That's a good analogy but it's still hard to imagine, I'm glad you're happier

More seriously, it's more as if what if you were compelled to dress and act in a way that wasn't "you." That's one of the hallmarks of dystopian literature - the elimination of the ability to define "self." Knowing you as a relatively pacifist kinda dude, imagine if the current "you" lived during the Roman Republic or Sparta and society 100% expected you to go off and fight and kill your enemies and win honor for Rome. Literally everthing in your life had told you that's what was best but you had to deal with your current sense of self telling you that it really wasn't.

Peeing while standing up.

Let's get real, most manly things are stupid, or stupid in the way that they are manly - most manly macho men are fuckwads

thanks for the open-ness, I had curiosity like evan but wasn't sure how to express it, but I am very interested reading your replies - it's a good question, what do we get out of being guys? Perhaps, really, very little.

I still think that's one of the easiest descriptions for me to get it.

Kindness and I had a conversation once where he mentioned he'd feel as if he were in a costume whereas I feel 100% me in both of those photos. Again, it's the beardless me that's the stranger sneaking in the mirror in the corner of my vision as I walk around my apartment.

Not at all - though it's a hard question to answer, since it's sort of like "what do I get out of being a guy?" It's part of my gender, so it's more that not doing it causes distress (for the many years I didn't understand it it was a double whammy: distress when I avoided doing it and distress when I did it but didn't really know why).

Cheers and congrats even though I’ll admit I do t understand it completely. I’m glad you feel like you can be your true self now.

I hope this doesn’t come across as condescending, because I ask it with respect and with the hope of resolving some ignorance: is this like... a hobby, for lack of a better term? Or does it go deeper than that? Does it have a sexual component?

Kk, I’m curious - what do you get out of it?

Never mind, it's rainbow now.

How come KK's name is still green in here and not rainbow?

KKIGM would be a great band name.

When my ex did the transformation in the B&W pics, it had been 20 years since I had been clean shaven. Now I do it, I love being en femme, and then the moment I wash my face off I'm wishing it were next week.

:'(

blokes

same here. my chin goatee thing has remained uncut (just the occasional trim to contain it) for over 10 years now. At best it's about what a normal persons facial hair would be after 3 months.

I can’t grow a beard. The best I can do is a weird bushy chin goatee. Everything else is just patchy and stupid. Good ol’ native genes.

I wouldn't even know what I look like any more