Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Right, so I'm adding to the already sizable count of 'am I passable?' posts.  I just gave myself a haircut... at 2am with a pair of childrens' scissors... I wound up taking off a good 5-8 inches (previously my hair looked a lot like what Scratchy has as his avatar right now).  I got a lot of funny looks with my hair longer, but I haven't received any yet with the shorter cut (with the exception of one clearly confused janitor staring bullets at me as I walked outta the 'ladies' restroom, lol).  I just have my avatar up for reference but I'd say it's a pretty good representation of how I usually look--without glasses, though, 'cuz I'm getting new ones.

Oh yeah, and of course any criticism/advice for improvement is welcome.

AWESOME job for cutting your hair yourself dude.  Hell I could never do it, I don't trust myself.

It looks great.  Not only do you pass but you are something good to look at too  :laugh:

100% passable.

Wow... you look great! TOTALLY passable ;)

~Kate~

I'd say you do. R u the quarterback? >:D

Nichole

Yes. Absolutely!

No  :D I'm only kidding.  :P You totally pass, dude.

Very passable. You've got masculine features for sure. :)

you pass i wish i did
today this little kid was on his skateboard thing and i heard his mom say watch out for that young lady or some crap of the like

Definitely passable. Like me, you look young(er) but you have a very dominant/masculine jawline. AND your lines, for your hair, look great!
Iv'e always said it, when you get your haircut short, make sure they do your lines!

woo!  passable AND cute!  lol

Holy haircut, Batman! You look great!

I expect people of all genders to be making passes at you left and right.

Maybe you should switch to the men's room?

Quote from: GQjoey on August 06, 2008, 09:36:26 PM
Definitely passable. Like me, you look young(er) but you have a very dominant/masculine jawline. AND your lines, for your hair, look great!
Iv'e always said it, when you get your haircut short, make sure they do your lines!

Lines? What are lines?

Lines on the side of your head. Like a line-up you'd get from the barber if your head was shaved.

you pass way better than I do!

and yeah, I would start using the men's room if I were you-permitting you have the proper know how-ish?

yep u pass bro :icon_dance: :icon_dance:

definitely passing, I'm surprised though that going for a longer look didn't work,
I've found that I pass better with my hair longer, some people actually think I'm a guy trying to be a girl, and even wanna let me know that they KNOW I'm male, can't fool them!!!

You look awesome, no doubt. Seriously jealous, and I must agree that you look super cute. Very handsome. =]

If you feel ready to use the men's restroom, go for it. Just.. be careful, ya know? Having a friend to go in with you is [at times] a very useful thing. But, I'd say go for it.

Woot.  Thanks everyone for your comments.

Quote from: Nichole on August 06, 2008, 08:50:13 PM
I'd say you do. R u the quarterback? >:D

Lol, heck no.  Although I get the feeling that watching football on TV would be more interesting had I actually played the game at some point.  ;)

Quote from: emoboi on August 06, 2008, 09:16:22 PM
you pass i wish i did
today this little kid was on his skateboard thing and i heard his mom say watch out for that young lady or some crap of the like

Dude, I get that too sometimes.  If I had the voice, I'd like to shout out 'I'm a guy' or something to 'em; people are always mortified when they find out they've messed up on pronouns and the like.  >:D

Quote from: GQjoey on August 06, 2008, 09:36:26 PM
Definitely passable. Like me, you look young(er) but you have a very dominant/masculine jawline. AND your lines, for your hair, look great!
Iv'e always said it, when you get your haircut short, make sure they do your lines!

Lines, so that's what they're called--didn't know that.  I just went after my hairline with a disposable razor to enhance the slight M-shape I already had going on... kinda unprofessional, but I guess it worked.

Quote from: Hal on August 07, 2008, 01:31:37 PM
definitely passing, I'm surprised though that going for a longer look didn't work,
I've found that I pass better with my hair longer, some people actually think I'm a guy trying to be a girl, and even wanna let me know that they KNOW I'm male, can't fool them!!!

