Sooz Pascale

Its interesting, at least to me, how men and women tend to differ in their behavior towards known cross gendered Avatars. For the most part, men avoid us like the bubonic plague. I have very very few male friend sin SL. The few I do have are priceless - Trout, Ned, Robert, Cris to name a few. These are all guys who are very, very secure in their masculinity and who they are.

Women, once they get over the intitial "OMG another guy in a dress" reaction tend to treat us just as "one of the girls" so long as they are convinced that we are sincere in what we're doing and are able to convingly express ourselves as female. Its like guys are afraid of catching a contagious disease, and for many women its like "welcome to the club."

Sooz

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Argent Stonecutter

Ayumi

In my group of friends, we've known at least 2 (that I can think of) transgender women(men) who are both very open about it.. and it has never been an issue.

I think the issue mostly arrives when people feel they're being deceived. Trust is a large factor in new relationships, and often when you dont feel you can trust a person who you arent that close to, there is very little compelling reason to keep them around.

The few transgender women that I'm friends with dont really "act" like the rest of us genetically female, but they dont really have to for us to accept them.

We accept them on the merits and value of themselves as individuals, and what their friendship brings to our lives, not on whether they can fit into our preconceived notion of what a person of gender A or B should be like.

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Ann Otoole

cherry robbin weasel!!!!

katiem1066

This.

I decided shortly after joining SL that I didn't really care who or what people are in real life - I treat an av as their appearance indicates a should, unless I read something in their profile or they tell me otherwise.

For me, anyway, doing anything else quickly got confusing.

Ned Easterwood

Bea has never been rejected by a woman she has come out to. She was rejected by the only guy she told. This has a lot to do with how she lives in SL.

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Ned

Aisuru Rieko

Almost 2 years in-world and I've only been properly hit on twice (not counting my female friends making lewd suggestions, lol). First time was a creepy guy who followed me around all over a couple sims. His IM's were of the "o hai wanna fuk" variety, and 2nd time was at Armidi of all places, he wanted me to take the role of his little sister for some incest roleplay. Needless to say, ew, and that earned him a mute. I can only conclude that the only people I attract are weirdos.

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Trout rated: 7.9

Ariane

Second Life is predominantly a role playing activity. Whether you playing yourself only a few inches taller or 20 pounds lighter, or playing Sir Reginald, Champion of Cardilath, or Gorean Vampire Fallderall, or a talking Calico Tabby with big boobs, everyone is fake in Second Life.

Most people are fake in First Life too, but in SL its a much more interesting fake, so embrace the fantasy.

I don't care who the fake you in real life is, the one you are told to be by societies norms. I'd rather meet the fake you in Second Life, the one you invented yourself.

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ArianeB's Life in the Metaverse and Blog

Argent Stonecutter

"Most people are fake in First Life too, but in SL its a much more interesting fake"

I'd add that to the cookie file if I was still maintaining it.

Siggy

It was somewhat interesting the first 3 times he wrote that article... it's got a lil old hat since then.

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And as it was in the beginning, so too shall it be in the end. That bullshit is bullshit, it just goes by different names.

Just4yucks Miami

Mine are. In fact this is not the first character I created or played in SL - so is this character an alt?

I created this character purely to operate my business - hence the rather unwieldy first name (done in the name of branding). I figured I'd "just" use this character for running my business - little dreaming that that is what I would end up spending at least 90% of my time in game doing!

I have one female alt who is mostly used as a model for my products. She was browsing a shop in an "adult district" once (before such things were officially classified by LL) when she suddenly found herself being followed around the place by a huge naked guy av. She rather quickly teled out of there. Since then I've really only used her for modelling purposes. (She is not set up with giant boobs, either.)

I do have at least 3 characters with definite personalities - a few others are just used for utilitarian purposes. Those are thinly developed, at best.

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Chalice Yao

(Isn't that an unintended double negative, judging by the followups?)

Interestingly enough, I rarely see female avis that really lack hips. Actually, the opposite..I see way too many where I facepalm and whimper and want to slap people around with an anatomy book. The kind of hips where you go 'Okay..so that -is- a clowncar!'

Which brings us to...

Interestingly enough I heard several of those in voice..and they were all, at least, female. Which makes me kind of wonder if they are really into -that- bloated volume of curves.

