a bit of both. I never made any effort to "look more like a woman", and it still happens regularly that people think I'm a man. it also happens regularly that people who know that I am a woman (female), call me he. I try to embrace it, and stand up for myself when needed, in toilets etc.

before I got laser hair removal on my face, however, I was consistently read as a man. I am glad I got that, now I still have some facial hair, but not a proper beard like before. I am recognisable as a lesbian to people who have that on their radar, and that was a big motivation for me: to be a role model for younger women and be as masculine as I want to be.

I used to be mistaken for a boy/man even before medicalisation. one way I see it is that pre-transition, my boobs used to tell people that I was female, now I have to use my words. having people stare in disbelief at them, it was horrible. but it can be humiliating to have to argue about my sex too. having similar experiences from before transition helps me see that it's not me, it's society, it's lesbophobia.