Oh, and on the OP.
First, be an individual. Be yourself. If you are happy with yourself no one else can change you.
However, sometimes realise that this will call shit down on you. Grow a spine, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Make your choice, conformity or individualism. They both have benefits. If you pick the latter, prepare for some rough spots with others. (The former gives you rough spots with your self.)
On your individual preferances, go for it. I know I’m going to refuse to “grow up” in some ways for a very long time. I’m grown up enough in others, it all averages, right? I too love cats and hate beer. (No, really, its gross, even my die hard friends have stopped trying me on new beers because its a waste of “good” beer to watch me hurl.) Pain? Different people take it different ways. I bruise my finger and you’ll hear about it for a week, but when I rolled my car over my hand after putting it through the window (breaking a finger, smashing glass into my hand and ripping out my thumbnail) I was pretty fine with it. Clothing? If you have covered most of the X-rated bits, I don’t really care what with, though I will decide if I want to talk to you from what you’re wearing. ( dirty “Kill Osama Bin Laden” t-shirts don’t get much from me, while A Gary Larson or other witty shirt will.)
And, lastly, feelings/gender issues. Chill. Seriously. If I put as much stock as you do into what my gender is “supposed” to do I’d go batty. Seriously over the edge. I’m in engineering. I don’t wear make up. I role play. I’m not “girlie” yet I do see myself as feminine. Its how I am. And I love being me. Be who you are comfortable and happy being, no one beyond you needs any justification.