What if we could swap sexes at will?

[Eldest]

Honestly, I'd probably spend a decent chunk of time (half a year to a year) as a woman to find out how it is. Wouldn't affect my romantic stuff, since those whom I date are bi, I'm bi, and I think at least one of them would be far happier if the world allowed them to swap sexes, and the other would be similarly curious I think.

[lord pringle]

I've been thinking about this more, and I realized that in this society, I'd switch sexes all the time. Just because it would be pretty fun. I'd probably be able to wear the same jeans and a tee shirt combo as well.

An alternate interpretation is that more men have erogenous boobs than they are given credit for though. XD

That one is kinda true for me, at least.

EDIT: as for names, I go by a pretty androgynous nickname, so that would workout fine for me.

[Razanir]

If we could change sexes at will then I doubt there would be a separation between male and female clothing

I agree-ish. Or at least I don't think the divide would be as strict. For instance, if someone's normally a girl, but occasionally decides to "hulk up" for difficult tasks, they might not bother changing clothes. Boom. Guy in a dress.

[banthesun]

For all the people who say you'd need two separate wardrobes, I disagree. I say you'd need two half-wardrobes (with a degree of intersection, depending on how different your forms look). If there was a big difference between your forms, I imagine it as a matter of choosing what you want to wear before you go out (or just wearing something loose if you can't decide). For me it'd probably end up as a single wardrobe, since I doubt being taller than six foot and skinny as a twig has as much to do with my sex as with my genetics. Hell, I might come out androgynous enough that what I choose to wear mightn't even need to be based on my sex at the time. On the downside, I'd probably have to start shaving my legs.

I'd love to say this would completely destroy gender barriers, but I can still see how discrimination might still occur. Stuff like "Other Parent and I didn't raise you to walk the street with boobs young person!" I must say I am fond of Siuis's idea of Wyfweres though. I like the idea of calling up a bunch of friends and asking "hey, let's all go male and go watch some football!" and the like.

And to add my piece to the Boobies Appreciation Thread, I had no appreciation of breasts until I was told that women could enjoy having them fondled. This thread is making me reconsider my views somewhat.

Naked boobies:

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I wonder how this would work with straight couples, assuming people still adhered to a more rigid binary and didn't really swap their sex a whole lot. Girlfriend turns in to a man for a few days. Boyfriend can't stand dating girlfriend while they are a man, because they don't like men. ?????

Perhaps the boyfriend could turn into a woman for a while. Differing hormones do seem to play at least some role in sexual attraction, so that might work out well for both of them. Hell, even if that didn't work, I might still be more interested in dating a guy if I knew they'd have bits I'd be interested in when it comes time to do it.

[Proud Tortoise]

Okay I guess clothes would fit differently, although of course it depends on body type. Names would definitely not be gender-separated. Which would be cool because most of the nice-sounding names are female.

[TaiLiu]

I would jump at the opportuniy to escape conscription.

Also, you can celebrate both Men's Day and International Women's Day!

[SiuiS]

I feel like I may very well be misinterpreting your post but ... A male may not want to have sex his female SO while she in on her period, but they're still probably going to go on dates and kiss. If the female SO goes male to avoid her period, the male is presumably not going to want to do even those. Given the primary male is rigidly straight.

A sabbatical probably makes the most sense.

Yeah. I mean it in the sense of it being a vacation, not being laid off; the relationship does not end, and then a new one starts again later. They just stop being cozy for a while.

I'd figure a substantial number of people would come around to falling in love/having sex with people they were attracted to, rather than specific genders.

I dunno, I seriously see this doing two related things;
1. Much stronger segregation
2. Much less stigma

Dating redheads, having a beard, and being a woman would all be in the same category. Stereotypes and prejudices would evolve. But because everyone could choose the prejudices would be based on "your choice is stupid".

This is true. Last I looked at any attempt to quantify such things however, it suggested homosexual people generally had better sex than straight people.

Homosexuals probably end up having more sex period that heterosexuals
This of course comes entirely from three men giving me anecdotes about their crazy orgy scenes in San Fran. XD

If a person picked a primary sex at all. I'm not really sure why somebody wouldn't be whatever they felt like, whenever they felt like it. One or the other might dominate, but that's a bit different from deciding 'I'll spend most of my time as __.'

Socratic exercise; the premise included the idea that people would develop a "primary". If: primary = Yes Then: [idea]. I don't think we would develop preferred sexes, because we would all naturally be women who shifted under the full moon.

