There has to be a first...
...because there's always going to be one. Does that even make sense? No, thought not.
Had my first bad reaction to my being trans today. This is probably because it was a shock to the person in question (part of an online community) and other people in the community knew. Also, she's not seen me in person as I am now, so that's another factor.
People have said that they heard I'm trans and didn't know what to expect. It was only when they saw me in person that they really 'got' it. Nikki, who I used to work with said that when I stuck my latest FB profile pic up she couldn't stop looking at it - but in a good way. She was "amazed" by the changes in me, and it hadn't really sunk in until that point.
Anyway, the comments were along the lines of who do I think I'm kidding, followed by a lot of defensiveness about what it means to be a woman and how I'll never experience that. I had no idea what to say, really. She was making out that I'm somehow 'stealing'... something. Womanhood, I guess.
It was a sour end to the week, but I think it's made me realise how much my appearance factors into my transition for other people. I've had nothing but good, face to face, even from unexpected quarters. Take that away, though, and it becomes difficult - for instance, every time some member of the public keeps calling me "Sir" on the phone in my job leaves me feeling shitty, even though I've had no formal voice training.
So, we christen a new icon. Say hello to Sister Finland, who is mute, moody, drunk and is brandishing a knife. She's for times like this.
Had my first bad reaction to my being trans today. This is probably because it was a shock to the person in question (part of an online community) and other people in the community knew. Also, she's not seen me in person as I am now, so that's another factor.
People have said that they heard I'm trans and didn't know what to expect. It was only when they saw me in person that they really 'got' it. Nikki, who I used to work with said that when I stuck my latest FB profile pic up she couldn't stop looking at it - but in a good way. She was "amazed" by the changes in me, and it hadn't really sunk in until that point.
Anyway, the comments were along the lines of who do I think I'm kidding, followed by a lot of defensiveness about what it means to be a woman and how I'll never experience that. I had no idea what to say, really. She was making out that I'm somehow 'stealing'... something. Womanhood, I guess.
It was a sour end to the week, but I think it's made me realise how much my appearance factors into my transition for other people. I've had nothing but good, face to face, even from unexpected quarters. Take that away, though, and it becomes difficult - for instance, every time some member of the public keeps calling me "Sir" on the phone in my job leaves me feeling shitty, even though I've had no formal voice training.
So, we christen a new icon. Say hello to Sister Finland, who is mute, moody, drunk and is brandishing a knife. She's for times like this.