Ah, the trials, tribulations, and even occasional fun of working a "masculine" or male-dominated profession.
Almost all my life.
I was a computer hacker as a child, which naturally lead me to work in computers for the government. Computers are a mostly male dominated profession (especially System administration, which I was a unix admin for many years). I also have been a stage hand (although there were women in this industry, it was still male dominated). I have been an electrician multipul times (and currently am, and most likely in the future will be). Electrical work, and construction in general, is highly male-dominated.
For the Record, I didnt transition on the job. At age 19 I saved enough money working as an electrician on navy ships (as a private contractor), I worked 12 hours a day 6-7 days a week, and lived in a hotels paid for by the company. After this job I had more than enough money to transition without working for a year. After I was fulltime, and more confident, I started applying for work as female. It worked out rather well. Thats when I went back into computers. I swore I would never do electrical work or anything like that again, because of the intense homophobia and cruelty I experienced at this job, even though I wasnt transitioning, although towards the end I was taking HRT, I was never very masculine, and I was often at the end of very cruel words.
I spent many other years doing odd things, and even buying/selling used cars (privately, not on a lot).
I also was a traveling "kid" for a while, and lived job/house free.
At some point I wanted to become a fashion designer, but it just never happened.
Then somehow 6 years ago, I fell back into electrical work (mostly residential, but also a decent bit of commercial buildings).
I often am the only female on the job site. However I do live in a fairly liberal minded area, in colorado. It really hasnt caused me too many issues. Although ask any woman, cis or trans.. if you want to be taken seriously in these fields(construction), you do have to be more "Butch". When I first got back into this, I almost felt a bit de-transitioned just because I had to play up this hyper-butch-lesbian role, even though I am not butch or a lesbian. Once all our contractors knew I did good work, I did soften up quite a bit, and nobody has really ever said anything. Although I think most assume I am a lesbian. I wear baggy work clothes, mostly because, well, dressing in a skirt, and wearing a ton of makeup doesnt bode well for crawling in insulation, crawlers, or much of anything else. Even the cis women I know who do construction wear guys work clothes. I think for the most part, people just leave me alone because I do good work. My coworker and my boss have seen me "after work hours" and are often like "WOAH!". My boss is a curious fellow, and a friend, he knows I am trans, because we have talked about things as friends.
The only "jobs" ive ever had that are 'equal' or even more on the female side are...
Acting (mostly improv real time, such as professional haunted houses)
Modeling (yes......the dirty kind)
