I identify with so much of this, although my patriarchal household wasn't quite so overtly so. I remember my freshman year of college a Lynyrd Skynyrd song came on the radio that I was excited to hear because I was from the south and going to school in the northeast. This guy had the nerve to declare that I didn't really like them and then he ate his words as I sang every line along to the song.

I've always identified very strongly as female, but also grew up very aware that being male meant more respect, more opportunities, more lattitude on a lot of things. It took me a long time to truly understand and embrace my feminine power because I'd spent so much time in a world that told me that only masculine power was worthwhile.