Something I wonder is how much it depends on whether or not you have an attractive face to begin with. It's hard to take these anecdotes seriously now that I know how much women care about looks. If you're doing online dating, I've heard it's hard to even get a woman to reply (let alone go on a date and get naked).

I've also heard that a lot of lesbians won't date trans women and I'm guessing the ones that will date a transwoman generally want one that passes.

All that said, I have been thinking about trying to date again, but I'm not very hopeful. I'm also not sure if I should present as a male or female. It seems like if I try dating as a male at most regular sites, my messages will just be ignored if they see my face.

Dating as a lesbian or finding a transgender/crossdresser dating site might be a better choice, but only if I pass better. Aside from looks, my natural voice is very deep and voice training so far has been less than promising.