Quote from: Rebis on May 19, 2008, 07:44:47 PM
Quote from: Simone Louise on May 19, 2008, 03:56:15 PM
Are you taking only anti-androgens? Today I heard that they should be accompanied by Estrogen because (if I got this right), they block the production of hormones and people need some hormones. Maybe some of your natural ones are still being produced.
I don't know. I hear different views on that a lot. I'm with Z at this point except that beyond worrying about the side effects, I'm worried about having yet another med on my list.
Sorry. I thought was funny.
Spiro is meant to be taken with estrogen, but as far as I've found finasteride and dutasteride should be safe to take alone. Finasteride is prescribed cosmetically.
If you buck social norms you will have reactions from people, that's how it goes. I personally find beards+femininity an incredibly jarring image, as do most people. Actually, the whole 'drag queen with obvious shadow' has been the cultural personification of transgendered people for a while now, heh. I feel incredibly self-conscious when I accidentally pass with people when I have stubble.
Obviously it's not really the place of any of us to tell anyone here how to live their life or their image, but certain things will definitely get reactions out of people. The other day my long nails and gemstone ring made a customer ask me if I was "trying to become a woman or something"; and I was even in full guy garb at the time. She was a nice, if incredibly odd lady, gave me some manicure tips, but it was definitely a bit of an off-guard moment. Actually, my ring, which is a very tasteful, demure setting, has caused more of a freaked out response from people than my clothes have, and it's rapidly approaching the reaction I get from my nails. Though mostly the nails are women going 'damnit, I'm jealous! no fair' and the ring is 'what the f---.' It's honestly surprising to me how much of a reaction the ring gets out of people, I didn't realize that "womens rings" were so exclusive.
Man in a dress, woman with a beard, guy with nails, men in certain colors, women with certain haircuts+secondary feature (short hair + glasses, or fat = androgyny), people are conditioned to react to things that are out of the norm. A lot of the conditioning is spitefulness. Some people are incredibly offended by actual androgynous features (which confuses me, but then people are hateful.) I don't really consider, say, breasts + beard androgynous myself, as men don't have breasts and women don't have beards*, yet they are defining characteristics. To me androgyny is a fine-grit blend. But that's just another side of the spectrum, really.
*I don't want to hear about it, I mean in normal circumstances.
Edit: I don't mean to come across as hateful or spiteful here, so my apologies if it sounded as such. I've been up all night and have a closing shift to look forward to. A lot of us know the feeling of being really confused. The readers of this board in particular frequently share your feelings of being split between man and woman. I myself feel either genderless or female, there's really nothing about my masculinity that I consider favorable, though I take advantage of the whole having a penis thing sometimes (work with what you have.) You really do have to do what makes you feel best for you, though temper it for ease and safety. Do note that hormones are a slippery slope and that if you begin them you probably won't want to pause or go back.
As for emotional damage, my above writings are kind of jaded. I've been feminizing my appearance and wearing androgynous womens' clothing for over a year now, I've accidentally passed plenty, been seen positively for it, been seen negatively for it, been complimented on my appearance (since I'm far better dressed than most men my age), confused the hell out of people, etc. I've had some moments of fear and shame. Nothing dangerous, thankfully, but I keep in mind there are things that I can and can't do.
