"Manly" Hobbies and the CD.

[Brenna S]

Do any of you find yourself less interested in some of you more masculine hobbies as you've embraced your more feminine side?

Speaking for myself, I'm an avid motorcycle rider. As I've began to re-embrace my interest in all thing feminine, I've become less interested in some of my other passions.

Which leads me to this, do you think we embrace some of the more traditional male interests in life to compensate for our perceived lack of "masculity"?

A well known member of one website I belong too transitioned to a full TG not long ago (she's quite lovely, btw). Her transition has me wondering if my interest in that and other hobbies is just a sub conscious attempt to cover for what I really want.

[Beverley Sims]

I think it depends on your mindset, I still pursue "Manly" hobbies, I am less likely to want to shoot and hunt and I am a little more environmental friendly.

Cars are still an interest and not being a sports lover I do not go chasing pigskin so much.

I have played womens hockey, tennis, basketball and water polo.

I was an avid seamstress when I was square dancing but this has waned and I only sew to make items of hard to get 60s fashions.

Rope petticoats and full skirts for instance.

My CD life has been progressing since I was twelve, so there has not been any really developmental change for me.

Both fashion, girls and fast cars all grew up together.

[Dana44]

Interesting question. I myself still do manly hobbies as always but I have picked up some of my feminine hobbies also and that makes it a little richer in the pursuit of happiness. Actually on motor cycles I drive en femme and in man mode. Naw, I think we always did our manly hobbies as they are interesting also. But hoot as a girl I sew now and have fun doing those things also. But I still like getting outside cracking a beer and BBQing.

[lmildcd]

I'm not into anything considered "manly." I'm not into sports much. I prefer to read right now. One hobby that I wish I was into but cannot afford is model railroading which is mostly male dominated but I don't think is can be considered "manly."

[Lily Catherine]

Car girl here. As close as I can get to a mostly male dominated domain. Could be construed as an auto enthusiast way before I ever knew what crossdressing was, so it isn't really a matter of compensating. But I dislike how women interested in this field are all too often fetishised, rare gem or nay.

[Tracii G]

I still do manly hobbies so that has not changed but now I do them in girl mode with GG's that enjoy the same hobby.

[phylis anne]

Yes I still do manly hobbies but as an avid fly fisherman i have always wondered what would happen or people think if I showed up for a day streamside dressed like my avatar????:eek: :heehee:
hugs phylis anne

[Stephanie47]

I still have the same interests/hobbies that I have had since childhood. I still build military models. I'm still a baseball nutcase, although since the Seattle Mariners continue to suck, I watch less. Go Yankees! Since I retired I do many of the domestic chores because my wife still works several days a week. I do laundry, ironing, baking, cooking, vacuuming, etc. Those chores are usually done en femme, a la June Cleaver (Leave It to Beaver). With the additional time I have taken more interest in gardening: flowers and vegetables. I do like creating displays of colorful flowers in the garden, which is probably related to liking to wear pretty colorful dresses, especially floral patterns.

[Donna St. Marten]

I don't consider myself less masculine because I dress, it's just another side of me. I still have the same interests most men, do model trains, target shooting, fishing and golf. However, when I'm dresse I don't run the trains or tie flies.

[Alice Torn]

I always loved fishing, and still do, went yesterday, love riding bicycles, like to shoot basketball, wish i could play baseball or softball again, like to fix the car. All these i do in male mode, maybe panties under.

[kymmieLorain]

For me I haven't seen myself changing hobbies. More a less interest that is weather related vs CD related. Hard to ride the Harley when there is 6" of snow on the ground and 20 degrees. On the other hand it is hard to sit in the house working on a model when it is 80s and sunny.

Tim

[Cynthia T]

I was wondering the same thing. I do not care for "manly" pursuits -- no interest in professional team sports, or cars, or guns/hunting -- and I wondered if it was just part of my character or if it was a thing with CD's. Apparently not, so much.
I am intrigued that so many of us (well, three) like model railroading, especially since it has faded in popularity so in the past 40 years. Anybody remember the pink Lionel set?

[Rachelakld]

Being dual, means I still go hard at my manly hobbies.
While guns were never me, I'm quite proficient with them (not machine guns, bullets went everywhere except to the target) also good at paintball and airsoft. I'm also not bad behind a race car (not competative as I hate spending big money on myself).
I have quite a few other manly interest - this morning youngest daughter is taking me bush for an archery target hunt - it's raining hard so taking my hiking books.
I've never been a team sport player but prefered tennis & squash, which is now gender nutural.