Why does that strike you as likely?

It is a common conception for shapeshifters, and neatly avoids issues with health and safety that arise from preadolescents with completely morphic physiologies.

Basically, if the only sexual dimorphism you experience pre puberty is "I can pee [standing/sitting], then it makes sense that the same shapeshifting that gives you sexual characteristics of note would also give you the ability to switch around. If instead there are two bodies as hypothesized, then a person could switch at will, but control would be lacking. In which case the terrible twos would be so ungodly worse.

You've never heard of all that jazz about homosexuals being better at giving oral sex? I mean, sure, one could question the factual basis of it without some actual figures to back it up...

Quoting kneenibble; "he speaks french like a welsh sheepdog."
With speaking french having always been a euphemism for *******.

There are stereotypes; gay men dress well. Lesbians are good at sports. Gay people all have wild sex lives. But that's all they are, stereotypes. Some gay people have wild sex lives! Some just get tired of basically dating a drinking bird with no imagination... Or a welsh sheep dog with no skill at pronunciation.

If we could change sexes at will then I doubt there would be a separation between male and female clothing 38/

There already isn't much dimorphism in clothing. Your choices are one piece, bifurcated two piece, unbifurcated two piece.

I rather doubt that. I'm simply built differently than most women, as are most men. We just tend to be narrower in the hips and wider in the shoulders. What's comfortable and looks good on me is very different than what's comfortable and looks good on most women. My Mom for instance remembers when blue jeans for women were cut exactly like they were for men, and she hated them.

The difference is 1) size and 2) tailoring primarily though; no different than between two men.

One caveat; breast and testes. Girl pants require... effort to move in, walk in, sit in, live in, without the right adjustment. Guy shirts have no support or shaping whatsoever.

Now names though, that would be seriously complicated.

Nah, man, werewolves. The answer is always werewolves!

"This is Jessica Parker, who fights as Mauls-With-Manicures, and this is Trina Shykovsky. We call her 'The Neckbeard'. Pray you never learn why. That's Francis the Inconclusive."

And to add my piece to the Boobies Appreciation Thread, I had no appreciation of breasts until I was told that women could enjoy having them fondled. This thread is making me reconsider my views somewhat.

Can != do. I've been cursed with a strong of girlfriends who are like "what? Oh, whatever. Yeah, knock yourself out, lemme just grab a book first" which sort of kills the enthusiasm.

Also, you can celebrate both Men's Day and International Women's Day!

But what if I'm not an international woman? Do I have to give up being an American?

[Coidzor]

It is a common conception for shapeshifters, and neatly avoids issues with health and safety that arise from preadolescents with completely morphic physiologies.

Basically, if the only sexual dimorphism you experience pre puberty is "I can pee [standing/sitting], then it makes sense that the same shapeshifting that gives you sexual characteristics of note would also give you the ability to switch around.

If instead there are two bodies as hypothesized, then a person could switch at will, but control would be lacking. In which case the terrible twos would be so ungodly worse.

That strikes me less as a statement of likelihood and more with "if someone deliberately chose to make a species like this, they'd probably include this for simplicity's sake." Though if we're going to assume or accept as a premise that this species has been engineered, definitely.

I'm not really seeing where you're coming from or going to with this point. Is the main reason why you see a difference between "two bodies" and "drastically physically recognfiguring the existing body" there whether it's an instantaneous process, a fairly quick process, or a slow process when changing between sexes? Or do you think the only way to perfectly get to a different from would require switching bodies and that if it was just physicaly reconfiguration then things like skeletal structure would remain completely identical?

Quoting kneenibble; "he speaks french like a welsh sheepdog."
With speaking french having always been a euphemism for *******.

There are stereotypes; gay men dress well. Lesbians are good at sports. Gay people all have wild sex lives. But that's all they are, stereotypes. Some gay people have wild sex lives! Some just get tired of basically dating a drinking bird with no imagination... Or a welsh sheep dog with no skill at pronunciation.

Which has jack all to do with you recognizing it when it's presented to you. You acted like you'd never heard of it rather than what you're doing now which is seems to be trying to dispel the stereotype when there's no need or demand for you to do so because I didn't claim to believe in it and even included a caveat in my statement precisely so that you wouldn't feel obligated to try to enlighten.

