What about the gendered body?

Question

To men, women and everyone in between and outside those categories!

What is your relationship to your body?

How do you feel about the gender and the relationship between your gender identity and your body?

How do you feel about your body image?

How does your gender and your body relate do your self-esteem?

I would prefer answers relating to your own experience of gender and the body.

Answer 1

Men generally prefer outside plumbing.

Answer 2

I am 51 and I like my body more now than at any previous time in my life.  I am a girl, I was meant to be a girl and I am happy with that.  Body image - I am still too heavy, but I exercise a lot now and like my body, am impressed with how strong I am and how much I can do.  Women are under a lot of societal pressure to measure up to beauty standards - that affects my self esteem because I am never going to be thin, tan, blonde and beautiful but I still accept myself as I am and do my what I can to be the best I can be.  Some days that doesn't feel like it is enough, other days I'm okay with it.

Answer 3

I love the female body...and though I am male I some times think it would be great to have a female body...some times like you could go back and forth...People have often told me that my figure is rather fem..."Any woman would die to have a waist line like yours" a woman told me recently..

But I guess in the end be happy with what you have.

I like my body..even if it does look fem. in some aspects or maybe because it looks fem in some aspects.

Answer 4

I'd rather be a man, but then I would be a homosexual so I'm sticking with being a woman.

Let's fac eit ladies, being a woman is not easy. So many changes too much pain. So much pressure to look good we are insecure about timy things most of the time.

Still, I love being a woman, it is just so hard

Answer 5

be urself

Answer 6

so i always thought of my body to be mine, but i never really considered myself a woman until i got out of my parent's house (i was repressed about sexuality/being a woman in that house), but when i got out i really discovered myself

i feel that my body is part of my identity, and now i do feel like a woman and being out of my parent's house let me find myself more, and learn about me

hmmm my body image, i feel i could lose a few pounds, just like lots of other woman probably feel... hmmm my self-esteem might be  a bit down because of this, but not much because i just try to live life to the fullest, no matter my body, etc... why let it hinder me?

Answer 7

I think I have a wonderful body image.  I love being a woman and I love wearing feminine things.  I am good to my body and it is good to me.  I think my positive body image greatly effects me self esteem.  In general I have high self esteem.  The ability to dress nicely because of my knowledge of my body greatly effects this as well.

Answer 8

I love my body, with all it's flaws.  It defines me as woman, though too does my DNA, and I have always been comfortable with that.  I have never once wanted to be the opposite gender, though I have wished to be gender neutral from time to time, particularly during menses.  I don't think much of my body image.  I don't compare myself much to what we are told by the media is the way to be.  I am what I am, flaws and all, and I consider my body to be a work in progress.  But neither my gender nor my body image hinder or promote  my self-esteem.  Sure, I have moments of low self-esteem and self-doubt, just like everyone else.  But for the most part, I like who I am and the person I've become.  This has more to do with my experiences with life and conscious decisions I've made about myself than my gender or body image.