Challenging the Concept of Entrapment in Transgender Voices: A Case Study

Abstract: Gender-diverse singers often dismiss the potentially life-saving treatment of testosterone therapy due to fear of damaging their voices permanently, a fear linked to the concept of “entrapment.” Entrapment refers to the vocal symptoms of a gender-diverse person undergoing testosterone therapy who experiences significant, long-term weakness and hoarseness. This article dissects the concept of entrapment in order to relieve the fear surrounding testosterone therapy for singers, and to interrogate the discrepancy between published research and contemporary findings in the applied voice studio in regard to the supposed condition of entrapment.