History ViewerGenderConfusion / RealLife

* This is a common problem for [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} Non-Binary people,]] since they’re supposed to look like they’re neither male nor female. As a result, it can be very easy for strangers to get their genders wrong, [[InnocentlyInsensitive which may offend them.]] While there are they/them pronouns, many people don’t know how to address them instead of “sir” or “ma’am.”

* If you're over 30, you've probably heard the theme song to ''Film/TheNeverEndingStory'', sung by Limahl. Even if you knew the (seemingly gender neutral, in fact seemingly made up) name of the singer, it's very likely you assumed he was a woman. Even watching the video doesn't help. He looks like a guy but sounds so much like a woman that you assume he's lip-synching. Seriously, listen to the song and ''try'' to find anything masculine about that voice. For the curious, the singer's real name is Christopher Hamill, and "Limahl" is an anagram of his surname.

* This is a common problem for [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} Non-Binary people,]] since they’re supposed to look like they’re neither male nor female. As a result, it can be very easy for strangers to get their genders wrong, which may offend them. While there are they/them pronouns, many people don’t know how to address them instead of “sir” or “ma’am.”

* This is a common problem for [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} Non-Binary people,]] since they’re supposed to look like they’re somewhere between being male nor female. As a result, it can be very easy for strangers to get their genders wrong, which may offend them. While there are they/them pronouns, many people don’t know how to address them instead of “sir” or “ma’am.”

* Obviously, this is a common problem for [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} Non-Binary people,]] since they’re supposed to look like they’re somewhere between being male nor female. As a result, it can be very easy for strangers to get their genders wrong, which may offend them. While there are they/them pronouns, many people don’t know how to address them instead of “sir” or “ma’am.”

* Seiyuu Creator/HiroYuki looks, sounds, and [[Main/{{Manchild}} acts] like a 12-year-old girl despite being over 40 years old. Getting his sex ''right'' the first time is probably rarer than mistaking it. Also, another seiyuu, Creator/KoukiMiyata, says he's been frequently mistaken for a woman because of his high, effeminate voice.

* Seiyuu Creator/HiroYuki looks, sounds, and [[Main/Manchild acts] like a 12-year-old girl despite being over 40 years old. Getting his sex ''right'' the first time is probably rarer than mistaking it. Also, another seiyuu, Creator/KoukiMiyata, says he's been frequently mistaken for a woman because of his high, effeminate voice.

* Seiyuu Creator/HiroYuki looks, sounds, and acts like a 12-year-old girl despite being over 40 years old. Getting his sex ''right'' the first time is probably rarer than mistaking it. Also, another seiyuu, Creator/KoukiMiyata, says he's been frequently mistaken for a woman because of his high, effeminate voice.

* Obviously, this is a common problem for [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} Non-Binary people,]] since they’re supposed to look like they’re somewhere between being male nor female. It can be very easy for strangers to get their genders wrong, which may offend them. While there are they/them pronouns, many people don’t know how to address them instead of “sir” or “ma’am.”

* Obviously, this is a common problem for [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} Non-Binary people,]] since they’re supposed to look like they’s somewhere between being male nor female. It can be very easy for strangers to get their genders wrong, which may offend them. While there are they/them pronouns, many people don’t know how to address them instead of “sir” or “ma’am.”

* Obviously, this is a common problem for [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} Non-Binary people,]] since they’re supposed to look like they’s somewhere between being male and female. It can be very easy for strangers to get their genders wrong, which may offend them. While there are they/them pronouns, many people don’t know how to address them instead of “sir” or “ma’am.”

* As one story goes, the California police were looking for a man who had stolen a motorcycle. They found a man and bike matching the description and pulled him over... only for it to turn out to be ''Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun'' actress Kristen Johnston, who '''is''' quite tall and broad-shouldered for a woman.

** Then there are Chickens. Hens and Roosters are easy to tell apart when full grown but as chicks are indistinguishable. There's an actual job with training involved to be able to distinguish them as chicks.

* TV host Wendy Williams is often mistaken for a DragQueen or transgender woman because of her height (she's 5'11"), relatively manly features, and over the top wigs and make up. She is in fact a cis woman who has a child and has had many miscarriages.

* Quite a few people thought Cara Crocker (of [[MemeticMutation "LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!!!"]] fame) was a girl. Eventually, they were proven right as she publicly announced her transition in 2021. Although to be fair, she did previously identify as UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} until 2010.

*** With [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalarope Phalaropes]], it's the females who are the more brightly colored ones while the males take sole care of the young. This fact, can confuse those who are fully aware of the usual differences between the sexes in birds.

* It's often hard to tell the gender of a baby, so some people see a baby and guess wrong. Due to the trope PinkGirlBlueBoy being so common in baby clothes, it's common to mistake a baby boy in pink for a girl, or a baby girl in blue for a boy.

* Quite a few people thought Chris Crocker (of [[MemeticMutation "LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!!!"]] fame) was a girl. A few still do. Although to be fair, he did identify as UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} until 2010.

* Quite a few people thought Chris Crocker (of [[MemeticMutation "LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!!!"]] fame) was a girl. A few still do. Although to be fair, he did identify as assigned-male-at-birth {{transgender}} until 2010.

* It's often hard to tell the gender of a baby, so some people see a baby and guess wrong. Due to the trope PinkGirlBlueBoy being so common in baby clothes, it's common to mistake a baby boy in pink for a girl, or a baby girl in pink for a boy.

* Most small organisms in general, as it's simply hard to thoroughly describe something so small. It doesn't help that many of these organisms are hermaphrodites or some, like clownfish, can even ''change gender''.

* [[http://menwholooklikeoldlesbians.blogspot.com This blog, which is dedicated to pictures of men who look like stereotypical old lesbians.]]