"As a trans woman, not many things give me a headache the way the entire concept of passing does. Passing is the idea that if a trans woman (or any person who is presenting as a woman) looks, dresses and acts a certain way, people won’t be able to tell they are anything other than a completely “normal” woman. If you look at online trans communities or forums, you’ll find tons of tips on how to pass better – everything from hair removal tips to workouts to how to walk and sit more femininely.
All of this presupposes that there is only one right way to look like and be a woman. And it’s infuriating. On the one hand, whenever I go out in public or post pictures online, a part of me is deathly afraid that I’ll be insulted or worse. I desperately want to be accepted as the woman I am. On the other hand, I hate that in order to feel safe, I’m expected to fit into the very narrow box that is labeled “woman.” Tips on how to pass always seem to say that you should avoid building muscle mass and avoid wearing clothes and makeup that are too costumey, that you should try to hide your shoulders and soften your features. Trans women are often told that if we want to pass, we have to try our hardest to be petite, soft, have just the right amount of femininity, and not stand out too much. But what if I want to be a different kind of woman? What if I want to look like Grace Jones or Kate Moennig? What if I want to look like Beth Ditto or Dolly Parton? They’re all cis women; don’t they pass?"

-

Meyllen Djneres (via muffinsandcouture)

The moral of “passing” discussions always seems to be:

If you get bashed it will be your fault.

(via charthebutcher)

Do you even know how badly I’ve been needing to hear exactly these words for the past few months now?

(via sixtyforty)

*slow clap——> standing ovation* yes! Yes yes!

(via boyqueen)

omg when i started transitioning Kate Moennig was legit my goal

(via dizzzyrichardpig)

(via transawareness)

About ‘passing’:

wanderlustprince:

I don’t care if that’s what you strive to do. I don’t care if that’s what you do or don’t do. I don’t care if it’s a part of your transition and self-acceptance or whatever other reason you have for doing it/attempting to do it.

Basically, however you feel about passing is YOUR choice, and I respect that.

But don’t:
• make other trans* folks feel like they HAVE to pass
• guilt folks for not ‘passing’
• make up your own ideas of what passing should mean for everyone
• tell folks they are less trans* for not passing
• assume everyone wants to pass

(feel free to add to this)

Actually, I think we should scrap the whole idea of “passing”. The word passing implies that one can fail. That it is one’s fault as to whether another genders them correctly or not. I don’t want my life to be an eternal test of pass or fail. I want interpretation, understanding, meaning. I want to provoke people’s thoughts. Make them think about the world around them and the rules that are set in place to bring order to that world. I want them to think about which rules are still relevant, which rules aren’t, which are helping us and which are hurting us, and WHY they are helping and hurting us.

I don’t want to pass as male. I don’t want people to see my social cues and assume that I am something that they can fit so easily into their little boxes and label away. Because they can’t. I am so many things. And there are so many things that I am not, even though I may look them. I want to be read as masculinish and then invite people to ask relevant and courteous questions if they need to know more. Read me. Let me teach you. Let me show you every part of me. Or none of me. Please stop assuming things about me and giving me your test results based upon those assumptions. You don’t know a thing about me. Just like you don’t know a thing about a book until you open it up and read it. You can read as much or as little as you want, but the less you read, the less you’ll actually know about what is in that book and what makes it up and what it stands for. It’s much too complicated to just pick it up, look at the outside, and expect to know everything about it. And so am I. So are you. We all are.

Stop testing. Start reading.

Issue 7 is here! All about PASSING…

anarchafeminist:

Rejoice! GQTales Issue 7 has finally arrived! This issue is all about passing as your preferred gender, and all the problems it causes. 
Don’t worry! There is advice, and submissions to help you pass a little easier, and with a little more confidence!
From my heart to yours, get your copy right here. And don’t forget, all orders placed before supplies run out get a free Lisa Frank blank valentine and temporary tattoo! 

For those who don’t follow me (but should!), I have officially scheduled my surgery date with Dr. Brownstein on October 18th of this year! I am SUPER excited, and am still trying to raise as much money as possible! Every order in my shop goes towards surgery, as do all donations on my ChipIn account. 
And as always, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your support.
Love,
Scrappy
(http://anarchafeminist.tumblr.com)
 

(via calebxblackwell)

The only reason I like winter is because it’s a legit reason to wear so many layers.

cjshark:

Passing time!

That awesome moment when you are FTM and are introduced to your girlfriend’s friends and you pass.

jackfosterrr:

(via jackfosterrr-deactivated2012011)

"Now the awesome thing about me packing again comes into play when I put on a harness for rock climbing and my junk was pretty much hanging out. That on its own was pretty cool, but a little later one of the class used male pronouns for me and nobody questioned it. I had introduced myself as Flynn, but never said male or female. Maybe it’s just because I packed, but I’d like to believe that I’m starting to present as male well again. I can’t wait to be able to piss in the men’s room for the first time!"

- Diary of Flynn Mckee