To wonder what ‘living as a woman’ means?

Lola Young could answer aspects of this, if she read the SM comments. She dares to not fully cover up her less than perfect body. She dares to perform in public, even though she isn't model material. The comments, typically include how she smells and what state her genitals are in. We can't just be. We don't get to just go about our lives without being criticised for not being decorative, or entertaining (smile love/not talking?).

I'm totally relaxed about people wearing what they want, within the bounds of decency when out and about. But it doesn't make them something they're not.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with how you feel inside.

I have a female friend and I don't think she looks male but she often gets called sir. I don't know why. She is tall and has short hair but looks female to me.

OP - it's social and cultural. Living as a woman according to some people is adhering to social expectations of female sex. It will vary depending on culture. To some extent you are part of it cos you say - wear men's clothes. Why not just say - I wear trousers or jeans or whatever. In your head somewhere you think some clothes are male and some are female. I think we all do it and when I am aware I try and challenge myself.

I recently bought a T shirt for my DS. It was in 'men's section ' and was vaguely pink. More browny pink but I thought I will buy it. Well it's not getting worn. I knew deep down culturally and socially someone would think that was a female colour and I bought it trying to rock the boat.

We expect males to do certain things and females to do certain things. If we are more inclined to do the things culture expects of the opposite sex it cause a little jolt.

If society was more relaxed about what the sexes do or wear or look like perhaps people would be more relaxed

Have you also been seeing yourself as a panda?

Approximately 32million women live in the UK, so there are at 32 million definitions of living as a woman right there.

Every life is unique, don't try to belittle this by putting them all in a box with a nice label and bow.

Intrepidpanda doesn't share female biology, so is not living as a woman.

You are a woman. However you live is how a woman lives.

We all have different bodies and clothes and hair and interests and talents. We share our female biology. The rest is up to you.

How are you living as a woman?

"Men's shirt, short skirt" according to Shania.

Today for me, living as a woman meant putting my period pants on before heading out for the day "just in case" as I knew there wasn't much by way of toilet provision where I was.
It also meant people joking "ohhhh! Are you menopausal?" Everytime I used my fan rather than saying "its hot isn't it?" Like they did to my son.

So if I felt like a black woman (I'm white), used fake tan and makeup to live as a black woman, called myself a black woman for 20 years, would you believe I've become a black woman?

How can you feel like a woman? You either are or you aren't, there isn't some magical womany essence.

What does that mean? How do you see yourself as female? You look down and see a female body or you feel you fit with what? Stereotypes?

I believe it's more how you feel within yourself rather than specific job or clothing. Living as a women for 10 years means I have been calling myself and seeing myself as female for 10 years

This

Well you probably get a double- take but I'm sure most women would recognise you as female after a moment

You have female reproductive organs and hormones, may have periods, may be able to gestate, may go through the menopause.
You are more likely to be raped, abused and/or earn less than a person with male reproductive organs.
The rest is a fetish.

I am constantly mistaken for a man. I get challenged about using womens toilets. I am nearly 6 foot tall. A lot of the time I enjoy male privilege. For example I can go running at night with worrying.

I know a fair few very tall women. None of them ever get mistaken for a man. And in nearly fifty years of using women’s loos, I’ve yet to see even a single woman “challenged” about using them. And how can women “enjoy male privilege”? I don’t know any women, not even the 6ft ones, who are under any impression that their height makes them immune to being attacked at night. Male strength isn’t just about height, but about body shape, size and musculature.

It sounds like you are in a very unusual position, OP, compared to other women.

Living as a woman = being a woman, biologically. No other criteria matter. Wear what you like, work in whatever trade you like, love and be attracted to whichever adults you like, have children or don't. I am sorry people challenge you because you 'look male'. The trend towards stereotyping femininity and masculinity is so restrictive.

You're living as a woman because you're a woman!

Being a woman doesn't mean what you wear, what work you do, even who you choose to have sex with.

It just means that you were born a woman and you're alive.

There was a very good thread on this in the feminism and gender section. Some genuinely awful tales, and some good ones, none of which can be appropriated by a man in a frock.

No, I wouldn't have the gall!

For most of us it’s living with a uterus, earning less than men and being dismissed by the medical profession.

If you were would you identify as a woman?