What does that mean?

That he ate a lesbian?

t sheepish ...well, I must admit that I've occasionally called myself a gay man in a woman's body, on the basis of being camp as tits, loving Judy, Marilyn, Gloria Gaynor et al and having more of a Drag Queen sensibility than a girly sensibility. Um. Oh, and loving gay porn. Um. But I don't want to have any operations. And besides, I fancy girls at least as much as boys. So - not so much with the accuracy. But quite good shorthand for "I'm not just a faghag, dahling, I'm a queen!"

OTOH, the "lesbian in a man's body" assertion sounds a bit like men calling themselves feminists. Which isn't something I entirely discredit, but is the kind of claim that tends to make me raise my eyebrows a little.

I don't really know...that's why it's weird so many men find it funny...this particular time I thought an lj-er was a woman and he's not.

Hang on - wasn't Riley a lesbian?

the "lesbian in a man's body" assertion sounds a bit like men calling themselves feminists

I think it's reasonable (and hopefully common) for men to be feminists. However, I sincerely doubt that many of these men-lesbians actually feel they're a woman in a man's body, and that's where the whole thing fails for me.

I agree with Daniel -- are you having counselling? Taking hormones? Scheduling the operations? No? Then shut the hell up and stop trying to be cute.

OTOH, the "lesbian in a man's body" assertion sounds a bit like men calling themselves feminists. Which isn't something I entirely discredit, but is the kind of claim that tends to make me raise my eyebrows a little.

This. Whenever I've heard it, it's been in the context of "I really love women! And I totally understand where you're coming from! Why, I practically am one! Only, nsm with the liking dick, because eww..." -- kind of a SNAG for the genderfuck-is-cool generation vibe. If I ever heard it in a fun camp-as-tits way, it might raise my hackles less.

OTOH, the "lesbian in a man's body" assertion sounds a bit like men calling themselves feminists. Which isn't something I entirely discredit, but is the kind of claim that tends to make me raise my eyebrows a little.

I suspect some guys say it as a bullshit line, like, "Look how funny and witty I am! Don't you want to shag me now?"

But there are other guys -- for instance, Eddie Izzard -- who have some degree of gender dysphoria, and feel that, to some extent, they're the wrong gender. They're still attracted to women, but they also have a very distinct female-gender component to their identity. Depending on the degree of gender dysphoria, they cross-dress -- like Eddie Izzard -- all the way to having gender reassignment surgery.

I don't really understand it, in an oh-I've-felt-that-way-too sense, but I have a *very* close friend who cross-dresses, and it's not a lark for him -- it's a major part of his identity. And he's made the "lesbian in a man's body" line, too.

I had no idea that Izzard had gender issues. I thought he just liked to wear women's clothes. Hmm. I guess I need another idol in the "why not? they're fun!" dressing category.

And I should add that, Tep, you're quite right when it comes to people with some level of transgender identification. I just wish the smarmy dudes would leave such comments to people who have any clue at all what they're actually saying.

leave such comments to people who have any clue at all what they're actually saying.

This standard is really going to cut down on a lot of talking altogether.

I had no idea that Izzard had gender issues.

Well, I don't *know* him (obviously), but now that I know more about gender dysphoria, and from the way he explains it in Dress to Kill, I'd say it's a bit more than just liking to wear women's clothes.

Granted, that's total extrapolation on my part, but that's the sense I get.

Actually, I think I have an issue of BUST lying around somewhere with an interview with him -- I should see if I can find it.