Thread by @Noah_Halpin

THREAD: Something that not many think about in terms of transitioning is the social adaptation.
For example, prior to transition, the first thing that I studied was Childcare & Early Learning.
I worked in playschools & I worked as a full-time childmender for 5 years.
First to a

2 year old girl. Then to two young boys aged 3 &5.
I never had a problem finding work with kids. I had a qualification, I had experience & I had extras, such as pediatric emergency first aid, experience in caring for children with intellectual disabilities etc...
But as soon as

I transitioned, as soon as I identified as male, as soon as I began passing, all of my qualifications & experience became mute.
Where once I would get a childcare job first time, there not a chance that I would now.
My appearance has changed. My qualifications or experience has

not changed.
When my hair was long & my make up was pretty, I was highly sought after by families. As soon as my appearance & my gender identity changed, I wasn’t.
When I’m in a room with cis men who don’t know that I am trans, I hear the most derogatory conversations aimed

towards women. Words that none of these men would ever have been confident in saying if a woman was in the room, or if indeed, a man that had once lived as a ‘woman’.
Things I’d heard happened but never truly comprehended until now.
And it can be something so small as having to

get used to being shouldered hard on the street as people pass by you. Because before “passing”, it didn’t usually happen.
Or living you whole life having guys hold the door for you, but all of a sudden you have to remember to hold the door for ladies coming through after you.

When I looked like a woman, and I was sitting in a cafe, a Mum was there with her child who was kicking off, I could wave at the child or smile at it, & the Mum would smile back.
But all of a sudden, although I’m the same person, if I do that now, it could possibly be picked up

in the wrong way.
This is not something I’ve ever worried about before.
Before transition, I was so confident on confronting boys/men if they ever said anything homophobic, sexist etc... Because I felt comfortable in the thought that they won’t physically hurt me be cause I’m

“a girl”.
So now, in incidents that I would have stood up for myself before, I won’t, because I’m afraid that the ‘lads’ won’t think twice about hitting me.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that being trans is more than just medical transition, it’s more than just legal

transition & its more than just social transition.
The one thing not many talk about is societal transition.
And for those transitioning, its something we keep learning every single day.
It’s changed my daily life & my career opportunities. I havnt changed, so why should my life?

6 years ago, I had a different name & I looked different, but that’s all.
And today, I have the same education, morals, values, qualifications, experience & nature as I do now. So why are my opportunities different.
Societal transition is something that needs to be explored more.

I’m sure @JaneDarcyMoment will attest.

Apologies for the typos, I was speed writing!