My son was mistaken for a girl

[elliejjtiny]

Admittedly he does have beautiful shoulder length curls. But he is also 17 years old with a deep voice and a moustache! It's not like he's a toddler. No question about gender either, i was just asked what "her" name was by a random stranger. Ds was not impressed at all.

He’s 17, surely he can speak for himself. In what context did this happen and how did you respond?

I’m sure he’ll get over it.

With a moustache, you were asked this?!

Why would you care about this? Surely this is only a problem if you/he thinks being mistaken for a girl is insulting, and then the problem isn't with the mistaken person.

Was it a photo of him they saw as can't imagine otherwise why the question would be asked?

Why wouldn’t this be insulting? I wouldn’t be happy being mistaken for a man.

Someone tying themselves in knots trying not to misgender and assumed he was a trans woman? And clearly doing the the opposite. Probably took the gamble that it was likely to cause less offence misgendering a person was not not trans than calling a transwoman a man. (Mental gymnastics of modern day life)

Did they see him from the side or back, so didn’t see his moustache?

I would be quite insulted to be mistaken for a man. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

This was my first thought as well.

And? Total non-issue.

What’s your point?

My brother has long hair. He’s also 6ft 4 with a beard. Some daft woman on the bus the other day still told her granddaughter to “let the lady get past”. Some people are just stuck in the past, see long hair and go straight to “woman”.

Why wouldn’t this be insulting? I wouldn’t be happy being mistaken for a man
When i had really short hair and was much slimmer than today I got called 'son' and ' chap' quite a lot. It never occurred to me to be upset.
Funny it only happened when I was over on Ireland and not in England.

No chance of mistaking my sex these days though!

I’m still puzzled why a random stranger would ask you your nearly adult son’s name…..

Me too.

And me…

I’d be insulted if someone thought I was a man (I’m not)

I couldn't care less either, and when I was younger I was also called 'son' (short hair) or referred to as a man a few times until they took a good look at me. Didn't bother me in the slightest.

When I was 20 years younger, very thin and had short hair I used to get called Son or Young Man a lot. This would quite often be with a full face of makeup.
It only really annoyed me if it happened when I was wearing a skirt!

I have blonde curly hair. I was once mistaken for a dog.

I got over it.

isn’t this just something you’d laugh about, and move on? People spend half their lives not really paying proper attention.

also not sure how a stranger would be asking what your almost adult, DC’s name is

Did the random stranger think they were making a hilarious joke because your ds has long hair? When my ds was a toddler.....and was very clearly a boy (think boys shoes, dino t shirt, pretty stocky for a toddler and boys hair cut) and elderly man asked what she was called....thought he was being funny because ds was pushing a toy pram at the time and the man clearly felt that pushing a pram was for girls).

Or do you think it was a genuine mistake?

🧐
....

no.
too many questions lol

Many years ago, my cousin was in a nightclub and got asked to dance by a bloke, thinking that my cousin was a woman. I don't know who was more mortified. We just laughed it off - best to let these things fade out.

Also, when I was a kid with an unfortunate haircut, I was sometimes called 'son'. It didn't feel very nice.

It’ll be that. I was served in a restaurant by a young man with long hair whose name tag had a girl name (she) on it. You just can’t be sure what to say to not offend someone now 🙄