Your male counterpart???

[GinaM]

I'm curious how most of you are in your male persona. Are you feminine or are you a mans/man? I met some other CD's last night and the impression I got is that most of them are quite feminine in their male lives. I'm curious if this is pretty typical of CDers or if more of us are more rugged.

I for one am anything but feminine in my male role. Obviously there is nothing wrong with either way but just curious what you gals do in male mode.

[~Joanne~]

I am the same person in both modes of dress so I really don't know how big of a change between the two there is. When I went out dressed on the 30th, yes I tried walking more feminine and with a few other mannerisms but I never even tried to "disguise" my voice or to try and make it feminine at all.

When I am in drab I am surly a man.I don't think the way other men do, I don't judge others as some of my friends do, basically I skip all the macho crap, but I am surly presenting myself as myself then. My feminine side doesn't show unless you tackle me and take my shoes and socks off

[Acastina]

Tricky question. How much of whatever degree of traditional masculinity we display is innate, and how much is simply a well developed coping behavior imposed on us by social conditioning? Another interesting aspect is change as we age: how much of the put-on role are we willing to let go of as the passage of time starts and continues to limit our options in life?

In my case, not much innate, and a whole lot of *sigh* conditioning. With age (mid-sixties now), letting go of a lot. Who cares that much about pretending for the sake of strangers' sensibilities?

[paulaprimo]

i've got to work hard to be paula, in guy mode i guess i'm a "mans man".
if i'm not gutting a deer, watching sports or chugging a beer, i guess i can be considered "girly" lol

[Jane G]

I think people see me as, the big friendly honest giant type, in my male life. I tend to just be me regardless of what I'm wearing, though working in a traditional male environment for 30+ years, my actions are continualy in check, while at work. Certainly that's contributed to a couple of nervous break downs over the years. (ho hum)

[Persephone]

Acastina summed a lot of it up pretty well.

And as time goes by, I become less sure of just what it is to be either "manly" or "womanly." They may just be a list of social expectations. We all know men who can dance (see an old Fred Astaire movie) and women who can shoot and guzzle beer.

But I did find an old friend's comment about me to be interesting. She was talking to another mutual friend and said, "He was such a man's man and she's such a woman."

Hugs,
Persephone.

[Eryn]

I think that my male persona has changed somewhat since I learned more about my female side. Quite a lot less of the false bravado that I was using to cover up the perceived gaps in my maleness. More of the "confident masculinity" that comes from not being afraid of how I am perceived by others.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9db4o8c5X0I

After all, I regularly go in public wearing a dress. How many of those "manly men" would have the confidence to do that!

[Doctor Seven]

People in my family have compared me to Leonard from the Big Bang Theory. I recall him getting a mani-pedi in one episode, after which he offered a quick "men get them too!"

[RADER]

I guess my 40+ years of being a Carpenter Foreman, Always giving orders,
Having the ability to hire and fire, As made me a Man's Man.
But My wife says that I have a softer side when needed. I do not leave
the closet dressed, so I am not sure how that would play out; Me being dressed,
and putting on a female persona.
Rader

[paddy]

Pretty much masculine in both modes. As me, I work on my cars, ride my Harley and take on almost any DIY project (not saying a girl wouldn't do the exact same things). The other me is just me in women's clothes with a mustache! One night I will hop on the Harley for a ride wearing the clothes in my profile pic, but will have to practice stopping with platform boots on first!

[NathalieX66]

I think that my male persona has changed somewhat since I learned more about my female side. Quite a lot less of the false bravado that I was using to cover up the perceived gaps in my maleness. More of the "confident masculinity" that comes from not being afraid of how I am perceived by others.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9db4o8c5X0I

After all, I regularly go in public wearing a dress. How many of those "manly men" would have the confidence to do that!

Eryn, you got my vote.

Confindence in yourself is rule number one. The trick is to stop thinking "are they looking at me?.....do I pass? .....do I look like a weirdo?" and just live your life and enjoy it.

As for the original post, I am simply me. I have made a bit of effort in the last two or three years to being either gender. I love it, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, I even wear dresses in public every now and then. Got questions? PM me if you like.

[Brittany CD]

I'm not feminine at all in male mode. I'm basically a typical man's man

[Marlana]

I used to be a manly man. I still cut the lawn, kill mice, and hang with my co-workers for happy hour. However, I seem to have fet some pink fog linger in my brain and now I look at what women wear and point it out to my wife and vice versa. I think differently now. I try to walk with my shoulders back and a little less waddily and sit up straight of course.

[ArleneRaquel]

In either mood I'm somewhat feminine, I gesture, with my hands & arms, quite a lot.

[I Am Paula]

I do alot of structural home renos, build garden retaining walls, very precise with a chain saw. And I do it all in pink construction boots and boobs. Couldn't be manly man for money. Good thread tho'.
FYI- Pink steel toe construction boots to size 11 at Mark's Work Warehouse. No point being drab just 'cause you're pouring concrete.-Celeste

[STACY B]

That all depends on if I am Trying to get a Point across or not ,,No sense in not useing what you have while you still got it ,,,One day it will no longer be available an then I will miss it for sure ,,,But I still got my Bull Dog ,,,LOL,,,

[Emma Leigh]

I,ve never been a mans man........always found most mens attitude to everything intolerable....I also work on cars and ride motorcycles....but so does my ex-wife

[Diversity]

Hi Gina,
I am a mans/man in my male role. I love the outdoors, swimming, boating, sports, motorcycles, etc... I also enjoy being a good husband/father and being 'Mr. Fix-It' around the house. However, I do find that while I am in my male role, I am constantly thinking about being en femme and buying and wearing feminine clothes. Just can't seem to stop thinking about being dressed 'en femme'.
Di

[Daisy41]

I'm not really a "man's man" in my male role. I've always had feminine tendencies. Though, I'm infinitely more confident about my masculinity as it stands out from my femininity.

[AmyGaleRT]

In male mode I come across as "Generic Geek #42." The only real femme "tell" I have is my long hair, which I keep in a ponytail in that mode. That's not an uncommon thing, and if anyone asks, I say, "My fiancee likes it." (She does!)

But take out the ponytail holder and brush it to a center part instead of left, voila! Instant Amy hairstyle. I may see if I can get it trimmed to look better in this mode (after it grows out a bit more), as brushing it back to my normal ponytail will cover up any femme styling details. (Perhaps I'll find a new hair salon and go there as Amy...)

- Amy

[Angela Campbell]

In male mode I have a very male job and play the part very well. I am a bit of a loner though because I really never fit in with the boys growing up. I did learn how tofool everyone into thinking I was a male though.

[AKKaren]

[SIZE="3"]I have spent my whole life being a Man...supporting my family, being a father, doing a very manly job, but at all times in my mind there was and still is this voice saying "It's all a lie!" There isn't an hour or day that my femme side doesn't want out. [/SIZE]

[Jamie001]

I don't have a "male counterpart". I am simply a feminine male and therefore I really don't switch modes except when I'm at work I wear clothing that is somewhat less feminine. My personality remains the same.

[Vanessa Amber420]

While in guy mode, I'm a guy and no one would suspect I have a feminine side to me.

[Julie Denier]

Hi Gina,
I am a mans/man in my male role. I love the outdoors, swimming, boating, sports, motorcycles, etc... I also enjoy being a good husband/father and being 'Mr. Fix-It' around the house. However, I do find that while I am in my male role, I am constantly thinking about being en femme and buying and wearing feminine clothes. Just can't seem to stop thinking about being dressed 'en femme'.
Di

This is pretty much me, too.