how do you perceive members here

[Tina_gm]

I try hard not to imagine anyone as far as gender too much. I have learned over time that my "reading" perception of a person will not always match the physical person, and then when I do see them in person, I have to make a big adjustment. Sometimes the same thing can happen over the phone. I do however try to imagine their overall personality. I struggle sometimes with wondering what the perception others have of me. I come here most often in a somewhat serious mode, as this is a primary place for me for deep thought and reflection on myself and the general subject of gender variance. IRL, I am far more easy going. I wonder if people think of me as some real serious uptight person when I most often am not.

[Stephanie47]

Others I see as men, and yet others depend on the day and the post. I find the language and concepts tend to drive that for me quite a bit.

When I log onto this site I know the posters are men with the exception of GG's and those transitioning from MtF. When I look at the avatar pictures or the picture postings I know the posters is a man donning female attire. With that knowledge or assumption I see the maleness. I know I have seen many GG's whose features are not overly feminine, but, I never perceive her as a male.

Recently, a counselor I see for issues related to the effects of military combat made an interesting comment. She believes the person's DNA makeup influences the degree to which the person exhibits the attributes normally associated with the sex not of his or her birth. There are some on this site who only post pictures or make comments on other picture postings. Some truly look to me as 100% passable women. Some are somewhat less passable, but, probably are passable to the general public because the general public does not know them.

I will concur with Meghan. There are some who I do perceive as a "man in a dress," because of the words and content used to express oneself do not appear at all feminine. I do agree with my counselor there is some DNA influence. I guess if I were to create a sliding meter from 0% to 100% some of the commenters to me have very little feminine influence in their inner self/being, and, that really has nothing to do with their visual presentation.

Basically, for some the male influence is so profound as to override any attempt to present as a female. The vast majority on this site I see as really "nice ladies" just as much as much as I encounter in my daily life. But, there are some who I do not perceive at all as "ladies."

[leannejacobs]

I wrote a long story there but have decided against posting it, I think I'd have offended too many people, I'm a man who dresses like a girl, I'm under no illusion that that's all I am.

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Regards the avatars, they make a big difference to me if they present well as a female, I'll read the post thinking of the writer as "her" some, through their own choice realise they have little or no chance of ever passing and do their best and are happy with that, others may appear deluded into thinking they pass when they really don't, in all honesty there are very few who would pass 100%, as I said before I'm under no illusion that I could ever pass, I'm 6' 5" for starters and have a masculine face.
Looks aside, I see many who are very like me and I really enjoy the forum, we can all learn so much from each other and I for one am so glad I joined, if it were not for this site I would never have been able to tell my wife.