If we could change sexes at will then I doubt there would be a separation between male and female clothing 38/

In terms of gendering, at least. Some clothes pair better with certain builds, and we'd probably still have things like fat shaming because very few people want to see morbidly obese individuals wearing spandex, so I figure there's at least some chance that there'd be some snobbery about wearing clothes that don't mesh with one's sex's build, but it doesn't seem like it'd be very analogous to the current backlash people experience for crossdressing.

huh. I think breasts are pretty disgusting... tho not sure im a heterosexual male so

Because they secrete fluids? Are primarily constructed of adipose tissue?

YES 38D

Honestly, I'd probably spend a decent chunk of time (half a year to a year) as a woman to find out how it is. Wouldn't affect my romantic stuff, since those whom I date are bi, I'm bi, and I think at least one of them would be far happier if the world allowed them to swap sexes, and the other would be similarly curious I think.

By happenstance or do you force them to fill out a questionnaire first?

Okay I guess clothes would fit differently, although of course it depends on body type. Names would definitely not be gender-separated. Which would be cool because most of the nice-sounding names are female.

Depends on what you mean by nice-sounding, I suppose. Euphony, on the other hand...

[Chen]

I would jump at the opportuniy to escape conscription.

How would this let you avoid conscription? If everyone could do it, EVERYONE could be conscripted. If muscle mass and everything changed it would be like "well we're going to war, everyone turn into their more muscular form and grab a gun".

[SiuiS]

I'm not really seeing where you're coming from or going to with this point.

Strictly an ease of reference. If the men in your family average tall (6'6"+) and the women average short (5') and petit, then I insist that your man shift would be tall and your woman shift would be short and petit, bit both have the same environmental and historical factors. Mostly to avoid "I'm suddenly a bombshell body builder" becoming the trend of discussion.

Which has jack all to do with you recognizing it when it's presented to you.

Ah, no. I have never heard a good gay sex stereotype. I have heard many gay people confess to bad sex specifically because of the "I know what I like, you're just weird" phenomenon.

[Coidzor]

Strictly an ease of reference. If the men in your family average tall (6'6"+) and the women average short (5') and petit, then I insist that your man shift would be tall and your woman shift would be short and petit, bit both have the same environmental and historical factors. Mostly to avoid "I'm suddenly a bombshell body builder" becoming the trend of discussion.

Makes sense as a general point, yeah. Is that really particularly relevant when they're two year olds though?

Ah, no. I have never heard a good gay sex stereotype. I have heard many gay people confess to bad sex specifically because of the "I know what I like, you're just weird" phenomenon.

Oh, ok then. Well, at least that's cleared up, sorry.

[hicegetraenk]

Out of curiousity I would try the other sex, and hope for quite some drastic changes in appearance. I would not want to be a 2m tall woman.
And since I always wanted to be a bit shorter, I might stay a female for quite some while. Otherwise, I don't see any problems with me being male and constant switching would be annoying for everyone.

The more interesting question to me is: What would you do if only you could change your sex at will. I'd seriously mess people up ;3

[SiuiS]

How would this let you avoid conscription? If everyone could do it, EVERYONE could be conscripted. If muscle mass and everything changed it would be like "well we're going to war, everyone turn into their more muscular form and grab a gun".

Yeah, like werewolves!

Makes sense as a general point, yeah. Is that really particularly relevant when they're two year olds though?

I am fairly confident that no one answeringn this topic falls in the age range of this not being relevant

[Coidzor]

I am fairly confident that no one answeringn this topic falls in the age range of this not being relevant

You brought it up in regards to infants, children, and especially the terrible twos, just going back up the chain of our conversational tennis.

[Kalmageddon]

Does this "sex change" magic works instantly? Because if so it could lend itself to some pretty terrible intimate pranks.
It would actually make me quite paranoid about it...

[The Succubus]

If I could swap sexes at will, I'd swap them for a cure for all illnesses and every family to have a pet they love.

[Coidzor]

Does this "sex change" magic works instantly? Because if so it could lend itself to some pretty terrible intimate pranks.
It would actually make me quite paranoid about it...

I'm not quite sure if prank is the right term for it, though I suppose that depends on how the physics are handled. I'm definitely experiencing sympathetic pain for two possible interpretations though.

If I could swap sexes at will, I'd swap them for a cure for all illnesses and every family to have a pet they love.

I don't understand that reference.

[The Succubus]

Well, would you rather have the concept of sexes and all the crap that comes with them, or would you rather have a cure for all ills and a kitty/dog/ferret?

[TechnoScrabble]

I'd have a new dance to learn.

[Asta Kask]

Would I change orientation or would I become a lesbian?

