[Mountaindewed]

I am an almost 25 year old women. Today someone mistook me for a teenage boy. I cut my hair really short the other day. I didn’t plan on going that short, but my hairdresser seems to do what she wants. I was wearing men’s skater shoes, bootcut jeans that look gender neutral even though they are women’s. I was wearing a Hollister hoodie, which I thought looked obviously feminine. I have a pretty narrow body. I don’t have noticeable hips. I was also sitting down.

I honestly didn’t mind. One of my goals was to lose weight so I’d look more like a guy then a girl. I’d much rather look like a teenage boy then a women with curves and hips. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, it’s just not the way I want to look.

Has this happened to anyone else? Where someone confuses your gender or age?

Not to me personally, but to someone I was with. We went to a club where ladies were free, but she got asked for cover. The person at the door was mortified when she saw her ID.

Ive had times when I'm not sure of gender and I try to stay neutral while speaking to them.

[Unhinged88]

Yup. I too have short hair and wear a lot of vans and flannel. In summer it doesnt happen too often because of these things on my chest people can see. But in fall and winter. Or people assume I am a lesbian.

[Teddy Bear]

When I was a teenager many years ago I had long hair and some older guys thought I was a girl

This happened when I was younger quite regularly and continued right up to my mid twenties. There have been a few occasions since.

One, I have a name spelt the masculine way. It also doesn't help that my middle name is easily confused for being a male one too (one must look closely to realise there is an 'A' on the end). Two, I have always had short hair (it just won't grow dang it). Three, I was late to go through puberty. Four, until my mid twenties I was very athletic and consequently perhaps didn't appear the most feminine. Five my voice is alto and on the phone I am sometimes mistaken for being a man. When I was younger it was awful. Consequently I made sure to name my daughter a very feminine name, ensure she kept her hair long, and tried to find feminine clothes despite her own leaning towards sports and activities. I just didn't want her to go through the humiliation I did.

When I used to have very short hair, it happened to me a couple of times. I don't wear any makeup or girly clothes so it's understandable.

[divine1966]

I look very much like a woman, no way I could be confused for a guy in any age but I have a funny story.

My best friend and I were riding a train with no tickets and ticket checker tried to catch us (we were about 15), we were running all through the train and he was yelling “boys boys stop”.

We were laughing so hard about “boys boys” that we coudnt even run fast.

I had a short hair cut and was very thin, I am and was very big chested but possibly he couldn’t see that from The back BUT I was wearing Summer flowing dress and Summer feminine sandals. Really?

My friend was wearing jeans, so ok maybe but she had long hair and she wore it in pony tail high up (only girls wear it like that), and big girly tie over it. For years we couldn’t forget it “boys boys stop”. Really??? I think he thought only boys would ride ticket free and then run lol

No, not really for me. I do have short hair, but I'm curvy and I'm just guessing not, unless no one has ever told me. I do like to wear sweatshirts and jeans (they're my fav!), but not yet. Though, one of my workers assumed I was gay, which I thought was weird and kind of unprofessional to say out loud.

gender- once, a few years ago and it really pissed me off.

age- quite a lot

people are in the habbit of asking me- so, what are you studying in high school?

and i'm like waaaaaa?

I'm 30, I'm not in high school

I once had an older man get livid that I had dared to confuse him - as though it was my fault for him being such a jerk. It was at work. We all wore the identical uniform; golf shirt and jeans. I was up a ladder when he started barking questions to me and referred to me as a man. I ignored it an came down the ladder so as to properly address him. He realised when I turned around that indeed I was a woman. He then laid into a rant about women not dressing like and looking like women and how it was unfair of me to have put him in the position of making a mistake. I stood there incredulous to what was happening. A co-worker alerted to the fiasco and came to find out what was going on and got to stand there gaping his jaw as this senior citizen went up one side of me and down the other. I refused to apologise.

Originally Posted by justafriend306

I once had an older man get livid that I had dared to confuse him - as though it was my fault for him being such a jerk. It was at work. We all wore the identical uniform; golf shirt and jeans. I was up a ladder when he started barking questions to me and referred to me as a man. I ignored it an came down the ladder so as to properly address him. He realised when I turned around that indeed I was a woman. He then laid into a rant about women not dressing like and looking like women and how it was unfair of me to have put him in the position of making a mistake. I stood there incredulous to what was happening. A co-worker alerted to the fiasco and came to find out what was going on and got to stand there gaping his jaw as this senior citizen went up one side of me and down the other. I refused to apologise.

Good for you. Ugh. He did not deserve an apology.

[bunnyhabit]

with my long hair and 34C-23-38 figure that never happened on me, and i like be a girl not boy is more fun

[Medusax]

When I was between the ages of 10- 12 I was mistaken for a boy several times and it infuriated me. my mother INSISTED i keep my hair short and she didn't like to go shopping and didn't "believe" in spending money on clothes, so she basically dressed me in "whatever".

My half sister was confused for a boy a lot when she was in elementary school. Her mom wouldn’t let her grow her hair out, that was crazy. Even my friends would say something about my ‘brother’ forgetting sometimes.

On age, I know you hear everyone thinks they look young. My mom looked 40 when she was 60.

I’m not that lucky, but I’ve heard it many times that I do look young for having a daughter so grown. When people see my daughter, she looks so much like me that even strangers say stuff, “Are you twins,” or the one that makes me cringe, “You look like sisters!” I hate that one, because I heard it when I was a kid about my mom.

I don’t know why strangers feel they need to say something, or laugh at us.

[healingme4me]

Not gender, have been for age for many years, moreso until I got glasses three years ago. Was sometimes confused for my kids nanny.
I do have a friend from childhood upon catching up with photos I did confuse one of her child's gender. She explained it was rather common. Her child is androgynous in appearance.

[winter loneliness]

No. I have a feminine face and huge tits.

[seaway116]

Hi Bozdickens,
I used to dress (still do, actually ) pretty much like you - not-gender-revealing regular jeans, large hoodie, sneakers, backpack. I thought, however, that my gender was still clearly "identifiable". I was wrong All it took me was a short haircut, and it magically changed! I couldn't believe it the first time it happened, but after that, random people identifying me as a boy became an everyday occurrence. At first I remember I honestly didn't know whether to feel embarrassed for myself or angry at them for having such black-or-white minds (I was in my teenage years and had very strong ideas about gender stereotypes and social constrictions). But at some point I started enjoying people's reactions when they realized I wasn't a boy - I'd bask in their embarrassment for a little while, just to make them feel the way they had made me feel (as stupid and downright twisted as this may sound). Until the day I realized there was no point in feeling embarrassed or ashamed or angry. If total strangers feel the irrepressible necessity to assign you to a gender, it only means they don't have anything better to do with their time

[bounceback]

Age plenty of times because I look really young for my age. Gender never even though I am not girly girly and usually wear shorts or jeans and t shirts. I guess I look womanly enough though.