Being Short

[Guest mary/jason]

One of the biggest things that can suck about being FTM is that biological females tend to be a LOT shorter than bio guys. Genetically even tall girls are 5'7" at best. But I was randomly looking through Wikipedia and I landed on Truman Capote's page and it says quote "Capote was 5 feet 3 inches (160 cm) tall". I'm 5'1" and just seeing this make me feel a lot cooler with being short. So I'm sharing this fact with any other short guys out there (cause if you're anything like me it's kind of a huge life factor). Oh yeah,...

Danny Devito 5 ft

Michael J. Fox 5'4"

^ ^ ! j

[Guest UnicornGiggles]

I have a cismale friend who's about 4 foot something and he's a million kinds of awesome.

[Flint]

Charlie Chaplin (6 April 1889 – 25 December 1977) was apparently around 5’3”

Matt Bush (actor) 5’2”

Narciso Rodriguez (fashion designer) 5’4 (same as me)

Alber Elbaz (something to do with fashion) is about 5’3”

Marc Bolan (was an songwriter, poet) 5’2”

Sadly I can not link the source of this information because of some swearing.

[Guest mary/jason]

yeah it's kinda weird that since that level of shortness isn't necessarily common with guys it's surprising when you find a genuinely short cismale. it's a good thing for shorter passable FTMs that's for sure.

[Guest HoWeVeRmine]

Also, if anyone is feeling bad about their height, I accidentally stumbled upon this song that I think is really amazing.

It's called "On The Brightside" by NeverShoutNever and the chorus goes a little something like this;

You're only as tall as your heart will let you be

And you're only as small, as the world will make you seem

When the going gets rough and you feel like you may fall

Just look on the brightside - you're roughly six feet tall

It translates figuratively as well and I just felt like sharing it because it's a really feel-good song (:

[Carolyn Marie]

Jason, I don't claim to be any sort of inspiration, but I'm 5'3", have had a successful career in government, am well respected, have an awesome and lovely wife, and people IRL seem to like me.

Other than always being picked last for basketball, having to climb on the grocery store shelves to reach what I want, and never wearing a suit off the rack, I think I've had a pretty good life.

So go and have a good one, and let someone else be tall.

Carolyn Marie

[Guest N.Chaos]

Wow, I never realized Michael J Fox was that short!

I'm friggin' 5'6, and I can't reach the top shelf in our kitchen X_X

I've known bioguys who were around my height, though. Actually, one of my best friends is maybe an inch taller than me so...I'm not too bad off!

Could be worse, I could be as short as poor Danny Devito!

[Guest ShortyT]

I'm 5'6, which is pefectly fine. Sure, being a bit taller would be fine, but oh well. I have two older brothers, and the firstborn stole the height. My other bro and me are the same height.

[Sally]

Former New York Mayor Fiorella Laguardia was only 5'2" but so respected that they named the airport after him.

Paul Simon is very short, he made an appearance on Oprah the other day and he did not quite reach her shoulder but what a talent!

Being tall is highly over rated - being average would be ideal but how many people are really average - it takes a lot of short people to off set one professional basketball team!

Think of it this way - whatever height you are is the ideal height, everyone else is either really short or freakishly tall.

Love ya,

Sally, a perfect 6'4"

[Guest Leigh]

my best friend has 6 brothers almost all of whom are shorter than i am...

peace&love

[JJ]

This thread made me feel better about my just under 5'5". Thanks!

John

[Guest Sameus]

Both my mother and father are short (5'1" and 5'8", respectively), so I've got something of an excuse.

I'm 5'5", but fortunately I'm not worried because my local area seems to be abundant with short cis-guys.

[Guest Willow AKA Will]

I'm only 4'8" but I've always liked my height, it's one of the things that makes me, me. I wouldn't change it for the world, except maybe to make me shorter because there is a basketball team for little people but the cut off is 4'6" and it would be cool to be on a team like that.

[Guest sphere]

I used to hate my height (I'm 5'3"), but eventually I realized it's kind of stupid to worry about. Sure, being taller would be awesome, but being short is no big deal either. Short guys exist.

