This is a difficult one for me, in a number of ways, because it touches on the issue of fat as a feminist issue and ugly man privilege. I don't think it's really got too much to do with being transsexual specifically; in that body shape and size affects pretty much everyone regardless, but anyway....
I mean this as an observation, of course, but throughout history it's been the accepted patriarchal construct that women make themselves prettified for the attentions of men. I suppose at least. In that men wanted to, and did, establish a position of sexual dominance. I guess that the ideal for them would be to have the opportunity to pick out whatever unfortunate happened to be in range for sex and also to improve his social standing amongst other men. With regards to the second point I think it centres on the man being seen around town with the best looking woman. The other men feel jealous, his status as awesome macho thingy is reinforced and everyone's happy. Aside from us girls who get pressured into spending hours in front of a magnified mirror. Seriously it's the easy way to amazing lashes
With that in mind the whole high beauty standard for females was made a thing and became, as I see it, an integral part of society. Part of that, of course, related to weight. It's been taken to it's natural extremes with things like size zero models and eating disorders. It's nonsense!!! We should be allowed to look as we want to look. Makeup is something to make us happy, not to impress or validate the male sex. Unless that's the intention but I'm not talking about that here lol!!
Men, by contrast, as dominant sexual beings shouldn't have to go through all this. We should just submit to their natural higher status and feel honoured that they even deign to look at us... As such they needn't worry about looking good - they don't need to.
As such ugly man privilege exists. You've heard it - "he's such a nice person" or "he's a lovely bloke, proper funny". That's as may be but the blame for his single-ness is reflected back on to us. He may be some bloated goblin in charity shop trackies, but it's always the girl's fault for being shallow. She's expected to see past all that and accept the fact that there's a warm heart in there, under the frankly repulsive exterior. The same thing never happens the other way round.
Or rarely. In fact there's quite a lot of stigma attached to men dating 'ugly' (hate that word but just using what I've heard) girls. Eeew. It's just another illustration of how life is unfair on planet female.
And also, the horror, men who try to subvert the whole business by improving their looks are objects of derision. It's fine for gay men to groom, to visit the salon and beauty parlour, but not for their straight brothers. Not at all!! Just look at the bile heaped on guys like Joey Essex and Mark Wright. Even David Beckham isn't safe. Bless him, he's upset one of the accepted bits of the patriarchy and it's not right. Waaahhh cried the men.
Honestly, just my opinion, but he's turned himself from normal looking man to sex icon by improving his looks. That's not allowed - you should be born with them like Sean Connery or Marlon Brando, not create them like the girls do. That's subversion of ugly man privilege.
All that's fine - really - we should be free to look as we want and feel no pressure to glam up just because society pressures us into doing so. For fun is another matter
But it doesn't answer the point that being fat is bad for you; from the physical health point of view. So don't lose weight for social pressures. Do it for you instead - there's nothing wrong with that!! xx
