Gender Affirming Voice Training, Simplified
Updated: Nov 28, 2022
Do you get confused when you hear so many different terms for voice and communication training for transgender and gender diverse people? Read on to learn more about gender affirming voice training!
Voice sex
Voice sex is how much first-puberty testosterone exposure it sounds like someone has had
We perceive four different voice sexes: man, woman, unclear, and fluid
Voice sex changes with puberty
Vocal weight, resonance, pitch, and their interplay with breath and consistency are the primary ways listeners code voice sex
Human brains are lazy- we code voice sex in less than a second, and after that just want everything we hear to affirm our initial coding
Voice gender
Voice gender is the gendered patterns someone speaks with
We perceive two-binary voice genders, and others outside the binary: masculine, feminine, distinctly non-gendered, unclear, and fluid
Voice gender does not change with puberty
Voice gender varies by where you were raised
Accent, language, pronunciation, body language, emphasis, and pitch patterns all contribute to how listeners code voice gender
Perceived voice gender can be congruent or incongruent with perceived voice sex
Voice sex and voice gender can both be changed, in any combination!
We wanted to show virtual voice training for this, so Madelynne and Tallulah shared the happy moment Madelynne realized she couldn't speak in her old voice anymore :)
Harmonic Speech helps people love their voice! Please reach out to learn more: www.harmonicspeech.com/gendervoice
-Tallulah Breslin, MS, CCC/SLP (she/they)
Gender & Identity Affirming Voice Training @Harmonic Speech Therapy
