Older women, women with weight changes or visible disabilities, or transfolk of Lemmy - how has the male gaze changed for you? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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Hello ladies (current and former) of Lemmy (current) - I'm curious how your experience of the male gaze has changed as you moved in and out of young-woman-hood.

How has your opinion of being seen changed through this process?

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[-] MadBabs@lemmy.world 0 points 5 months ago

I'm mid-30s be went through a weight fluctuation. I used to be very thin and honestly quite hot, though I didn't realize it. I never really felt like I got much male attention. I also hated being perceived and pretty much avoided men, so that's probably why. Then I gained weight (around 40 pounds) and did a lot of mental and emotional work and learned to live my body. I felt better and more beautiful in my bigger body than I ever did when I was young. I also had way more male attention. Maybe because my own confidence had grown. In the past 2 years, I lost the weight and at first got my "old" body go but then started working out a lot and have a new, different, strong body. Which, on top of the work I did when I was bigger, I love my body. I definitely notice eyes following me a lot, but have less approaches. Hopefully I'm intimidating.

[-] clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 months ago

Interesting! Thank you for sharing. You've been through my question both ways, I guess!

Self confidence plus dressing well can overcome a lot, IMHO. Doesn't apply to me!

this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2024

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