"Historical figures forced to dress as men to escape oppressive gender norms are no more transgender than are little girls who’d rather play with trucks than dolls. Declaring them to be so without evidence is intellectually dishonest and opens the door to a wholesale cooption of female history. Already, LGBT historians have staked their claim to Christian crusader Joan of Arc, insisting she was transgender because she defiantly refused to don female garb - as if the clothes literally make the woman."

There seems to me to be a distinction between someone dressing as a man to escape oppressive gender based norms common to historical times and someone who identifies as a male trapped in a female physical body. But I am certainly no expert on the definition of terms. I'm quite objective to labels of any kind and think everyone has the same right to self respect regardless of how they 'identify' themselves.

Interesting. Thanks.

I guess I'm not too surprised. Every individual lives in their society and has to use their own talents to make their way as best they can.

I'd be more surprised if there wasn't a bit of stepping out going on.
It sounds like she(he) was successful.

From the link:

Viking society had fairly rigid gender roles, according to orthodox historians at least, meaning a woman who wasn't interested in sitting at home raising children while her husband raped and pillaged on the high seas would have to get creative in order to escape the future society had set out for her. But history is replete with tales of women dressing up as men in order to seek adventure, fight battles, and otherwise escape the drab domestic destiny that awaited their sex. Indeed, just a few centuries after the anonymous woman warrior was buried in Sweden, a Danish princess named Alfhild is said to have fled her suitors, dressed as a man, and embarked upon a successful career as a pirate on the high seas. So it wasn't exactly unheard-of.

Interesting article, my objection to all this is WTF is wrong with just letting everyone be who the fuck they want and quit wondering what they do with their bodies.
The whole roll model thing is a fucking nightmare. I was/am one of those little girls that wanted Tonka trucks and power tools but got Barbie dolls. I hated and still do frilly girly girl stuff. "What's wrong with you?" oh fuck off mom. Not that I ever said that to her.
Then just recently I saw the CardiB wap video with lyrics! Yeah men may be attracted to a strong woman but in the end they really can't take we take the way men take and that makes them uncomfortable.
The human condition is so varied, so complex and for many from the earliest of times they have had to deal with or worry over "What will the neighbors say/think??"
Guess it hit a nerve - LOL.