Short answer to your last question, no.

However ,you've got a few widely different things going on here Dee.

1 - Wearing pink
2 - Wearing lace / skirts
3 - Being a male nurse

As far as 2, it's a matter of being treated seriously, in the same way piercings and being able to present yourself groomed are elements when considering professionalism or even society.

Woman and men are different and it will be a sad day when we're supposed to treat everyone exactly the same in every situation. In certain situations - work comes to mind foremostly - we should treat anyone and everyone the same.

But in a workplace I would still look a little oddly at a woman who wore a tie. I would not be able to stop laughing if a guy walked in in a skirt. You've got to question a guy's motivations when they do that.

Look, men in Britain are famous for their cross-dressing ways. But look closely and you'll see that it is almost always done for laughs.

A kilt is not lace. I've got direct Scottish ancestry - and the legs for a kilt if I may be immodest for a moment. Still, I would understand if I got smiles and laughter. I wouldn't expect to be taken as seriously in a kilt as I would in pants.

1. Wearing pink? Right on the edge.
Pink tie, absolutely, it's a splash of color.
Pink shirt OK.
Pink pants? Woah, you're a circus clown.
Pink pants AND pink shirt - You're Paris Hilton and Elle Wood.

3. I largely think this idea has passed. It's just a fact that these are female dominated careers / professions. But a male nurse is .. a nurse. A male masseur - they're in James Bond films for Pete's sake and in the films are large and muscular. The difference there may be that men won't want the services of a male masseur. Even then, that's not too universal. Many of the masseurs for athletes are men (for the sake of this discussion masseur is the same as massage therapist, yes?)

I'm not sure I've heard of that many male midwives, as that profession requires bonding and understanding on many deep levels (doesn't it?). Having the world "wife" in their doesn't help the brain process the role as male. In contrast, many gynecologists are men, without much notice or attention.

I left out, for now, one key part of your argument(?)

First blush thoughts there. By the way, men blushing - an act considered feminine - is thought of as just the most adorable thing ever by every woman I've ever met, friend, colleague or girlfriend.

T, there was a time when same thing was said about women in pants, that they looked out of place and at the time they risked arrest but in modern times its rarely raises any eyebrows except maybe in the Middle East. I saw a woman wearing a tie on Brigade Road and she looked real cute.

Scots wear Kelts and Indians wear the Loongi. Actually in India Loongis are quite the norm, men wear them at home instead of roaming around in their Boxer Shorts.

Also female masseurs rarely massage men in India. In respectable parlors only male masseurs do men and Indian men are quite used to it.

There was a male midwife back in my hospital in Milwaukee but I stuck it out with one of the senior partners for Parita's deliver. and I bonded with my male OB-GYN so Im quite sure I'd have bonded with the male midwife if I had chosen that route.

Pink pants? Why not? Come on T I think a giant like you would make quite a statement going all Strawberry short cake;)

*gag*

DG, I had a life size cut out of the guy for you and ...sigh...okay it up on auction on ebay;)

I just saw you posted this at DC.

I threw away all my pink pants, sorry ;-) It was a memorably phase. (I kid). I'm not saying things like wearing a dress can't make an effective statement but as something that regularly occurs, it doesn't seem to make sense.

Like I said, the tradition of dresses in "Western culture" is all about getting laughs. Isn't it?

Should that change? Well, at the edges it will, but really if you believe as I do that men and women wear costumes every day to present a certain personality or character, then why would it make sense to dress up as a woman?

I guess part of your basic point is that it is very much culture-based. If I went to India the regular clothing there would meet my expectations. However, I don't view a body-length, unadorned / undecorated cloth as a dress. I'd think if I saw most white guys in dresses or even a Loongi I'd think they were being pretentious above everything else.

Can you post a picture of a Loongi? I looked but wasn't sure that what I was looking at was such. I'm envisioning what Ghandi is usually pictured as wearing.

This is a deep topic and I'm not expressing myself quite how I want to. So I'll stop for now.

DG, are you gagging at my words or the guy in the corset?

He's got great legs, whoever he is.

- Temple
PS DG, Hello

True enough T ;)I posted it on DC for a few laughs and for some Desi male reactions which, on the whole, were quite positive as you must have seen.