[Angie G]

I can't dress 24/7 with family and all things that go with that.And then comes hunting and fishing very hard to do in a skirt and heels. But I balance it all out somehow.:hugs:
Angie

[Pat]

Which leads me to this, do you think we embrace some of the more traditional male interests in life to compensate for our perceived lack of "masculity"?

I suppose if you posit deep unconscious motivations it's possible. But a simpler answer is that we embrace those interests because we like them. ;)

[Tina_gm]

I have never had a lot of manly hobbies that I have liked much. I do like to fish, although I rarely have gone much in a long time. But I have great memories from my father and I, and I have enjoyed it when I have gone. Golf- not really manly in itself, but male dominated, and played by mostly men who are conservative straight cisgender males. It brings out a lot of my competitiveness. And when I do play, my fem side seems to be no where in sight. It is just about everywhere else though. I play because I enjoy it immensely. I am not sure why my fem side disappears with golf.

As for a lot of the manly hobbies or whatever, no real interest. I could care less to do any DIY stuff. I get no sense of satisfaction, or fun, for what pathetically little I can do, I just feel a sense of relief its over. I do love old muscle cars, but only to drive. I ll let a mechanic work on them. No interest or fun in that for me. When it comes to stuff like that I feel more like the legally blond character lol. I see guys get into having all kinds of fun building decks sheds, porches, houses.... zzzzzz Digging, plowing, hunting.... blah blah blah for me. You spray what on you and go sit in a tree in the cold for hours???? I'm good, thanks.

[Jenniferathome]

Not me. I love the physical stuff I have always done. I just finished a grueling mountain bike ride setting PRs both up and down the hills. Can't get enough of the adrenaline.

For me, there is no "other" me. It's just me.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Brenna :hugs:, I still enjoy the best of both worlds. , ...:daydreaming:...

[Georgette_USA]

Great another "MANLY" pursuits perspective. Do any now do "GIRLY" pursuits. Other than the dressing.

Yes there are pursuits that may tend to be done more by men. My own hobby is one I have done since very young. Yes it tends to be dominated by men, but many women do it also. No way could it be seen as MANLY.

I know many TG/TS that have most of the same pursuits before and after SRS. Some race/drive/work on muscle/sports cars/motorcycles/bicycles. Can't answer much on sports/fishing/hunting as they have never come up.

My partner and I did most of the easier maintenance stuff on our cars. We did all of the minor maintenance stuff around house. Plumbing/electrical/computers/rebuild - build cabinets/redo wallpaper/tile floors/install garage door openers/rebuild outside deck/yard work. Of course none of the maintenance work is done in dresses/skirts, that would be silly. Neither of us were into sports before/after. A lot of this is because someone had to do them and we could, not that they were fun.

[Lauri K]

For me all of my "manly" hobbies I had were just a front to try to be a person I couldn't ever feel was really me.

So now-days I really don't want to lift anything heavier than a nightgown.................being silly I know but I have no interest in being a male in any way

But I believe that regardless of gender or sex you should pursue your dreams.............and ambitions.

Gender and Sex should not define what you do in life for hobbies...............

But if your hobby is chewing tobacco and whittling you won't be very femme in my eyes.....no offense just saying

[ReineD]

Do any of you find yourself less interested in some of you more masculine hobbies as you've embraced your more feminine side?

Speaking for myself, I'm an avid motorcycle rider. As I've began to re-embrace my interest in all thing feminine, I've become less interested in some of my other passions.

If you're not interested in riding as a male, you could ride while dressed and join a women's riding group. :)

There's an extensive list of women's riding clubs below, all over the US. This is just the first result in google, and I'm sure there are lots more:

http://www.womenridersnow.com/pages/National_and_Regional_Riding_Clubs.aspx

[I Am Paula]

I don't consider it 'manly', I play guitar- very well. I still hear 'for a girl' all the time. When someone says ' she plays guitar' some jackass will say 'Oh, you like Taylor Swift?' I can be carrying a guitar into a club, with my rock band set up on stage, and somebody will ask if I play guitar.
Anybody, can do whatever they want. I can't think of anything that's exclusively male, or female except pissing on campfires.

[Georgette_USA]

But if your hobby is chewing tobacco and whittling you won't be very femme in my eyes.....no offense just saying

Agree Gender and Sex do not define what pursuits I do.

Only whittling I do is around the campfire when camping. Don't chew but knew a country gal that did at work, after indoor smoking was banned. I have been a cigar smoker since I was 12, and not those cigarette looking cigars. Cigarettes just had no flavor for me.

