Recently, I headed off to the local Walmart to pick up a corded mouse for a computer I had lying around. After buying the mouse (and a few other things), I was on my way out of the store and one of the check-out ladies said hello....
After a few minutes of chatting with this woman and one of her associates, she said that I always looked good when I came into the store, then asked a question: "How long have you been in transition?" In one sense, it floored me that someone would ask this question. And in another, it confirmed something I already knew - my size often gives my "transness" away. So, we chatted a few minutes, and found out that she was trans, and possibly young enough to be my granddaughter. She had to leave school because her stepdad wouldn't accept her, and that she's paying her bills on a Walmart salary. (Compared to her, I have it very easy.)
This was a reminder to me to be thankful for what I have - it could always be much worse.
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I can't imagine outing myself at the age of 17. It must have been very hard for this trans woman to even find a place to live and a job to pay for it. We're very lucky that most people don't pay attention to us, and let us live our lives in peace. However, I was glad that I noted that this is not always the case, as I do not want to take the risk of visiting places like Florida and Texas while they have anti-transgender laws in place.....