[SiuiS]

You brought it up in regards to infants, children, and especially the terrible twos, just going back up the chain of our conversational tennis.

I brought that up as a separate thing, though. I thought.

If I could swap sexes at will, I'd swap them for a cure for all illnesses and every family to have a pet they love.

Heh.

Well, would you rather have the concept of sexes and all the crap that comes with them, or would you rather have a cure for all ills and a kitty/dog/ferret?

Sex and etcetera. Although, man, a ferret? Tempting...

Would I change orientation or would I become a lesbian?

Lesbian. You already like women, and now there's potentially more of them!

Plus lesbian wyfweres. It's kinda in the name.

[Kalmageddon]

Well, would you rather have the concept of sexes and all the crap that comes with them, or would you rather have a cure for all ills and a kitty/dog/ferret?

That's fairly random.
Why would we want to trade sexes for sudden overpopulation and becoming accomplices in specieism?

[SiuiS]

That's fairly random.
Why would we want to trade sexes for sudden overpopulation and becoming accomplices in specieism?

How would you overpopulate? You wouldn't have sex anymore.

[The Succubus]

That's fairly random.
Why would we want to trade sexes for sudden overpopulation and becoming accomplices in specieism?

Although, man, a ferret? Tempting...

Highlighted the key counter argument.


But coming back to the original question? I would be very, very interested. Exploring the world from a different perspective after 32 years as a guy? With its downsides and new pleasures? Heck yes!

[warty goblin]

Highlighted the key counter argument.


But coming back to the original question? I would be very, very interested. Exploring the world from a different perspective after 32 years as a guy? With its downsides and new pleasures? Heck yes!

I'm just imagining the fun of not having my body spontaneously generate new hairs in annoying and useless places with quite its current rapidity. (Seriously body? Shoulder blade hairs?)Not being presumed a sex criminal by half the population would be kinda fun too.

[Alad]

Well, it was a bit of hyperbole, just a bit though


I always find my hair (as in the stuff on my head) erogenous. Going to the barber is a very relaxing experience for me... Not that you needed to know, but now you do

Really? Damn now I feel like I'm missing out. I find going to get my hair cut one of the most anxious and awkward things that need doing regularly.
That might explain how my hair ends up long enough for the fringe to reach the bottom of my nose before I finally admit defeat and get it cut though

Sounds like a golden opportunity to learn some new skills.

The real benefit of being able to switch though is that a substantial fraction of people would have sexual experience with both sets of equipment, which means they have personal knowledge of what works. Sex just got so much better for everybody.


I'd figure you'd settle on a 'primary' sex later in life, assuming a person really even bothered to do that.

See, while everyone varies I would have assumed that trying a body of the opposite gender would lend insight and perspective to what generally works, so to speak. even if everyone has quirks

lesbian wyfweres.

I want this world. make it happen.

[Kalmageddon]

Now, here's a question: how many people do you think would start living a double life, with completly different friends, partners and even families, one as a woman and another as a man?

[Aedilred]

Really? Damn now I feel like I'm missing out. I find going to get my hair cut one of the most anxious and awkward things that need doing regularly.

I share this anxiety, although it has less to do with the physical sensation of having my hair cut, and more to do with the practical aspects of the procedure that accompany it: having to explain what you want it to look like when you're not entirely sure yourself; the terrifying small talk with the barber; the risk that if it goes even a bit wrong it'll look ridiculous; the annoyance of having to spend an afternoon (assuming you get it done at lunchtime, since the majority of decent barbers round here seem to close at 5 and not open at weekends) with itchy hairs down the back of your neck; seeing clearly how grey and thin my hair has got since the last time I had it cut; and of course the cost of having it done, which is something I never fail to resent*.

Now, here's a question: how many people do you think would start living a double life, with completly different friends, partners and even families, one as a woman and another as a man?

Probably no more than are already inclined to lead a double life.

*I don't mind paying the barber for their work; it just annoys me that I have to have my hair cut regularly at all.

[SiuiS]

Now, here's a question: how many people do you think would start living a double life, with completly different friends, partners and even families, one as a woman and another as a man?

Absolutely none.

Having a different look doesn't change your legal identity at all. Plus, everyone can do this. You will surprise and confuse no one. I feel this is being missed with regularity. Its like asking if someone woke up and half of their wardrobe was now tie die and spandex, would they lead a double life.

[dehro]

Now, here's a question: how many people do you think would start living a double life, with completly different friends, partners and even families, one as a woman and another as a man?

not me.. I'm too lazy for that.