> Do you ever feel like these applications are re-enforcing physical gender stereotypes?
They do. Even people that are not transgender might get stuck trying to reach a goal that is impossible. What I have is "Gender Dysphoria" because it is strongly linked to my gender identity. However, nobody is safe from "Body Dysmorphic Disorder". There has been a increase in people who go see plastic chirurgeons with such filters as reference images[1].
In my case, that's a wanted effect. By sticking to society's gender stereotypes I increase my ability to pass unnoticed. It is fine for women to not follow those stereotypes. There are strong women, women who like to dress in male clothing, women who wear punk haircuts, sit with their legs spread out, etc. The thing is, those habits often cause people to take notice. In their case, people would look and think "Oh, this woman is punk. I [love/hate] how it looks!". In my case, that's often "Oh god, there is a man in the girl's bathroom. Let's call security!".
I am aware of the stereotypes and hide behind them. That's not to say I never break them. In my daily life, I try to blend in. If I go to a bar and want to stand out? There's nothing stopping me from bending those rules. For example, my large shoulders that are a pain in my day to day life look amazing in studded leather coat.
[1] "Please Don’t Ask a Plastic Surgeon to Make You Look Like a Snapchat Filter" - http://fortune.com/2018/08/03/please-dont-ask-a-plastic-surg...
They do. Even people that are not transgender might get stuck trying to reach a goal that is impossible. What I have is "Gender Dysphoria" because it is strongly linked to my gender identity. However, nobody is safe from "Body Dysmorphic Disorder". There has been a increase in people who go see plastic chirurgeons with such filters as reference images[1].
In my case, that's a wanted effect. By sticking to society's gender stereotypes I increase my ability to pass unnoticed. It is fine for women to not follow those stereotypes. There are strong women, women who like to dress in male clothing, women who wear punk haircuts, sit with their legs spread out, etc. The thing is, those habits often cause people to take notice. In their case, people would look and think "Oh, this woman is punk. I [love/hate] how it looks!". In my case, that's often "Oh god, there is a man in the girl's bathroom. Let's call security!".
I am aware of the stereotypes and hide behind them. That's not to say I never break them. In my daily life, I try to blend in. If I go to a bar and want to stand out? There's nothing stopping me from bending those rules. For example, my large shoulders that are a pain in my day to day life look amazing in studded leather coat.
[1] "Please Don’t Ask a Plastic Surgeon to Make You Look Like a Snapchat Filter" - http://fortune.com/2018/08/03/please-dont-ask-a-plastic-surg...