Well, the long hair worked, sorta... but I got the same thing you did, with people taking second glances and some thinking I was a guy trying to be a girl.  I even had one kid say "Hey, you're a guy! Why do you look like a girl?!"  Messed up how a simple thing like hair length is a major factor of gender determination for some people.

To everyone who said I should start just using the mens' restroom: I'm thinking that'd be a good idea, because the womens' restroom is not working out so well for me anymore.  Only problem would be using it at school and running into dudes I know... or my professors >.<  It's a small college, and I've been here awhile, so people know me.  For now I'm sticking to the (very) few one-stall more private bathrooms on campus.

Well, the long hair worked, sorta... but I got the same thing you did, with people taking second glances and some thinking I was a guy trying to be a girl.  I even had one kid say "Hey, you're a guy! Why do you look like a girl?!" 

well, at least you know you're passing though, I know kind of twisted, but it beats the: it's a girl trying to be a guy thing

yeah you definitely pass... no doubt.

bathroom issue, stay out of the women's dude.  you're a man!

Very passable and yes stay out of our restroom, young man.  :-*

A picture is just that, a picture, but most gender traits are not about the face, but about mannerisms, actions, vocabulary, the way you hold a beer in the bar, if you order a beer (no glass) or some fru-fru drink, how you walk, how you cross your legs, all sorts of things that make "DO I PASS" based on a photo alone a bad way to judge. 

Remember, most people can guess gender from watching people walk away from them, i.e. they don't even see the face, they just watch the movement.

Dang... I like Fu fu drinks LOL

Though certain stouts are good to.

You totally pass! I wish I looked that good! Yeah, I'd start using the men's room if I were you. I don't bind in public yet, but if I'm slouching in the women's bathroom (I usually do) you can't see my chest, and I get weird stares from the teenage girls in the room. Especially the snobby ones. I have to admit, it makes me feel a little better, though, that they have to double-take or stare to figure it out.  :D

Quote from: tekla on August 07, 2008, 08:04:23 PM
A picture is just that, a picture, but most gender traits are not about the face, but about mannerisms, actions, vocabulary, the way you hold a beer in the bar, if you order a beer (no glass) or some fru-fru drink, how you walk, how you cross your legs, all sorts of things that make "DO I PASS" based on a photo alone a bad way to judge. 

Remember, most people can guess gender from watching people walk away from them, i.e. they don't even see the face, they just watch the movement.

Sound advice, Tekla.  I know that passing comes down to more than just what my mug looks like.  The thing is, what seems to give me away the most is my face.  It used to be 'sir, gentleman, young man' when people approached me from behind or sideways when I had long hair, but they'd immediately correct themselves (with many apologies) as soon as they saw my face.  Something about it is just too damn young, sweet, and cute (thanks to my mom for those words >.< she says that that's why I'll never pass as a man... after T I suspect that'll just be wishful thinking on her part).  I've been told this by friends as well--everything is spot-on male (particularly the walking and beer part, I'm told  ::)), and the only giveaway would be my face. 

Thing is, the way the long hair framed it was rather feminine and the hair obscured my lower face, making it look smaller and more delicate than it actually is; the hair was also hella wavy/curly and made me look far cuter in the feminine sense.  In the past week (post haircut), I've looked people dead-on in the eye and their conclusion was to greet me with 'sir' or something similar, or 'gentlemen' if I was with friends.  They don't call me out even after speaking with them, provided I cool it on inflections and don't bother with hand gestures.  Only once was I greeted with female pronouns by a stranger, but then again I was going out of my way with voice inflections and hand gestures... is it odd that it's like an experiment to me to figure out what actions of mine lead people to come to the conclusion of 'male' or 'female'?

You look remarkably like my cousin. I have no idea how old you are, but you look like a young man / older boy to me.
And eh, my cousin is quite the lady's man, or so I've heard.  ;)

Quote from: Eryk on August 08, 2008, 12:15:15 PM

Quote from: tekla on August 07, 2008, 08:04:23 PM
A picture is just that, a picture, but most gender traits are not about the face, but about mannerisms, actions, vocabulary, the way you hold a beer in the bar, if you order a beer (no glass) or some fru-fru drink, how you walk, how you cross your legs, all sorts of things that make "DO I PASS" based on a photo alone a bad way to judge. 

