The article I posted is actually a video of a speech that I did for International Women’s Day back in March. Near the end of it, I specifically talked about the women’s community here. I mentioned how I felt embraced by the women here and how that surprised me. I have no idea as to exactly why this is, but it feels pretty good to me. Also, it felt pretty natural. While I do try to be mindful and respectful of my surroundings, I didn’t feel any pressure to conform to anything in particular.
In thinking about it, for you, some possibilities come to mind:
- You mentioned that you are well known in your work setting. That says that a number of people knew you before and after. There may be some curiosity regarding if you are the same person or a different person. From my experience, the answer would be Yes.
- There may be a novelty factor. People may have read about Janet Mock, Laverne Cox, the Wachowskis, Dr. Lynn Conway, Stephanie Battaglino, and others and now you fell into their laps.
- Folks know that there is a lot of scrutiny involving you and your situation. For the good of all concerned, some may feel that visibly accepting you helps the situation and may begin the normalization process.
- Some may know other trans people in their lives and want to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
- Anyway, I suspect that if you ask 10 people about why they responded to your situation as they did, you will get 10 different responses. I think we also have to remember that women function very differently in social settings. Consensus and collaboration have a higher priority, so perhaps the thought is about creating minimal change in the work environment.
Anyway, you pose an interesting question! It will be interesting to read other comments. I would also add: Enjoy It!!
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