Quote from: LizMarie on April 01, 2013, 11:29:55 AM
I'm going to make a comment that isn't intended to provoke an argument, just provide an alternative perspective.
Passing, in my personal experience, is a combination of things, not just looks. Masculine features in the face? Go sit at a mall and watch all the women going by, especially older ones! Passing is looks, mannerisms, speech, speech patterns, behavior...
I also notice that lots of young MtFs tend to focus on looks above all else. I know there is this desire to look feminine and be attractive and I applaud and encourage that. But passing, as in living life as a woman and being accepted as a woman is so much more. It has been very rare for me to see any transwoman who has to have FFS yet many still do. I plan to do so myself, for me, for my own personal vanity, but I also know that I can and do pass in public as a woman right now, because I have. Even with my paralyzed vocal cord issues I can get my voice to work, for very short periods. All of this encourages me as I move towards full time eventually.
So making the "do I pass" judgement from a few photos seems, to me, to be quite a leap.
I will state once again that I don't want to discourage this thread nor provoke an argument, just provide an alternative perspective. Yes, looks matter but in "passing" (and I really hate that term) there is so much more to consider. Don't forget the other things! Voice, removal of beard shadow, mannerisms, behavior, voice, speech patterns... all these will play into whether someone "clocks" you or not almost as much as how you look.
Meh, I may not "pass" flawlessly and I'm sure I get read every now and then, but probably not solidly. I work with the public at a pretty busy store with tourists, regulars and lots of bigot types, but don't get called names, I do get ma'amed, deared, honeyed, sweethearted, etc. all day long, even by some that knew me before transition. Kids don't run to their mamas in fear either, so I must be doing something right or either everyone that comes in there is just so darned nice and polite as not to mention it, either way I don't worry much about it. I mostly post pics just to see what people will say or if they will ignore it altogether cause I'm not young and pretty.
