So I just got back from the conference I went to this weekend and I had some awesome passing experiences. I wasn't even going to try to pass because it was for work and they all know me as female and so I was signed up for the conference with my female name and thus didn't think there was a point in trying to pass. I didn't even bring my binder (but I wore baggy sweaters all weekend). So anyway, here are some of them--
Friday on the flight there I had the lady checking my boarding pass say "Thank you Mr. *Lastname*" when she handed it back to me and then I forgot my book on the plane and the lady told the guy who brought it out "It belongs to this young gentleman here". Then when I got there I found out they had me rooming with a guy (I guess I passed pretty well in the headshot I had to send them before the conference if they thought I was a guy with a name like Brittni). But my friend made me switch to her room with her, so I didn't actually get to room with him and I'm a little happy because it might have been awkward me being pre-T and pre-top surgery, but I'm still curious if it would have worked out. Also we introduced ourselves to one of the directors and I said my female name and she said "Hi, Ricky" back to me.
Next day at my table I introduced myself as Devin, but I think my voice outted me because they all looked at me funny whenever I talked and seemed like they didn't believe my name was Devin (probably didn't help that my headshot with my female name was hanging right next to our table...). They called me Devin the whole time, though. That night was my birthday so we went out to this collection of bars called Power Plant in Baltimore, if any of you know it, and at one point some girl slapped me on the ass and called me "boo". The bartender also tried to kick me out at closing like he was doing to the other guys instead of telling me to take my time and finish my drink like he was doing with the girls.
This morning I was talking to this one guy about the bus schedule and he told me "you're a pretty smart guy", which made me happy especially since I was talking and so he heard my voice. After that on the bus I heard him talking about me with my co-worker and he called me "that dark-haired guy". I didn't hear if my co-worked outted me to him or not, but it was still pretty cool, and personally I don't want to know if he did. Then on the plane today the guy sitting next to me the entire flight when he tried to get by me at the end kinda hit my arm to get by like guys would do to each other, so I know I passed with him. And then guy on the shuttle to the park and fly called me "boss".
There were a bunch more scattered throughout the weekend-- mostly getting called by male pronouns and stuff, but those are the really great ones.
So yeah-- all in all a very encouraging weekend, especially since I wasn't even trying to pass at all and wasn't expecting so many awesome passing experiences.
