I am getting **** for my long girly nails

[BlairP]

So cute...lol...I should make it policy that all employees have long polished nails!

Wow, I didnt expect so many amazing comments from all angles. Here is the lowdown: I own a store in Venice Beach, CA. We sell cool and unique small products to tourists and locals and visitors. There are all kinds of strange people around. If I cant have long nails here then I don't know where I can. But the truth is, despite being such an eclectic mix of people, long nails on men really seems to cause a stir. I notice my employees looking at them all of the time. One of them said 'holy shit, you have dragon claws". But I am getting used to it. I guess because the growth is so gradual that it has eased me into it. Right now I just don't care. They are getting a little scary long and I may file them down and keep them that length when they get there, but for now I am letting them grow even longer.

I am tired of hiding. I dont want to have a sex change operation. I am not gay. But I am transgendered and I dont want to hide any longer. For as freaked out or intrigued as everybody else is, I am equally surprised at how nice it feels to express my feminine side in public. It has seemed to neutralize a lot of anxiety for me (for now) and I am proud of not being ashamed for the first time in my life. I have already rehearsed what I want to say to my staff. "Yes, I have long girly fingernails. No, I do not want a sex change. I am just fascinated by girl stuff. I am not a creep or a perv or a weirdo. I just really like all of the things that are reserved for women only. Not only am I not gay, I love women so much that I like pretend to be one sometimes. Its a total mind trip and incredibly fascinating to get into the head (and pumps) of the opposite sex. But it is more than just a hobby; something I like to do. I was this way when I was 5 years old. Its who I am. I have long girly nails and I like them that way very much. Does anybody have a problem with that? If so, lets talk about it."

I dont now what is stranger...having long nails or thinking it is strange to have long nails. And please keep in mind that I keep them extremely clean, a task I have found to be more work as my nails grow but I love it. Ummm...nails grow naturally right? And where in the human handbook does it say that they have to be cut before they get a certain length. So strange. Everybody is so programmed (including me) and I am tired of it. I have broken free. I no longer subscribe to the binary gender identification system that dominates our world to the core. It served us well for centuries and now its time to break through and realize that genders come in wonderfully infinite varieties. We are all part masculine and part feminine. I am going to start expressing my feminine side however I see fit. Right now its nails. Who knows, next year I might come to work wearing my thigh high silver stiletto boots (probably not - maybe for Halloween?)

I see so many girls in here who are clearly terrified of expressing their feminine selves in public (including me). Until this stops we will be relegated to third-class citizens or worse. I was talking to a colleague of mine at work and commenting on one of the most amazing people in the group. I jokingly said to my colleague "I dont know about Neil, he is way to perfect. He has to have something wrong with him...dead bodies under his floorboards or something" and my colleague responded by saying "no, he probably dresses up in his wives clothes and dances around". That is what we are dealing with, a condition perceived by many to be worse than or equivalent to being a murderer! We all know how trannies are portrayed in the movies.

I have really long nails and I am a guy. And you know what? They look amazing...way better than any acrylics I have ever had (and I have spent $120 for a full set) and way better than any of the nails that the 100 women a day who come to my store have. Even better, they feel extremely sensual and feminine. I am keeping them.

ta ta

Blaire

[Persephone]

Sorry to hear that you are getting negative comments on your nails, Blair.

Your location says "Los Angeles,"" so it is really annoying that you are getting negativity here in the bastion of "different."

My nails have been about this long for the past fifteen years and I get some, but not much, static every once in a while. Sometimes I get asked if I play guitar.

If pressed for why I have 'em I just say it makes it easier to clean out my ears (or, sometime, my nose). Then I go to shake hands with them.

Hugs,
Persephone.

[Tracii G]

Good comeback Persephone LOLOLOL.
Blair no need for a long drawn out explanation with your employees if they ask questions just answer you like them that long.Plus it makes it easier to pick out the toejam between your toes.
Orrrrrrrrrr you could go into work as Blair and act like its no big deal.

[Rogina B]

Good comeback Persephone LOLOLOL.

Orrrrrrrrrr you could go into work as Blair and act like its no big deal.

That sounds like the best plan! Freedom of expression lesson! Teach em!

[linda allen]

but that is only on ONE hand. The other has to be short. And of course, if someone asked you to play something, you might give yourself away if you instead pulled out a tuba becuase you can't play the guitar.

True, the left (for right handed pickers) hand must have short fingernails or you can't make the chords or notes. Even the part about the right hand is pretty bogus. I don't know any guitar players (and I know a lot because I was a pro) who have long fingernails on either hand.

As for claiming to be a guitar player, lies generally get you deeper and deeper until you can't cover the lie anymore. "What kind of guitar do you have?" "What model?" "What brand of strings do you use?", etc.

[linda allen]

Wow, I didnt expect so many amazing comments from all angles. Here is the lowdown: I own a store in Venice Beach, CA. We sell cool and unique small products to tourists and locals and visitors. There are all kinds of strange people around. If I cant have long nails here then I don't know where I can. But the truth is, despite being such an eclectic mix of people, long nails on men really seems to cause a stir. I notice my employees looking at them all of the time. One of them said 'holy shit, you have dragon claws".

Blair, you could have saved a lot of confusion by posting that part in your original post.

You are the boss and you can do what you want. If it's affecting business or bothering your employees to the point where they are not giving their best to the job, you might want to keep them a more normal male length. If not, do what you want with them. It's your choice.

