Androgyny & Crossdressing in movies

[crazychristina]

Anyone interested in this topic could check out Lynn Conway's site. This page links to several galleries of MtoF transsexuals. An important consideration is how early a TS person starts hormone therapy. Female hormones suppress testosterone production (I had no detectable testosterone four weeks after starting hormone therapy). Testosterone is responsible for developing a larger frame, stronger facial features (square jaw, brow ridge, etc), and of course facial hair. People in developed countries generally need a doctors prescription to access hormones, so many TS people in these countries have already suffered the ravages of testosterone (I'm talking MtoF here) before they are legally able to do anything about it. In developing countries access to hormones is not so strongly controlled, hence many beautiful and very feminine TS people from these places - they started on hormones before puberty went too far. However surgery is very expensive, so often they can't afford gender reassignment surgery. The Brazilian model Lea T is probably a good example here, although she does have somewhat masculine features. Many of the Asian girls look fantastic however.

[Nightrider]

David Bowie was called androgynous at one point. Most of it was based on make up, clothes and body language.
Mick Jagger had an androgynous period..These are all cosmetic changes. Temporary things. Caroline"Tula"Cossey, a British model who is probably the most famous transsexual in the world went through the surgery and actually approached stardom appearing in a James Bond movie, Playboy layout and "Some Like It Hot" video for The Power Station.
It just seems that true androgyny transcends simple props and behavioral patterns...As mentioned before, it's in the eyes, in the bone structure so when there's an androgynos character in a film it's fascinating to see how the filmmakers and an actor will handle that particular role. LTROI could have turned out so badly in the wrong hands. It's a mirace that a final result turned out so well.

[gymmy64]

In developing countries access to hormones is not so strongly controlled, hence many beautiful and very feminine TS people from these places - they started on hormones before puberty went too far.

I remember watching a documentary on gender reassignment, and two of the subjects were young people who were born female. Both had been given medication to prevent puberty. The younger child had to wait until a certain age (14 or 15?) to begin hormone therapy, so that he would reach maximum height. The older child was in his late teens and had already been given the hormones; you would never have know that he'd been born female just by looking at him.

Kristin Stewart in the Safety of Objects (character's name is Sam):

[Dragonclaws]

If we're talking about androgyny in general, I can think of Tilda Swinton as the angel Gabriel in Constantine.

Anyone interested in this topic could check out Lynn Conway's site. This page links to several galleries of MtoF transsexuals.

I'd also recommend http://genderfork.com/ for more varied androgynous looks.

[sauvin]

Has anyone ever figured out what it is about the human face that helps us distinguish female from male, and then analyzed all of these people with those criteria in mind? There must be some scientific basis behind all of this, because it seems as though there is little disagreement that these examples are, in fact, androgynous.

I generally go by distance between the eyes and the ears, and by the size and shape of the teeth. It's not foolproof, though.

[bore]

I generally go by distance between the eyes and the ears, and by the size and shape of the teeth. It's not foolproof, though.

Heck of a lot more foolproof than the method the fools down at the pub uses. Length of hair and amount of beard.

[a_contemplative_life]

This is an interesting video wherein an artist explains the differences between the faces of men and women. And draws some faces as he goes in elapsed time.

There appears to be a vast body of literature about sexual dimorphism that is not easily summarized here.

[metoo]

Here's another example of an androgynous character.

[Aurora]

Jaye Davidson as Ra in the film Stargate



Although I must admit I prefered James Spader as Daniel Jackson

[Nightrider]

Grace Jones from Conan, The Destroyer