Thank you for this post. I usually can't listen to podcasts but want to add that I do not know of any Butches who have taken testosterone to grow beards to pass as male (and I've known many Butches since 1969), but I do know Fems who take testosterone to "transition."
But more importantly, if women are our natural selves and not shaving or having electrolysis, etc. many women would naturally grow beards/ facial fur without ever taking testosterone. In the Seventies, many did, but now very few do because of harassment. I've seen Lesbians from different races, ethnicities, and ages grow facial fur naturally. (Many get start growing it later, but some of us started in our twenties.)
Also, again I think it's crucial to not use "homosexual" for Lesbians for many reasons, including associating us with men and past horrible stories about "homosexuals" that were never about Lesbians (like having the highest STD and AIDS, etc. statistics). It's bad enough that het women don't want to think about us anyway (or they might make different choices), but the association with gay men can have catastrophic results when dealing with the medical system where their hatred of us goes crazy. I will never forget when I had the signs of strep throat, white spots on my throat and rapidly increasing fever. At the emergency appt. I had, the doctor refused to test me or give me antibiotics because she assumed I had AIDS (and asked if I did.) I'm at the lowest risk possible, never having been het or having a blood transfusion, but the Lesbian-hating doctor lumped me in with gay men. If I hadn't been so sick and scared, I would have told her she was much more at risk for AIDS because she had sexual contact with the main carriers, men.
Thank you for this post. I usually can't listen to podcasts but want to add that I do not know of any Butches who have taken testosterone to grow beards to pass as male (and I've known many Butches since 1969), but I do know Fems who take testosterone to "transition."
But more importantly, if women are our natural selves and not shaving or having electrolysis, etc. many women would naturally grow beards/ facial fur without ever taking testosterone. In the Seventies, many did, but now very few do because of harassment. I've seen Lesbians from different races, ethnicities, and ages grow facial fur naturally. (Many get start growing it later, but some of us started in our twenties.)
Also, again I think it's crucial to not use "homosexual" for Lesbians for many reasons, including associating us with men and past horrible stories about "homosexuals" that were never about Lesbians (like having the highest STD and AIDS, etc. statistics). It's bad enough that het women don't want to think about us anyway (or they might make different choices), but the association with gay men can have catastrophic results when dealing with the medical system where their hatred of us goes crazy. I will never forget when I had the signs of strep throat, white spots on my throat and rapidly increasing fever. At the emergency appt. I had, the doctor refused to test me or give me antibiotics because she assumed I had AIDS (and asked if I did.) I'm at the lowest risk possible, never having been het or having a blood transfusion, but the Lesbian-hating doctor lumped me in with gay men. If I hadn't been so sick and scared, I would have told her she was much more at risk for AIDS because she had sexual contact with the main carriers, men.
Agreed! Aaron’s new podcast is excellent and always gives me something new to think about.