On a random interesting sidenote, at least in many parts of Africa a huge butt (really, hyoog), or BBW curves in general are a beauty ideal in females. It's very intersting (and kind of refreshing in a good way) to see how they can differ depending on social and economical climate.

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"Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?" - George Carlin

Conifer Dada

What does surprise me in SL is the number of avatars that are transgender or transvestite in-world. I mean avatars that are transvestites or shemales in their own right, regardless of the attributes of their RLs. I'm not criticising these people - I'm broad-minded, it just puzzles me why they don't choose to have fully female avatars.

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Xero Static

haha thats funny as hell to me because I have been getting to know this one gal and she literally *giggles* every other sentence she types out. At first it was cute, but enough hot pants. It's time to join the conversation. I wont bite, I just nibble at first. I think I need to mail her a headset

Boy I hope she doesn't read this forum

Just playing cutie! /Xero runs

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Raptr: "Xeroxer" / X-Fire: "eswwolferine"
GR: Admiral "ESW_Wolferine"
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Argent Stonecutter

There's a lot of RL transvestites that aren't dressing in women's clothing because they want to be women, they're dressing in women's clothing because they prefer women's clothing. Women's clothing has far greater variety, and styles, and colors, and patterns... Why should it be surprising to see the same thing in SL?

Beebo Brink

You could as easily ask why I cross-dress rather than choose to use a male avatar in SL.

I identify strongly with being female, but not with being feminine. And I don't see masculinity as a quality that is male or reserved only for men. Wearing masculine cut clothing and styling (as in AO and hair, etc) make me feel more comfortable as a woman, rather than less.

What is so fascinating about SL is the way it allows us to unstitch gender from physical sex in even more profound ways than simply cross-dressing. We can quite literally detach the ultimate symbol of masculinity from the male body and attach it to anyone at all for its symbolic significance. So an avatar with breasts and a penis can be seen either as a woman wielding male power or a man embracing strong feminine sexuality.

All the possible combinations of gender and body parts in SL heighten the social/emotional impact of those choices. It's all about symbolism and the result is a very rich statement about how people see themselves.

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Ned Easterwood

Sooz Pascale

As usual Beebo really gets it.

It may be a fit far fetched but last night before I went to bed, I was watching You Tube videos of some of my favorite music ranging from Summer of 69 to Clarkes Prince of Denmark March to Ernest Tubb's Waltz Across Texas. I hadn't heard Last Cigaret by k.d. lange in a long time so I played it. She may be a good example of what Beebo is talking about but in RL. This is a woman who has a masculine appearance, short hair, men's clothing but she iis simply ONE HELL of a WOMAN. Her voice is beautiful and when she sings, it is from her heart, you can hear and feel and hear the raw emotion in every word, every note....and it is from the heart of a woman not a man. She is simply a brilliant performer who has a paid a price for her unconventional appearance. I would be happy indeed if I could be even one tenth the woman that kd lange is.

Sooz

Ceiri

I take issue with their quote that says that 70% of women play as men online. That hasn't been my experience at all, in any online environment. It's closer to 5%, if that.

Shyotl

Maybe the women are more honest.

Guys don't want to get banned from the REAL FEMALES ONLY LESBIAN ORGY EXTRAVAGANZA club. Yeah, that's it.

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Ceiri

Why should everyone want to be typically male or female? I mean, this is an environment where many don't even choose to be human, or even biological.

I think it would be weirder if everyone chose to be the same two choices.

Menchor Barbosa

When I was a newbie I was asked at least twice if I was a sister. The first time it was someone I knew slightly and I said no. The second time it was a 7 foot tall female of large proportions and was on just running into her in a shop. After pondering this, I realized I now have an answer for this "No I'm not, and neither are you DUDE"

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Baroness Menchor, the Deadly, of the Great Army of the Invincible Infidel, Whose Great Swarms of Evil and Horror Laid Waste to the Souls of a Million True Believers and Left Their Souls Rotting in the Summer Sun for the Buzzards to to Ravish as Their Souls Sunk to the Depths of Torment and Hopelessness, Abandoned by Their Gods.

Youth and strength can almost always be overcome by old age and treachery

Oakleaf

Yeah, i know what you mean. I use a tiger avatar too. (:

Purple Hyena

Is there an "aww" button?

Natalie P.

I've come to the conclusion that Nat is either extremely intimidating, or terribly bland.

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"Here I am once more in this scene of dissipation and vice, and I begin already to find my morals corrupted." - Jane Austen

Behold the pretties.