Being Femme means different things to different people. With my Lesbian friends I am definitely a Femme. With some of my TG/TS friends I tend to be also. With my TG/CD friends I am female but not as Femme as them.

[ReineD]

Anybody, can do whatever they want. I can't think of anything that's exclusively male, or female except pissing on campfires.

Thank you. :)

[Georgette_USA]

I can't think of anything that's exclusively male, or female except pissing on campfires.

Actually they have devices you could do that with. For female pilots, it fits over your privates with a funnel. Small planes have NO bathroom, men just use a jar/bottle.

[Queen Erika]

Do any of you find yourself less interested in some of you more masculine hobbies as you've embraced your more feminine side?


No, but it sometimes makes me view them from a different angle. Also, different hobbies seem to have different groups of friends.

[Robin414]

Anybody, can do whatever they want. I can't think of anything that's exclusively male, or female except pissing on campfires.

OK, I've done that back in the day but I shook my butt while doing it, anyone a Steve Harvey fan!

[Leighcdmd]

There is nothing that I enjoy as much as dressing but.....I am still largely addicted to racing large sailboats and competitive skeet, trap and sporting clays.

[Julie1123]

I wouldn't consider any of my hobbies manly. I'm not a lumberjack or anything. I do find that I enjoy my hobbies just as much or even a bit more when I'm dressed.

[Maria 60]

You should talk to my wife about that. Now that the kids are older and go out alittle more, I try to get any time as I can on the weekends, my wife told me our house is missing that maticulur touch I used to make time for, but now it's all about pantyhose, make-up and wigs while our house is falling apart. I have my priorities straight, time to sell the house. Lol

[PattyT]

I too have a lot of "manly" hobbies, building wooden ship models, and reading military history, yet I am avery hard core CD. I don't see any connection, or any incongruency between CD and my hobbies. They are 2 separate aeas. Even regarding these "manly" hobbies, it's not all that unusual to meet perfectly normal or ordinary GGs engaged in the same hobbies. It's just that the nunber is smaller, thats all.
I think this may be an important aspect distinguishing CDs from TGs. Very broadly speaking, a TG is a female imprisoned in a female body. This person would be attracted to typical "female" hobbies and interests, such as cooking, knitting, sewing, and the like. Some perfectly normal or ordinary males can also have some of these interests. It's more a question the percentages of females and males inolved in these hobboes or interests. CD is a male who has a strong attraction to female attire, with some degree of female personality. This can be strong or weak. It seems that most CDs remain a male, however, with what would be conswidered as "manly" hobbies.
The situation can get a bit muddled as the above statements are only generalities. Judging from so many comments on this forum, the line between a CD and TG can become blurred with some people. There is a lot of shades of grey out there. Some CDs seem extremly "female" oriented, boardering on TG, others less so.
Perhaps the simplest way to put it, any hobby can attract any gender. Most CDs seem to keep their manly hobbies and there is no connection between CD and hobbies.

[Mykaa]

I think outside of what this new recently accepted part of me will bring into my life for new hobbies like public shopping, I will always continue to do & like my current hobbies, I am me and will continue to be me, I like cars, computers/gaming, guns, hanging out with friends, sci fi. Theres nothing stopping anyone from enjoying things.

[Beauty Parlor Bev]

This is an interesting topic for me and something that I have been thinking about a lot lately. I had a period in my mid to late twenties that I call my "Dark Days" (think a show in Vegas, not Goth) from a CD perspective. Basically, I tried to poor myself into "manly" pursuits for a while and looking back, I think it was as much about denying ME as it was the actual activities. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my pursuits (hunting/fishing) before and after my dark days, but definitely not with as much vigor. Part of what DOESN'T appeal to me about these activities now is competition! When I was first "into" them, they were relatively individual or small group of friends activities. Now, with the rampant plague of reality TV and commercialism, everything has to be a competition! I guess that competition aspect it what makes things unattractive to me. I do still engage in my previous hobbies, but time is always a limiting factor and I guess I would rather spend my spare time now in leather boots and curlers rather than waders and camo!

I am still very interested in cars but I am now looking for the ultimate girly ride (I know, I know already beat to death in many other posts!) LOL!

