As long as you are officially male...and treated as one, you kind of must fight against the pressure of the environment trying to press you into the standard male mould. After having started full time, the pressure turns into the opposite. Now the surroundings want to have you as a standard female. That is for us normally more convinient, but not to all of us. Some of us want to be themselves and wish to avoid all standard gender models. And I can understand them quite well. Even though personally I don´t find the pressure towards a standard female not too bad. It doesn´t bother me much.

Laura

As a female you don´t have to be the best and you don´t have to know things best. Males have the competition pressure. I have noticed that in our coffee table conversations at job. For example I am much more open in the conversations because I don´t have to fear to show me as stupid. As female it is allowed to be stupid, anyway. And I let Olli, the big guy in the coffee table say the last word and be the smartest. Even though as male I maybe would have said something against his opininon. As a part of my male role...hehe Sure don´t miss that role.

Laura

Laura,

I was one of those who didn't follow the norms expected of my gender. Till that is when I told them I was in fact following the norm of my gender, just that I was going to be outwardly female too!

My gender has always been female, my sex was [and is till srs] male. It is an asumption that gender and sex are the same. We here are among the enlightened few. We know that you can have a female gender and male sex. That they are indead different things.

I am now learning both because I am actively doing so and because society now is placing upon me the normal expectations of a female in my society. I like this. I am much closer to normal than I have ever been. [which is a little scary as I have always thought normal and mainstream to be very boring]. I now am quite happy with the gender structure and how most of society deals with it.

For those who wish to live alternatives, good luck to you. I am becoming more closely linked with the norm though.

I belong to your group Fiona. Of course I´m more aware of the gender expectations than genetic women in general, but not necessarily annoyed about them.
I´m glad to be just a woman and I accept the given frames for my new life.

Laura

In a man's world life is always about one up mans ship,i'm better than you at this,i deserve that job i'm better than you, i'll have that bird in bed by tonight. As has been said it is a compitition all the time. Females are different they play the game, if they lose they start again, they think first and don't use there fists(well a majority don't). So we are lucky and see both sides of the dice and i know which side i am most at ease with......love JJ xx

Your right on that score Sandra, the male Knowledge will come in handy from time to time.....love JJ xx

Yesterday I visited a construction material and equipment supermarket. For the first time as a woman. I had to find out the manufacturer of a certain product. And I noticed they take female customers differently than men. Somehow...they expect that you know about baking bread, but not about construction. So, they explain things like to a little child. I didn´t want to spoil their fun by saying, by the way, I´m an architect.
I wonder what happens when I buy my next car as a woman. That could be next year.

Laura

The car people Laura will tell you where the mirror is for you to put on your Lippy lol........love JJ xx

My last car was a red Fiat Punto and I loved that car. It was good looking, big inside, small outside and nice to drive...

Laura