everything, I tend to "beat myself up", being way too critical. It is hyper stressful, for me to try to fool everyone, trying so hard to be undetected. Now, i just plan on being the same person i always am, without so much self criticism, that awful committee in my head, pointing out more faults. I hope to pretty much be myself, and if i am read and laughed at, and pointed at, or confronted, so be it.

[suchacutie]

For 55 years I was, well, me. Then we discovered Tina, and a lot of effort was expended (and still is) trying to understand which parts of me come from the male me , and which parts come from Tina. I very clearly have two gendered perspectives on most issues (and yes, it is crazy when they collide! ) and that includes language and voice and mannerisms!

On the other hand, knowing the difference between accepted gender practices can be useful. My wife just bought a car and when I first went to get in I banged my knee badly. I quickly realized I had to enter the car as Tina! Being aware of our gendered selves can be very satisfying to our emotional and physical well being.

[Rachel Morley]

Being aware of our gendered selves can be very satisfying to our emotional and physical well being.

You said it girlfriend! I totally agree!