Hi all, I hope you don't mind me asking something. I love this board on Mumsnet. I have learnt so much reading it but am typically a lurker rather than a poster. Anyway, I have been thinking about something, not especially important or intellectual, but interesting to me. I will try to explain it as clearly I can and I sincerely hope that it is not offensive to anybody or too stupid.
So, I believe in binary sex (M/F) but that gender is socially constructed. However, as a heterosexual woman I also think that I am attracted to men because of their masculinity (I guess, gender) rather than necessarily or only maleness (sex). It's not that I expect men to conform to gender stereotypes or much at all (or that I do for that matter) but I am aware or at least I think that there is something about men's 'difference' that I find attractive, which starts from the physical but goes beyond that.
So actually ... maybe I do expect men to conform with male stereotypes more than I like to admit!? I have a suspicion that this is probably to do with my own social conditioning. But it also feels like a contradiction in terms, to find (some, clearly not all!) men attractive in part for their 'difference,' while also feeling that those differences don't really exist.
This is a real ramble but can anyone help me to unravel this? Again, I hope it doesn't sound insensitive or offensive.