20
2012Ladies, What Ladies?
It actually took me by surprise, my reaction to this clerk referring to me and my GF as “ladies.”
We started the day going out for coffee and pedicures, followed by a stop on our way home at Home Depot. We needed to get some answers about some work that needed to be done at our home, what was involved, whether we could do it ourselves or have to hire someone, what it all would cost, etc., etc.
I was in a bit of an odd mood, a little under the weather and maybe a even just a wee irritable. I think my self-awareness was a bit clouded and my mind pretty unfocused so, with all the talk about mixing cement and drywall, I must have psychologically drifted fully into a masculine frame of mind.
And, I mean “fully,” cuz when the guy who was helping us asked his colleague to “help out these ladies, who are looking for…” I swear I totally cringed!
“Huh?” I thought to myself, then pausing, “…oh yes, that’s right, ladies.”
Never have I felt quite so disjointed from myself!
I have never even had this reaction when being mistaken for a woman when out as a guy.
I wonder what it means?
cyrsti
Come on now. I think you know what it means 🙂
Your girl is winning.
Ashley
It means that you’re “leaking gender” far more than you’re admitting to…. 🙂 . The same happened to me way way before transition and in front of my mom.
Claire
Perhaps you both misunderstand – or maybe I misunderstand you… I was my female self out there, and I should have expected to be addressed in the feminine, but I forgot who or what I was for a time and despite my appearance was internally totally male at that moment.
Ashley
You’re still leaking gender. This time from the male side to the female side. In this case it was internal. You forgot that you’re presenting female. Such is life with gender fluidity.
Shannon Townes
Being “internally totally male” is understandable. Don’t beat yourself up. Society’s stereotype says the male is the “fixer upper” at home. After all, the term is “handyman”, not handygirl. So maybe you slipped on that stereotype. Oh well. Just make sure it’s Janie, the handygirl, who does the work at home….and that old mindset will slowly fade away.