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Or Lauren Mcnamara. She has lots of Youtube videos. I am not actually sure why she would reveal she is Trans. In looking at her videos, I am not sure why she would reveal anything at all about her past. She is bullet proof in my opinion.
She may be talking about Trans issues because her own presentation is so strong. Please take notice of her voice. The pitch is in the female range, and her inflection and resonance make so many of us seem like pitiful pretenders.
Ladies, I am tellng you that YOU can improve your voice, and in my opinion should perhaps actually be the single most important thing one does in Transition. A speech therapist is only about $60 an hour and one could perhaps learn enough to proceed after 4 hours. This takes a lot of personal practice, but in my opinion is worth it.
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Zinnia Jones
I just watch the interview she gave talking about Manning. However you feel about the hot button Manning subject the interview Ms. Jones gives is very good.
Her voice is very good at least as far as I can tell. Being hard of hearing with the volume cranked to just hear her, it seems good.
Hugs
Grover
Out is helpful
Lauren is out because she believes that being out advances the cause of trans people in society. Having more visible trans people out there helps to foster acceptance.
I am out in the sense I'm not stealth, but I don't disclose my status to every random stranger I meet. However, I can understand that not everyone wants to be out. It's easier for me since I live in a very liberal area (San Francisco Bay).
For me, having a feminine voice helps me feel better. It can also make life easier if you are in regular contact with unaccepting people.
GeekGirl
Why the comparison?
I mean no disrespect whatsoever but I feel it is unfair to look at someone so young as an example of what to aspire to unless you are close to the same age. A person who transitions young is much more capable of completely passing than someone who transitions later in life.
Yes she looks extremely feminine but she has not had as many years of testosterone running through her body to alter it. Also her voice is great but she has not had to overcome as many years of conditioning to sound a certain way.
I have wasted entirely too many emotions lamenting on how I no longer look as I did when I was younger. I finally realized I was cheating myself when I, at 43, tried to compare myself to someone who is in their twenties.
Pitiful pretenders is kind of harsh. A person's voice is not the end all of passing. Women come is all shapes and sizes, the same holds true for their voices. If a person is being true to themselves then how can they be a pretender? It is true that not everyone can sound as good as the person you mentioned but if they use the voice they have with confidence then they have nothing to be ashamed of.
My grandmother had a very deep voice as a result of problems with her ovaries (I don't remember the exact details) but the fact she often got "sir'd" on the telephone did not make her less of a woman. The same is true for any of us.
In the beginning of my coming to terms with myself, I fought transitioning with every fiber of my being and used my voice as my main excuse. (with my height as a close second but that is another story for another day)
A TS friend of mine who had transitioned years before gave me one of the wisest pieces of advice I have ever received and given how often I see posts on here concerning the voice, I feel maybe someone else could benefit from her words of wisdom.
People hear what they see.
I thought she was crazy but she explained that most people don't pay enough attention to what happens in the periphery of their own little worlds. She went on to explain that most people don't care unless it effects them directly. Most people have something better to do than worry about someone's odd voice.
Those of us who are connected to our feminine side notice other's voice more than most because it effects us directly but for others it is easily dismissed.
If you present the best possible woman, meaning if you dress in a manner that does not attract the wrong attention (IE clothes that fit properly and are appropriate to your surroundings). If you act in a feminine manner (IE not walking like a man and have overly masculine body language) AND are comfortable in your surroundings (IE act like you belong instead of being scared and drawing attention to yourself) then your voice will not give you away.
I say all that to say this... While the voice is very important, it is not life or death. Yes it is an area that needs attention but if you have done all you can do and it is the best voice you can give without it sounding fake or falsetto then embrace it and enjoy your life. It is too short not too.
Hugs,
Stef