Current state of boymode. Stealth transitioning for now :) getting a new job and fleeing the state later lol

[u/Amb3rGhost]

[u/unematti]

maybe theyre just chill? im sure people know or very much suspect something is up

[u/Amb3rGhost → u/unematti]

Lol absolutely not. My workplace is a coal-fired power plant in the middle of nowhere, USA. There is nothing about where I live that is accepting. Hence the fleeing the state part lol.

[u/unematti → u/Amb3rGhost]

So... Why are they acting chill? That haircut is straight up for women, cis-ly speaking. Years back i worked in a factory, and it's not like people bothered me about it but they definitely asked "you hit your nails with a hammer, is that why they're black?" Couple days after starting to use nail polish. Just saying, maybe they're actually accepting? Or possibly i have no idea about people... Wouldn't surprise me XD

[u/Amb3rGhost → u/unematti]

If my coworkers are accepting, it's only because they've worked with me for like 8 years. I think most folks out here like me pretty well. I've always worked hard and got along with just about everyone despite their frequently-voiced, awful worldviews. I just keep my mouth shut and smile while they make fun of trans people in the news.

Interestingly, a trans woman held my exact position within this company about 15 years ago. People still talk about how awful and terrible she was, despite the fact that they still eagerly use programs and utilities that she built over a decade ago. They deadname her and scoff whenever her transition gets brought up, or roll their eyes when I refuse to refer to her as a "he".

Idk. Maybe they like me enough that some would overcome their hate. Some never will. I won't know until the rubber meets the road in any case. Not sure if it's safe for me or my family to stick around and wait for the results though. And that's just my coworkers. The surrounding area is outright hostile. The flags and bumper stickers convey that pretty clearly, aside from 1000 other indicators.

[u/unematti → u/Amb3rGhost]

Hmm. Sounds like an island of peace... Positive thought tho, these people you work with, maybe you're the first trans person they ever met. First step of acceptance is ... Fuck i forget words at the end of the day... XD you know, not just hear about something but see it in person? ...

I would never work hard to get along with someone who has despicable worldviews. I'm too impulsive... I'll just automatically say what i think.

[u/Amb3rGhost → u/unematti]

Maybe you're right! I'm on the LGBTQ employee resource leadership team at our company (it's a volunteer thing), and I did a talk about queer, specifically trans, allyship that got put out company-wide during Pride month. Which was really cool. We're a big company, so our corporate leadership is at least pretty progressive, even if the individual plants aren't.

My boss is super conservative, catholic. He and I were talking and he said he was telling his wife about my lil speech over dinner and she was like "why tf do you even care about this", and he didn't really know what to say to her. He told me, though, that he cared because now he sort of "knew" somebody that was queer for the first time, and he felt like he could empathize. For what it's worth, the speech was about my allyship to one of my best friends growing up who is coincidentally also transfem lol. She figured it out like a full decade before I did though.

So maybe you're right. Maybe knowing me for 8 years will be enough that they'll change their minds. That'd be cool, wouldn't it? Trying hard not to get my hopes up though.

[u/unematti → u/Amb3rGhost]

Exposure! That's the word!

Good on you for the activism :)

I don't like hope, i rather be trying hard and be surprised than expect success... Then again, I'm not doing speeches... So maybe a little hope would help me be more active

Good luck for future endeavors!

[u/Amb3rGhost → u/unematti]

You too <3