Inquring Mind

I tend to ask a lot of questions on this blog. Some are easier to answer than others. Some require research that I don't always have time for. Nevertheless, I'm feeling a bit analytical today, so I'm going to try to answer some that I've posed:

It's amazing how much they [FTM's] can change their bodies by taking testosterone. At the same time, I wonder if hormones are all that gender really is. It's kind of creepy that the physical expression of an entire gender identity can be distilled into a bottle of hormones. It sort of diminishes the weight that a gender identity can hold.

Hormones constitute a large part of one's gender; however, the way males and females are socialized is the result of a variety of cultural influences. It's also about how one feels inside. Defining "maleness" and "femaleness" may be challenging and subjective, but there is more to gender than just physical appearance and anatomy. If gender was just about outside appearances, then transgendered individuals wouldn't feel a mismatch with their bodies in the first place.

I've put on a few pounds in the past month or so. This makes me feel more like a woman. But isn't that ironic since thinness is more of a female preoccupation?

Yes and no. There is more pressure for women to stay thin, but women have hips. Men typically find curves to be attractive, and hips represent fertility. For these reasons, staying super thin inhibits one's femininity in my worldview.

I get compliments on my voice. From queer people. My voice is queer-dar. It's not super deep, but it's not high either. I feel like the way I talk is one of the biggest indicators that I'm gay. Is it bad that I know how to manipulate it for different audiences?

Not necessarily. We all have to tailor how we present ourselves to different people. It can be intentional or unintentional. I don't intentionally lie to anyone to mislead or manipulate them.