[Stephj]

I am a big motorcycle nut rode 300 miles this weekend have been my whole life soon will be 52 ride wearing my bra and panties just like every day

[Dana44]

Gendermutt, on golf many girls do that and we had a golf outing at the Diva get together.
Now, on hunting and fishing, yeah girls do that also, fishing mostly. I have women boots for doing things like that. However my SO would probably wear her flipflops to go fishing. But I would always wear the right footwear for an activity. I haven't hunted for a couple years and if I did I would have to drive to do it. In fact when my SO saw fishing, she said, hey when are we going to do that? Guess we need to get our fishing license. But I agree that women do everything a man does in hobbies. One of my hobbies was competition BBQ cooking and I had a team, big BBQ pit on a twenty foot trailer with a kitchen built in. Did that for twenty some years. Yes there were a couple of all girls teams out there also. So, whatever we did they do and do well.

[Sarah Beth]

Maybe its the part of the country I am familiar with but the "manly" pursuits I take part in are exclusively done by men around here. I know a lot of women around her who hunt and fish and I know women who are very into sports both watching and playing. I do woodworking and am working on restoring an old car and I know women who do both of those.

As to am I less interested in those sorts of things when in femme mode I don't really go out dressed but I still look at part woodworking tools and plans etc and read about restoring the car when dressed.

[StarrOfDelite]

Most of my hobbies are relatively solitary outdoors sports in which both men and women participate: Bicycling, Orienteering, Hiking, Backpacking, and Rock Climbing. I have done all of them wearing Feminine outfits except the Backpacking because I let my beard grow when I'm on the trails. I would count cooking and baking as hobbies, and I personally don't consider them to be gender specific, but some people might. I also collect lighthouse and Santa figurines, so I'm not sure if that is Feminine or Gay or Metrosexual? Definitely not a macho man hobby.

[josrphine]

Hi Rachel, So now we have a handle on Dual . I don't go as hard as I use too. At 75 I have all I can handle fixing things around the house. At 13 I was in the top 25 big bore shooters in Connecticut. That led me to U S Navy boot camp were wile on the rifle range the Chief said to me boy 17 we are going to keep our eye on you. Then came the pool they said jump in an see how long u can stay down. Well living on a junkshun of two rivers an 15 miles from Long island sound i was a water rat. The instuctor jumped in as i was sitting on the bottom of the pool, he came down to me an pointed up been down close 3 minets. That got me a trip to Norfork Va. being it was 1958 it was U D T school. Passed that got free trip to Nam, to try an find some French troops that stayed for Vacations. found none , because we got jumped by a whole bunch of unfrendly 3 out of 10 of us got out. Then became a power line & master electrican an jack of all trades. How is that for Dual. Play tennis every day now, been dressing for ever. Have a wife that loves me more as a women then a man. But told me to keep senior. JO

[cindi cinnamon]

Interesting question... I've been thinking about my hobby a lot lately.
Been a fly fisherman and fly tyer for a little over 30 years now, but lately have lost interest in fishing, and wondering whether or not to continue fly tying. (I still enjoy tying)
But now, it's occurred to me, that perhaps I would be happier with something more feminine.
I tried hand sewing and quilting about 20 years ago, and enjoyed it... So maybe I'll give that another go.

[Jennifer in CO]

Never been a bat/ball kinda guy. Hard to when you can't breath. As a life long asthmatic, I never had the stamina to do "manly' sports. So I build show cars, race cars and what ever suits my fancy. There are a lot of gals into this as well so my pursuits never changed both now and then as well as when I lived on the other side for 5 years. Heck, was waiting for my Wife to change once and I finished putting the engine in an old Jag while I waited...in a mini-dress and heels!

[Andrea2656]

I enjoy wood working which is a mostly manly dominated hobby (though certainly not exclusive). I do not think my CD impacts my interest in other hobbies.

[Renee Elise]

Not really...still really enjoy fishing, hunting, working on cars, cigars, whiskey...had to put my feminine side on hiatus for awhile dealing with some family stuff, about to get en femme again after a long wait - for me it's all about balance :).

[Georgette_USA]

Maybe its the part of the country I am familiar with but the "manly" pursuits I take part in are exclusively done by men around here.


Didn't hear what those exclusive "Manly" pursuits are.

Well today I decided to do some pursuits that many men are stuck doing. Yard work and vehicle maintenance. No MAN around so I guess a WOMAN will have to do. Days like these I swear at my partner for dying, also a Post MtF woman, easier with two working.

Decided to run my van, haven't done in a while. Battery too low, so had to throw a charger on it for a while. All done for now. Note to self run more often.
Pick up all the broken branches on the ground from late winter so I could get ready to mow first time. Wheel barrow front wheel wood rotted out, so have to fix or get new.
Need to get a replacement battery for ride mower, won't hold charge. Put battery charger on it till I get that done.
Maybe later I will work on replacing my mailbox. The door hinges have rusted out, only been like 15-20 years.

