Voice and Nagging Dysphoria

[Genzen]

I'm just wondering if after years of HRT and/or sugeries and passing without problem if the voice still makes one feel dysphoric. I have yet to start HRT or hair removal, but the voice issue is my one sticky point that makes me fearful. When I dress and look in the mirror I still see a guy looking back at me and it is bothersome to me. I'm wondering if the voice is the same type of thing and may cause me continued dysphoria.

[sarahb]

I'm just wondering if after years of HRT and/or sugeries and passing without problem if the voice still makes one feel dysphoric.

For me, absolutely. It was two-fold. The first issue was obviously the fear of outing myself whenever I talked (...laughed, coughed, cried, sneezed, etc.). However, the second issue was that I just couldn't get past this feeling that my voice wasn't my own. It never felt like me. I've been full time for more than 6 years now, had FFS, SRS, HRT, etc. and the only sticking point was my voice. I felt completely at ease with everything else. That was my main motivation for doing voice surgery. Now, I couldn't be happier. It truly has changed so much now that I don't have to think before I talk, my sneezes, laughs, coughs, etc. all sounds female. There is still a lot of practice beyond just the voice surgery though to get a truly feminine sounding voice, but it makes it so much easier to start from the right pitch to integrate the right resonance, inflection, and other gender cues.

[kelly_aus]

The first issue was obviously the fear of outing myself whenever I talked (...laughed, coughed, cried, sneezed, etc.).

This bolded bit makes me giggle.. Ask a speech therapist why..

[misslyradawn]

I've been on HRT for three years and I definitely still have dysphoria about my voice. It makes it really hard to sing, which was one of my favorite things to do before I came out. I've been workng really hard on my voice though and I'm getting better and better at it, I will get it down eventually. Just keep practicing and youll get it down!

[AmyBerlin]

Dear misslyradawn,

I've been on HRT for three years and I definitely still have dysphoria about my voice. It makes it really hard to sing, which was one of my favorite things to do before I came out. I've been workng really hard on my voice though and I'm getting better and better at it, I will get it down eventually. Just keep practicing and youll get it down!

I'm sorry, but while it's possible to "get down" an inconspicuous speaking and choral singing voice that blends, the transfemale voice is akin to a major speech impediment. There is no way – and I'm a pro musician who's tried for 20 years – to make this voice react like a natural alto or soprano. It'll always be like playing oboe concertos on a bassoon: feasible, but hardly usable for bona-fide artistic expression, no matter how hard you try. Namoli Brennet is the single notable exception I know of.

Just my 2¢,

Amy