So, you want to Pass as a Woman!

[Taylor186]

So this is what I don't understand: I don't know if you realize this, but if you were in guy mode, the only guy in the room with all these women, they'd treat you just the same! They'd talk to you about the same topics, they'd be nice to you in the same way, they'd like you just as much, they wouldn't think you were odd for enjoying a conversation with a group of women. In other words, fundamentally you don't need to present as a woman in order to be included in woman's conversations.

That's not what I've been told. A few years ago I joined an adult ballet class at the local Arts Center. It was billed as for beginners and returning dancers. The class enrollment was six returning dancers, all females, and one beginner, me. I soon found out that returning to dance is like returning to bicycling -- it doesn't take long to get back up to speed. As a beginner, I was the obvious boat anchor. At the start of the third class I mentioned to one woman that it would be my last night as I felt I was holding everyone else up. At the break the most experienced dancer pulled me aside and implored that I stay. She was quite open in saying that the dynamics of the room change when there is a male dancer there. I stayed and in the end was glad I did. I later read the exact sentiments on a ballet forum -- ie, class dynamics are different when at least one male is present in a group of females.

So at best I might say "it depends." I think women will react differently depending on who the one man is in their midst. A type-A extrovert male will get a different reaction than an introvert male. A straight male will get a different reaction that a gay male. A married male will get a different reaction than a single male. But in all cases the dynamics, subtly or not-so, are different than if the group was all women.