I'm willing to bet that the women have heard it all before and REALLY do not care about people's opinions. They're doing it for themselves and the enjoyment.
I'm not massively bulky at all, I don't lift but I DO pole dance and suddenly I developed biceps and triceps* and I'm weirdly proud of them. I can see why people want to lift, once you start to build up a bit it becomes addictive. My brother is really jealous too which is funny, he's 6ft 2 and goes to the gym 6 times a week, does weights and I've got bigger arms.
*At first I thought I had bingo wings and I was confused and upset. I tried to jiggle them and was surprised when they didn't move.