Hey guys!
I am less than a month on T. I told my family 3 weeks ago that I was starting hormone therapy, and overall they reacted mostly indifferently. However, later in the day, my brother started yapping about how difficult it is for men in today's society (American), and how misandry is rampant and far more accepted than misogyny. I jokingly told him, "I'll let you know the differences when I start passing." He swore that I would find life much more difficult once people started clocking me as male, and people would stop taking my struggles seriously. I let him know that nobody's ever really taken my struggles seriously, but pop off, bro. Lmao!
Anyways, it turned into a whole big debate about gender double standards and we ultimately ended up deciding that shitty people suck and will be mean to you regardless of what gender you present as.
The thing is, my partner is ftm transmasc nonbinary and we both work in the trades. My partner has told me multiple stories of the horrible things men will say about women when they think there's no women around. They've told me that, at least in a male-dominated field, it's easier to "fit in" and earn respect if you have a beard and a deeper voice.
I've only navigated my trade as a female, and it's been extremely difficult at times. I've been sexually harassed, demeaned, passed over for opportunities, and treated like I'm less mentally capable because I happen to have tits.
On the other hand, my brother worked in a female-dominated field, and stated that he was demeaned for being male. That the women around him would shit talk men, then turn to him and say, "not you though, you're one of the good ones." He said they would treat him as if he were less intelligent because of his gender.
So I'm curious, what differences have you noticed in the way you are treated by strangers / coworkers now that you present masculine? Is misandry just as bad as misogyny? Or is it more of a, "if you are a minority gender in your chosen field, you're gonna have a harder time?"
Thank you for your input!