Remember, most people can guess gender from watching people walk away from them, i.e. they don't even see the face, they just watch the movement.

Sound advice, Tekla.  I know that passing comes down to more than just what my mug looks like.  The thing is, what seems to give me away the most is my face.  It used to be 'sir, gentleman, young man' when people approached me from behind or sideways when I had long hair, but they'd immediately correct themselves (with many apologies) as soon as they saw my face.  Something about it is just too damn young, sweet, and cute (thanks to my mom for those words >.< she says that that's why I'll never pass as a man... after T I suspect that'll just be wishful thinking on her part).  I've been told this by friends as well--everything is spot-on male (particularly the walking and beer part, I'm told  ::)), and the only giveaway would be my face. 

Thing is, the way the long hair framed it was rather feminine and the hair obscured my lower face, making it look smaller and more delicate than it actually is; the hair was also hella wavy/curly and made me look far cuter in the feminine sense.  In the past week (post haircut), I've looked people dead-on in the eye and their conclusion was to greet me with 'sir' or something similar, or 'gentlemen' if I was with friends.  They don't call me out even after speaking with them, provided I cool it on inflections and don't bother with hand gestures.  Only once was I greeted with female pronouns by a stranger, but then again I was going out of my way with voice inflections and hand gestures... is it odd that it's like an experiment to me to figure out what actions of mine lead people to come to the conclusion of 'male' or 'female'?

Well, you have a fine bone structure that could go either way. But just from the pic - the eyes and everything else are totally male. And wavy hair does so look so femme, I have it too.

Quote from: PolarBear on August 08, 2008, 01:08:48 PM
You look remarkably like my cousin. I have no idea how old you are, but you look like a young man / older boy to me.
And eh, my cousin is quite the lady's man, or so I've heard.  ;)

I'm 22; and I also look remarkably like my own cousin... when he was a teenager.  I don't really have hopes of looking fully my age even after T, given my genetic background (mother and father both have always looked several years younger than their chronological age).  I figure I'll at least shed the young teen look though.

22? You look a little younger than that, I was thinking maybe 18 or 19 but ah well, you DO look passable to me :O

Do you have a lot of people telling you that you look a lot younger than your real age?

Quote from: Phate on August 09, 2008, 12:03:15 AM
22? You look a little younger than that, I was thinking maybe 18 or 19 but ah well, you DO look passable to me :O

Do you have a lot of people telling you that you look a lot younger than your real age?

Heck yeah, I have people telling me that I look young...  When I was 20, I was paying for gas and the lady at the gas station counter did a double-take on me; she said "nah, wait, you're not old enough to drive, are you?"  I of course get carded frequently for alcohol... problem is a lot of people think I just handed them a fake ID.  I tried to buy alcohol at a concert when I was 21, and my card got passed around to 2 other employees before they consented to give my my beer; when I returned for more, I was greeted with "Hey, look! It's 'the kid'!"  Lol.  When I was 18, my college classmates thought I was 15; they also thought I must've been crazy smart to be going to college 'early.'  Professors have expressed confusion about my age.  And the list goes on.

So if you think I look 18 or 19, well, that's better than I do with most people.  ;)

lol yea, curse of the FTMs.  i look like im about 14 or so.  a very cute 14 though. :D

You're extremely passable, the jaw really works for ya.

And yeah, apparently I look like I'm 13. >:(

People seem to think I am younger than am *shrugs*  though some have thought older too lol...   And I think it odd, most time I am not carded.  Sometimes, but most time am not.   Not sure if it because am with my friends or not though since their clearly old enough to buy alcohol lol.

Just adding my two cents on the FTM Curse...I look a bit younger than my age, probably fifteen or sixteen. In all but my freshman year of high school, teachers insisted I was younger. That wouldn't be remarkable, except this was people who still knew me as a girl. In female mode (yuck), I look my age. So maybe they saw the boy shining through and reacted appropriately? It's a nice thought.