I remember the phenomenon going back farther than that, at least back to the early-to-mid 1980s on BBSes. I recall someone coining the term
“televestite” to describe anyone on the BBSes who claimed to be female, but who was widely suspected of being male.
Back before the Internet was really a thing, as far as anyone outside of the military of academia was concerned, BBSes were generally populated by stereotypical nerds, very intelligent, very good with computers, but socially awkward and desperate for female companionship. Showing up on a BBS and claiming to be female was an easy way to attract a lot of attention.
Back in 1994, (perhaps it was even late 1993), a user showed up in a BBS-network claiming to be female, and complaining about the poor dating prospects in her area. Yes, she attracted a great deal of attention. As it happens, she was a genuine female, and of all the desperate nerds whose attention she attracted, I (of the most extreme examples of such a lonely, desperate nerd) was the one who succeeded in attracting her attention and convincing her to consider me as a possible romantic prospect.
She and I have been married, now, for about twenty-six and a half years.
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