Secretly like it.

Someone wrote…

As a mostly-cis woman, I’m supposed to be ashamed of my ability to grow facial hair, but I secretly like it. One day I’ll quit shaving just to see how people react.

What’s your experience?

And what are you thinking about gender right now?


Posted by on July 9th, 2010 at 08:00 am

Category: your voice 17 comments »

17 Responses to “Secretly like it.”

  1. Jessica

    You will be called Sir more often. People will feel it’s OK to be rude to you if you have a beard and nail polish. You will have to use the mens room or provoke comment. People who are busy doing something when you first talk to them, especially men, will look up from what they’re doing and look disappointed. I had one fellow, with whom I had a conversation while he was fiddling with wires under his desk, ask me “where did she go?”

    On the plus side, having facial hair will convince 95% of men that you’re male, and they won’t question you about your gender anymore. It will be much less trouble to disguise that you have breasts, though people will stare at them sometimes. In restaurants where you are served food, you are given larger portions (men eat more than women do).

    It is interesting. It is a great way to explore the quirks of the human condition. Very occasionally, you may upset someone who thinks you’re being deceitful by not making clear your gender –> assuming that your beard is a clean and unequivocal statement of your masculinity.

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  2. andy

    Thats how I feel about my ability to grow armpit hair longer than my brothers. I stopped shaving them about three months ago for my girlfriend but I decided I actually liked it =] and I havent gotten any negative reactions from people except my mom. So good look to you hun and all the more power to you.

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  3. Claudius Maximus

    Awesome, I wish my facial hair would do that, but for now I get to have long arm pit hair and hairy legs.

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  4. XylophoneGender

    Oh please do grow it some day! Would make me so happy!

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  5. Anonymous

    Please, please. I find this idea really attractive, and it’s somehow magnified by your identification as a mostly-cis woman.

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  6. kendall

    Is JD SAMSON still identifying as female? She has the
    BEST moustache in rock n roll.

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  7. Shadow

    I bet I’m not the only female-born who envies your ability to grow facial hair…

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  8. alyssa

    i’m a female bodied lady with the remarkable ability to grow a little chin/neck beard thing. i shave it mostly because i don’t like the way it feels, but i’m definitely not ashamed of the fact that it’s there anymore. my partner and i joke about it a lot. :)

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  9. reilly

    When my girlfriend and I made out for the first time, it was all the hotter because she hadn’t shaved that day. At first she was embarrassed about it but I assured her it was sexy. Rock the facial hair.

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  10. Anonymous

    this completely boosted my self esteem. I have that…trait, of being able to grow facial hair even though I’m “female”, through out middle school people tortured me about it, and it brought my self esteem very low, and got me depressed. This gives me hope that I will find someone who loves me just the way I am, and that someday I won’t have to go through the pain of taking it off, and I will be able to be myself, whomever that turns out to be

    – 15 year old genderqueer

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  11. steffiii

    I rawk the best blonde hairs they go along my jaw and cheek and neck :) they are great when I’m in drag good building blocks for a sexy 5oclock shadow

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  12. Anonymous

    Actually, Jessica… I have not one time been referred to as “Sir,” and I had my beard over one foot long.

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  13. Jessica

    I assume then that you live in a place different from the one in which I live, Anon.

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  14. Anonymous

    Super jealous. I would love a good pair of sideburns and some scruff, ugh.

    (also i wish my leg hair was darker. I don’t think anyone notices it, haha)

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  15. Rubyben

    A friend and once-sweetheart of mine talks sometimes about wanting a beard. She’s female and generally more woman than not, I think. I really love the idea of women and/or femmes with facial hair, and often think I’d be more comfortable with my own womanly side if I could grow some.
    In summary: hot. Do it.

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  16. Nino

    Well, as someone with both boobs and a mustache, I can tell you that it’s a mixed bag. Sometimes, I feel sexy as fuck, and I love that moment of watching someone do a double-take. And I’ve gotten positive attention from it too; most of my friends tell me it’s hot. (And I believe them.)

    But it can get tiring too; random strangers announcing to you that you have facial hair, as if you’d forgotten.

    But yeah, on the whole, I think it’s worth it. :D

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  17. Moose

    I have total facial hair envy. I’ve got a subtle (but dark) mustache of my own, and I often think of using mascara or something to play it up (which would make mustache mascara the only makeup I wear. Ha!)

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