Hi all

The University of Helsinki makes a research of transsexuals in work life. Yesterday I answered their questions. One was like this: "How do you get along with your neighbours? What about the people in your neighbourhood?". I had to answer: "I get along just fine and I have good relationships with the people in my area. But that does not necessarily tell that they are tolerant, because I have lived here all the time as a woman and I doubt that they know my past."
This brings out the eternal question. If we have good relationships with people, is it ignorance, tolerance...or maybe passing? Who can tell?
To my mind this question was not very well considered. There were much better questions concerning the job situations, where we have the starting point that at least some people know our story.

Laura

Hi All,
Laura, back to your original post on the Helsinki "Work Life" survey.....

Questions I would have asked.

1) How is your relationship with your Peers?

2) Do you have any employees reporting to you? If so, how are those relationships?

3) Do you feel that you are being included or excluded from various work activities, meetings, and decisions?

4) Do you feel your pay scale is affected positively or negatively?

5) What about opportunities for advancement? Are they affected in a positive or negative manner?

6) Does your employer have any established policies regarding the Transgendered?

Laura, I would be curious if the study addressed any of these issues. Are they going to publish any results?

On a personal basis, I look forward to your posts, as they bring up issues for me to think about.

Just a girl starting her journey,

Michelle Lynn

Hi Laura

Perhaps there's a fourth option .. indifference.

Most people are so wrapped up in dealing with their own lives and personal issues to even notice that someone else is "different" to the norm. Of course this only applies to strangers, people that know you well fall into another category.

C xx

In my case it’s tolerance, and perhaps with some people, indifference as Cerys suggested. I only have one neighbour that I actually come into contact with, who has seen me both fully dressed, and unshaven in jeans and t-shirt working in the garden. He’s very friendly and obviously there is no doubt about my transgender status. But I do come into contact with other people in this town, I always get read when I speak to people and quite often they make a quick comment, words to the effect of, “I admire what you’re doing…” etc. Either that or they don’t mention it and speak to me just as they would with anyone. I’m pretty certain that in those cases it’s not because they haven’t realised. I did actually ask one guy, in a roundabout way, and yes, he had sussed me. Being obviously less passable than you, Laura, leaves me in no doubt that people generally are tolerant towards transsexuals, certainly around here, and that’s quite a surprise because many people think of this place as the English equivalent of a redneck town. There are lots of ts’s and tv’s who don’t go out because they are convinced that they will have problems, that people will snigger, or stare, or hurl abuse. I used to worry about such things too, but that is not the reality in my experience. The world is certainly changing, people are becoming better educated and more of us are venturing out to show that we have nothing to be ashamed of, and that we are just normal people. The greatest thing we have to overcome is our own fear.
xx

If I could just throw in one caveat to what Lucy has said;

I know that Lucy will always present herself to the world in an "appropriate" way. That is, the way she dresses is commensurate with the surroundings and atmosphere. I'm sure this makes all the difference to how you are perceived and treated.

However, if you go down to the local supermarket dressed as a 14 year old school girl or hooker and you're actually a 50 year old bloke then don't be surprised if you get rocks thrown at you (by me, probably).

Tolerance is a two way street, we have to do our part if we expect others to do theirs.

Sorry for straying away from Laura's original point.

C xxx

I think that’s a fair point, Cerys. If you go to somewhere like Manchester’s Gay Village you can wear what you like and people are not surprised to see it. And boy do some girls dress “inappropriately”!
But if you want to go out in your own town without any hassle then some small effort is required to make yourself presentable. Of course if you want to present as an outrageous tranny then you wears your stockings and you takes your chances.
xx