re: Jules' point about asymmetry and why it seems to be so much more common for transmascs to want to microdose - whoooo, I have been trying to articulate exactly this thing for a while and she just nailed it!! (speaking as a transmasc dude who ABSOLUTELY went to my first HRT appointment and was like, "I think I want to microdose T...?" and fortunately had a good, patient doctor who was able to explain why that term doesn't really make sense for HRT, start me on a low dose because that's what I was comfortable with, and then move me up later when I wanted that. feels like some part of why we're all wringing our hands about "the lowest possible dose" all the time may be lack of access to trustworthy medical info that would clarify how HRT actually works)
On M/F asymmetry, would it be fair to say that women are aggressively policed for anything masculine about their appearance (body hair, bulk, not having delicate features), whereas men and boys might be bullied for effeminate behavior but not body type so much? I know, for myself, I love being on T, but I still contend with internalized shame about changes that make me less "pretty".
I'm reluctant to make any claims about what men/boys might or might not be bullied for. I take your broader point about women's appearances being regularly scrutinized, but I don't think I'm prepared to say I think men are less likely to get hassled if they /look/ rather than /act/ effeminate. I also wonder if it's even possible to meaningfully separate behavior from appearance or 'body type' (which can be mediated in a number of different ways). Does certain behavior get flagged by one's peers partly because of how one looks? Might one's looks get read in different ways based on how one behaves? And of course race has so much to do with how one is read/surveilled/monitored/rewarded/punished for appearance and behavior, so I think it's an increasingly complex series of systems.
I assumed people transitioning titrated hormone doses like people do with thyroid hormone (or most medications, really) to find what worked. It’s interesting to see the conversation explore what it means for them to be “working.”
re: Jules' point about asymmetry and why it seems to be so much more common for transmascs to want to microdose - whoooo, I have been trying to articulate exactly this thing for a while and she just nailed it!! (speaking as a transmasc dude who ABSOLUTELY went to my first HRT appointment and was like, "I think I want to microdose T...?" and fortunately had a good, patient doctor who was able to explain why that term doesn't really make sense for HRT, start me on a low dose because that's what I was comfortable with, and then move me up later when I wanted that. feels like some part of why we're all wringing our hands about "the lowest possible dose" all the time may be lack of access to trustworthy medical info that would clarify how HRT actually works)
Testosterone: a little dab'll do ya!
On M/F asymmetry, would it be fair to say that women are aggressively policed for anything masculine about their appearance (body hair, bulk, not having delicate features), whereas men and boys might be bullied for effeminate behavior but not body type so much? I know, for myself, I love being on T, but I still contend with internalized shame about changes that make me less "pretty".
I'm reluctant to make any claims about what men/boys might or might not be bullied for. I take your broader point about women's appearances being regularly scrutinized, but I don't think I'm prepared to say I think men are less likely to get hassled if they /look/ rather than /act/ effeminate. I also wonder if it's even possible to meaningfully separate behavior from appearance or 'body type' (which can be mediated in a number of different ways). Does certain behavior get flagged by one's peers partly because of how one looks? Might one's looks get read in different ways based on how one behaves? And of course race has so much to do with how one is read/surveilled/monitored/rewarded/punished for appearance and behavior, so I think it's an increasingly complex series of systems.
Fair enough - there are many experiences of gender beyond the ones I've known!
I assumed people transitioning titrated hormone doses like people do with thyroid hormone (or most medications, really) to find what worked. It’s interesting to see the conversation explore what it means for them to be “working.”