Living as Male, while on HRT and being clocked as female.

[Freya]

It was a strange and mostly good experience this past week, while I was on travel.  I have been on HRT for some time, but I don't (or didn't) believe it was noticeable that I would get initial reactions from people perceiving me as female rather than male.

It started on the flight out, when I was being scanned by the TSA and as I stepped through the agent said," oh! we need to scan you again," as he realized he made a mistake.  I didn't figure out what happened until after I watched the agent selecting male or female as each person stepped through.  I'm pretty convinced he set the system for female when I came through.  This thought was reaffirmed on the return flight when agent scanned me as male then asked me if I was carrying anything under my shirt and proceeded to do a very subtle pat down.

This was further reinforced when I was ma'amed by 2 vendors on separate occasions on the trip.  People I was with seemed as surprised as I was and just assumed it was my hair, not knowing that I have gone through some subtle changes

It is a great feeling, but a little offsetting when you still live your life in full male mode.  I am a very large person, even though I have lost quite a bit of weight this year (old fashioned way: diet and exercise).  I'm large enough that I believe that people will put off my breast growth (B and starting to push into C cup) as large man boobs.  I have been on mild HRT for over 2 years now, which has subtly given me a more androgynous appearance.  I have almost no body hair growth (my daughters are jealous of the minimal leg hair and no armpit hair growth), and much softer clearer skin.  A also have a full head of hair I keep in a ponytail or braid, when I can get someone to do it for me, that goes to the middle of my back with only a minimally receding hairline.

With those traits I am pretty certain I appear more male than anything and I haven't had any friends say anything about me looking different.  The circle of people that know about my transition is still very tight.

I really didn't know how to take this experience, but if I just went with my gut, I'd have to say each time, there was a moment of euphoria that told me that maybe I can make this part of my everyday reality and that felt really good.

Freya

[StevieAK]

Happy for you

[Freya]

Thanks Stevie 

[JenLotus]

That's super awesome Freya!

I still get those little euphoric moments when I hear people talk to each other and refer to me in correct pronouns. So good.

And yeah people seem to inherently pick up on things like skin and hair and facial shape and then recognize gender. Sometimes it's less about presentation and more about those little clues.

I still remember being gendered correctly when I was in boy mode just because the individual saw my hair.

[Freya]

Thanks Stevie, it really does make me feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel, when people are starting to see me as female, before I am trying to present myself as such.  This past year has been good for me in preparing to make that transition and plans for next year are looking even better.

Freya

[Leila]

In my experience (13 months HRT and still presenting as male at work and family), people who I work with everyday still see me as male whereas people who don't know me have been known to gender me as female. Extended family members whom I haven't seen in a very long time have wondered what it is that is different about me, to which I've excused my change in appearance as diet related. In all cases I am presenting as male and not wearing form fitting clothing that would otherwise show a nipped in waist or breasts. It seems having very long hair isn't enough to gender me as female (except from behind by complete strangers, which happened in male mode 2 months into HRT), although my brother did question why my eyebrows looked different (damn!), to which I put it down to hair loss and compared it to my father's lack of eyebrow hair (I think he bought the excuse - phew).

[Clhoe G]

It's a great feeling when it happens, I've got a whole bunch of times in guy mode, but what really shocks me the most is that they don't even notice the little bits of beard shadow I have after shaving... maybe they think I'm a bearded lady lol
but if I don't shave it's a different story they look at me puzzled for a second n say dude, bro or do you have any, I.D lol  damn bottle shops, all like 

[jessical]

This is starting to happen for me as well.  And one time it was very unexpected.  I had introduced myself with my male name and was using my male voice, but the person used female pronouns to refer to me.  It was awesome   I only wish electrolysis would hurry up.

Jessica

[Damara]

I'm not on HRT yet, but this happened to me at my new job a few months ago and is what kickstarted me into transitioning. At first I never even shaved very closely (used an electric razor) and I was still largely gendered female.. My hair is long and I have to keep it clipped back at work which probably helps the feminine appearance. A coworker told me that someone was asking "who the new girl was" and when she (unfortunately without realizing it) outed me as male, because I at the time hadn't made a conscious choice to be presenting as female, the guy apparently said "I'd have bet my a** that was a girl! Although a little scruffy." lol! I felt a nice mix of frustration and elation! haha!