Does the SCA accept cross-dressers?

[Raincrow]

This question has been eating at me: Do women have to wear dresses in the SCA? I'm a packaging tape fiend, as those who shared a dressing room with me during the last play I was in will testify--and, well, I just find mens clothing more to my tastes.

So? Women passing as men? Does it happen?  

[Arithrel]

Sure does. That's the great thing about the 'creative' part of the name--it's true, and just about anything can go in the SCA. Generally I've only seen women with male personas for fighting, but I would see no reason for there to be a problem. smile  

[Raincrow]

Arithrel

Sure does. That's the great thing about the 'creative' part of the name--it's true, and just about anything can go in the SCA. Generally I've only seen women with male personas for fighting, but I would see no reason for there to be a problem. smile

Huzzah! xd  

[Padmasana]

What about the flip side of that arrangement? Know of any males who play as females?  

[Arithrel]

Padmasana

What about the flip side of that arrangement? Know of any males who play as females?

Not seriously, but I have seen some of my male friends dress in women's garb for short periods of time, usually at night at events while party hopping. It's certainly allowed, though, even if it's not common.  

[Dragostae]

I did see a few Blue Feathers hop around in it...and man, they're some pretty men. *nods sagely*

(Oh, and directed to the OP: Packing tape's really bad for long periods of time...do invest in a binder, darlin'. Your body will thank you.)  

[Kinky Zombie]

I was in mens clothing for a while in the SCA, since thats all my male friends could give me. They are totaly fine with it.

 

[Sir_Catherine]

I had to have the meaning of the blue feather explained to me the first time I encountered a basket of them.

Both my best girl friends prefer to dress in male garb. How accepted it is depends on the level of creative vs authentic players in your area. As long as you aren't claiming true authenticity, just fun in the spirit of anachronism, no one has any ground to stand on for giving you a hard time.  

[O C T O x p o d]

Padmasana

What about the flip side of that arrangement? Know of any males who play as females?

I was at an event just the other day and talked to one!  

[Mrsbruhaha]

Padmasana

What about the flip side of that arrangement? Know of any males who play as females?

in my second shire, there was a guy who had a female persona...and it usually pissed me of...he looked better in a dress than i did *pouts*

xd i have a picture floating around somewhere of him dancing with his baby.  

[Divash]

There are women playing women, women playing men, men playing women, men playing men. That's standard, of course, because many people join the SCA so they can be something that they're not in real life.

The fun part (and sometimes confusing) is when a person is dressed as their opposite gender, but playing their own gender. That is, a woman whose persona is a female cross-dresser, as opposed to a woman playing an actual man. (Or a man playing a male cross-dresser instead of playing a female.) Just try to learn discreetly and politely what someone's intention is. I've often been delighted to hear something like, "History is filled with people who concealed the gender of their bodies in order to live as the gender of their souls. I'm not a transsexual in my real life, but I think it's important that that side of history should be told." The folks who choose to do that are usually very cool to talk to, and often very thoughtful, and/or have something in their lives who is living trans; some try to honor those folks, and some try to better understand them, and some are working out their own feelings by sort of testing the waters before making a life choice.

But yes, absolutely, it's permitted, and often appreciated.