Got hot in 80s so I said the hell with all that and went indoors. It is 82 indoors, so will have to run A/C.

Now I guess I will have to do all my "Womanly" pursuits indoors.

- - - Updated - - -


still really enjoy cigars

I have enjoyed cigars longer then anything. Since I was around 10-12.

[ClosetED]

I like to make things - so I program computers, build furniture and all sorts of handyman tasks, garden, canning up the fresh harvest, cut down trees, skip and jump, and go the the lavatory. Are these manly - depends on how you are dressed possibly.

http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=260221&d=1461004225

Hugs, Ellen

[pamela7]

this vid will speak for itself :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgaRd4d8hOY

[PamTG]

I know that when I am dressed up in female clothes I don't think of anything masculine in any sort of way. I have the frame of mind to do all the things that was expected of females in the olden days when they stay home and take care of the kids and the house. I enjoy being the weaker sex and don't do anything close to the male things I did as a man. Its so much better being a female anyway.

[rachelatshop]

I have seen that a lot of the girls here equate wood working with the male gender, I am a wood furniture restorer and work in my shop every day, and many of those days when the risk of being caught dressed is low, I like to do my work while dressed as a woman. Unlike some of you, my gender identity doesn't change because I put on my woman's cloths.

[Alyssa]

I like to build Model robots from a series known as "Mobile Suit Gundam" I wanna call it "manly" because the amount of girls I know who do this is super duper low, and my facebook groups are full of dudes, I sometimes do it will dressed really casual like, t-shirt and yoga pants, however if I'm gonna paint them then I'm going to dress like a guy and put on my ragged jeans and old t-shirts. 260269

[Georgette_USA]

I like to make things - so I program computers, cut down trees. Are these manly - depends on how you are dressed possibly.


Still have not heard what the exclusive "manly" pursuits are.

I guess I must be "manly" more then I thought. I did computer maintenance for 45 + years and programmed them for the last 14 years. When camping I cut down trees with a chainsaw and a nice sharp two bladed axe, none of the "guys" like to do it, think they are a little afraid of that whirring chain. Is shoveling snow a "manly" pursuit. Do mine all the time, also use a snow blower.

Some say they will change into grungy male clothes for these activities. Does no one own grungy female clothes. I have older jeans or leggings and tees or tank tops that I use for all my "manly" pursuits. Of course I will still wear my "girly" undies and bra. And will wear dresses most of the time because they are comfortable and I LIKE them when not doing those "manly" activities.

PEOPLE, work and activities/pursuits have nothing to do with Gender identity. Most all of these activities/pursuits have more to do with stereotypical Gender ROLES. I would think that the sexual revolution of women since the sixties would have opened your insights. I am anything but a feminist, but have had to fight some of those prejudices since my transition in the 70s. The idea that women are somehow less then men. Had people back then question how/why I would want to lose my "male" privilege.
To all the "GGs" here, I cannot have the same early life experiences as other women, and don't claim such. When young helped my mother with cleaning/housework - some minor sewing - taking care of my baby sister - some cooking and plenty of baking. When in transition would take adult classes for sewing with a machine and some needlework. Great to get ones confidence working with other women.

[FrancescaDienes]

I still keep up pipe making, I find nothing more satisfying than having a smoke in a pipe I've made. I have also recently taken up watch repairing a hobby, I have always loved tinkering with stuff and this seems to be a natural extension of that.

I have to say that having recently got into buying and dressing women's clothing and applying make up, it makes me think that this can be a hobby in itself and I think I can understand why some women pursue fashion and cosmetics with a passion. I think it's the same passion that drives all hobbies, regardless of who pursues them and whether or not they are considered masculine or feminine. There' the attention to detail, what works with what, whether it's parts for a car or a watch or matching a top with a skirt or lipstick with blusher. There's the joy at getting something right, be it a set of clothes or a car. I am starting to see hobbies and the motivation and processes behind them as something human rather than something gender-based. So whatever hobbies any of us are into, engage and enjoy.

[Roxy]

I love reading all the responses from you girls.
I'm chuckling to my self. I took a break from working on an engine to read this thread.
Like a lot of you gals, I'm into all the manly hobbies, like cars, guns (not hunting), motorcycles, and building things. I started sewing at a young age (mostly girl hobbie) as an extension of my creative side. I love building and creating things from my bare hands.
I could ramble on this subject for a while so I'll end this with ...
I do what I like in fem or drab and I think gender bases hobbies and acceptance have changed a lot since I was young.
I find it attractive and comforting when I see GGs in the manly hobbies