[Ressie]

Heck Blair, just create a new image for the store and go total en femme! It might increase your business big time.

[heatherdress]

Blair - can I work for you? I won't say anything about your nails and promise to follow the owner's example.

[Zylia]

I think it's the pinkish clear nail polish that would get my attention first, not necessarily the length.

[Lynn Marie]

You know, it sure would have been nice to have known the full story before making a darn fool of myself! Extracting foot from mouth. If your customers don't seem to care, then get dressed and really have a good time!

[Vickie_CDTV]

Since the dynamic of power is in your favor, there is nothing your employees can do about your nail length. If they complain, tell them there are places they can go where guys have short nails, like the unemployment office.

[BlairP]

Zylia (nice name) the pink is only noticable is some light. Its not outrageous. Honestly I would love to paint them french manicure style. Now that would be extremely feminine. I dont know if I could pull that off and not feel extremely self-consious. But that is where I am leaning. Going to paint them that way over the weekend and see if I have the courage to go to work on Tuesday.

My SO has finger nails your length, except hers are filed in the pointier style. She's not in retail plus she is middle aged, so the vast majority of people that we know who do notice, keep their opinions to themselves.

One of my friends once asked my SO, while a group of us were sitting together at a restaurant, if my SO played the guitar. It was obvious that she was trying to find out why my SO's fingernails were so long. My SO simply looked her straight in the eyes and said, "No". I do think that more people notice as you say, and maybe the more intuitive people put two and two together. But, no one can control this and if you like long fingernails and you don't mind the possibility of having people wonder, just enjoy your nails!

It's a trade-off and only you can determine what is most important to you. My SO's nails are more important to her than what people may or may not think and this is her prerogative.

Theres a guy that owns a really macho hamburguer restaurant near my house. He has really feminine eyebrows that call everyones attention. Guess what? Nobody cares, everyone thinks he is gay and thats it. And he seems happy all the time.

[Courtney . J]

i think you should skip work one day ,. get dolled up and go to the store as a customer ,. and just see how long it takes anybody to notice you ,. then if they do and say something ,. just reply with something like "i was wondering when somebody would notice ,. now get your butt to work ! "

[DanielleT]

I wear my nails very long and of course, after the weekend there is always the tell tale stains around the corner of my nailbeds that I have been wearing polish. Hmm, OK, along with my obviously pierced ears and the way I walk and hold myself, I am a woman. I don't flaunt, I also don't try and hide it.

[MssHyde]

very nice looking hands and nails, it would hurt to cut them, I'd have a tough time trimming them. I'd have a tougher time not painting them hot pink.

[joan47]

You sound just like me, I just want to be more feminine. I have long painted nails and very thin arched eyebrows.

Do you thin and shape your eyebrows, if not, that should be next

[Richelle423]

I get **** from my SO for just using clear nail polish and anything girlie...:-(

[SophieKitty]

I don't know how I'll react when I get "shit" from people. But my plan is to give them twice as much in return. Or even make fun of myself. I even said "this isn't even my final form" to one of my male friends yesterday, and we laughed it all off.

[FeliciaCDSNJ]

I was reading online that more and more guys are starting to get acrylic nails and most of the comments, I love to read the comments to see how people react, and I would say about 90% were for it because they say it is about time guys started taking care of their nails. It is sad that you got such reactions like that. Guess that would mean those people were extremely closed minded.

[Amy R Lynn]

I agree that they are just nails. It really shouldn't be that big of a deal. I have had mine painted with a light bubble gum pink color. I got called out on it. Some of the people that I work with asked me about it. I just told them that I liked the way they looked. After that they never said anything else. I think after the shock wore off, it was just a part of who I am.

[BlairP]

UPDATE: Not only did I not cut them, I let them grow and painted them french manicure style...I am in heaven. They look and feel extremely sexy. I am getting daring too...right now I am at the state franchise tax board waiting for them to call my number. Starting to accept that this is who I am and what I like. Soon I will be up close and personal with a clerk. Long girlie nails are so fun! And yes I am in guy mode so it is also scary.

[Tina_gm]

I sometimes grow my nails a bit long for a guy... I fantasize of having long girly nails.... I let them get to the point where they just start getting past the tip of the finger. Usually I keep them right around even with my fingertips.

[BlairP]

Gendermutt right now mine are about .25" past the tips of my fingers. I have already learned to type like this. The Indian lady at the counter did a triple take. I know people who see must think I look silly but isnt that the problem with crossdressing? Less than 1 percent of us can pass so in any form we look silly to others. If I didnt adore my nails so much and if I had not spent the last year in therapy I wouldnt be brave enough to do this.

[Persephone]

Your nails and your courage are both wonderful, Blair!

One aside -- you photoed them curled under. That is usually the "guy way" of looking at nails. Women tend to hold the hand straight when doing a nail check.

Hugs,
Persephone.

[Tina_gm]

Gendermutt right now mine are about .25" past the tips of my fingers. I have already learned to type like this. The Indian lady at the counter did a triple take. I know people who see must think I look silly but isnt that the problem with crossdressing? Less than 1 percent of us can pass so in any form we look silly to others. If I didnt adore my nails so much and if I had not spent the last year in therapy I wouldnt be brave enough to do this.

well I think they look awesome and I envy you. My life is what is is, I have two teenage boys being raised in a small town and may be one day I will be able to have those kinds of nails, but not right now. Good for you though, cuz I could and do care less what strangers think, its my loved ones friends, family and kids whom I must protect from the fashion nazi society we live in