Gender non-binary and gender non-conforming speakers

Gender identity and gender presentation involve a very personal sensory and cognitive sense of self. Though the gender binary limits the expectations of effective communication for everyone in our society, there is some wiggle room for each of us to speak in varying degrees and combinations of feminine-perceived vs. masculine-perceived vs. overlapping or neutral speech/voice patterns. These patterns can interact with the many roles we take on in our daily lives, and their importance can vary depending on the context. This comes into play when developing a unique communication profile, whether your goal is to be less or more feminine-perceived, less or more masculine-perceived, both, neither, something else, and/or variable depending on the day or situation.

I help you to understand gender-based norms, perceptions, and expectations, to determine where you are and where you want or need to be, based on your own definition, intuition, or sensory experiences, and to adopt new speaking behaviors that feel right to you. That may involve adding or subtracting certain features of talking or both, depending on the situation. I facilitate your ability to express yourself not only in a more authentic and effective way, but also, should you choose, in a way that challenges societal concepts of gender. In doing so, I am honored, as a cisgender female and human being, to be a part of a process towards your own self-empowerment as well as a broader effort to dismantle gender stereotypes and gender discrimination, and reduce microaggressions and macroaggressions towards people of all genders in daily life, particularly those who are very marginalized.

Please refer to the gender affirming voice care page for more information about my approach to voice training, and the transfeminine speakers and transmasculine speakers pages to get a sense of some gender norms and how they may or may not apply to you.

Quick tips

We all have various forms of identity related to gender, socioeconomic class, profession, ethnicity, age, etc. Try to identify in which contexts gender plays more of a role vs. other identities you have. It often relates to who you are around, what is happening, and how everyone is expected to relate to one another.

Consider other people’s voices to explore what you would like or not like for yourself.