Some famous short people include:

Genghis Khan (5'1")

Mahatma Ghandi (5'3")

Voltaire (5'3")

Pablo Picasso (5'4")

James Madison (5'4")

Charlie Chaplin (5'5")

Beethoven (5'4")

Gary Coleman (4'8")

Danny DeVito (5'0")

Elton John (5'4")

John Keats (5'1")

Igor Stravinsky (5'4")

JRR Tolkien (5'5")

Houdini (5'2")

Prince (5'2")

Seth Green (5'4")

Joe Pesci (5'4")

Joseph Stalin (5'4")

Mozart (5'4")

Alexander the Great (5'5")

Mel Brooks (5'5")

Thom Yorke (5'5")

[Remus]

OK, I'm seriously loving this. Next time someone lols at my height, I have ammo!

I had to be measured in 2008 and I was 160cm exactly (and doubt I've grown any since then, I'm already 23), and it's always always always bugged me. Even my friends and I will be standing around talking, and then one of them will turn to me and say "Wow...you really are short, aren't you?!" Which we all joke about, and they're very sympathetic, looking up lift shoes for me and everything, but yeah, still a pain.

So yay for the height un-fail!!!

[Guest CrimsonEdge]

I'm gonna copy down this list and compare myself to these great men the next time someone teases me about my height

Thanks sphere

[Guest barton]

Being 5'1" bothers me sometimes, but I take solace in that I'm still (slightly) taller than my sisters.

And I still tower over my grandmother.

[Guest Cowboy]

I'm only 5'2" and really, I hardly ever think about my height. Although I have the same build as my dad, and make up what I lack in height, in muscle mass. Sometimes I can't help but to be self-conscious about it though and it sucks. I did notice a lot of short cismales over the holidays, and I honestly don't think height contributes to passing at all. There was quite a bit of cismales I could look eye-to eye with, and a few I even stood taller than.

It all has to do with confidence really. if you carry yourself very confidently and think nothing of how tall you stand, then your confidence is going to overshadow your height.

[Guest Ezzy]

Ive always felt bad bad bout being shorter than everyone in my family,

but i realise now how lucky i am . Big things come in small packages right?

[Guest Chiv]

I am 5'2 with a tall presence and this thread did make me smile As with everything else, when the dysphoria gets bad, the height is just another thing. I figure as I feel better about myself, the height issue won't matter. With the site being PG, I really had to behave about not writing on the benefits of short guys and tall women.

[Guest HaidyHaid]

I definitely don't feel so bad about being short.. 5'2''..

And honestly, Sometimes when it gets me down, I look at fellow short classmates. My friend Tyler is actually 2 inches shorter than me! ^^

[Guest PaintedWingss]

I also happen to be a shorty at 5'1". I hate being short, but I suppose if there are men who are around my height, I should be okay. Except the fact that this factor gives my sex away. D:

[Guest Mina89]

I'm (pre-transition) 5'7" and 145 lbs. Not much, but all but one of the guys in my Sambo class are scared to death of me! Quick thought and movement mixed with precision allow me to frighten a room full of 5'11"+ men. The only one who consistently beats me in spars is 6'5" and 220lbs, but nearly matches me for speed. He admits he actually has to be at the top of his game to fight me, though, and we're both ranked 1st Kandidat Master.

I'd rather be less imposing and far more feminine looking than I am, but my height has nothing at all to do with that. How you carry yourselves should be more important.

Now if only there were some way to shrink my rib cage...

-Valerie

[Guest seanjamie]

I'm about 5'3" and my younger sister has by past me just this past year , which leaves me as the shortest in my house bar my Jack (jack russell terrier). Fortunately I suspected this would be the case and unfortunately for her nick names stick and she will always be shorty to me ( she is so cute and this nickname is a term of endearment ). I have become used to being the shorter person in things which is cool , I mean I still get teased mercilessly from friends and my family but is all in the name of fun and you know what I get my own back .

Oh I'm sorry Valerie ... I guess there are a few guys here who would happily swap if technology was up to that point. Just try to think you are you and you are a beautiful woman - it will change in time and you will be able to be who you are. *Huggs*

~Sean