Stuff Strangers Say

[Edge]

I get misgendered almost all the friggin' time.
I prefer getting asked if I'm a boy or a girl because at least then they aren't assuming I'm a woman.
One guy started telling me about how great and important women are. I'm not transitioning because I don't want to be a woman. I'm transitioning because I'm a man.

[LatrellHK]

I get misgendered almost all the friggin' time.
I prefer getting asked if I'm a boy or a girl because at least then they aren't assuming I'm a woman.
One guy started telling me about how great and important women are. I'm not transitioning because I don't want to be a woman. I'm transitioning because I'm a man.

Sounds like my aunt and grandmother. Both try telling me how great it is to grow up to become an independent young lady, how beautiful I'll be if I just showed it for once, how easy it could be for me to find a girlfriend (or boyfriend if I'm talking to my aunt).
When I went to Robinsdale to go to see her and the rest of the family, she and my granma asked me to talk to them in the living room after they noticed me talking to a girl. They then tried to convince me that a mans life is so hard and bad and that I should stay in my 'rightful place and body.' I got so mad I told them, if you wanna get mad at someone, get mad at my dad. His sperm screwed up and put my in the wrong body. Now can I please go before I get angry.
I hate it when they try telling me it's not good for me, its bad, or as my grandmother puts it which really hurt me, how I'll never really be considered a guy and I'm wasting my time.

[Ayden]

This was posted on ->-bleeped-<-:

"You're not an ugly girl so just work on yourself and put some make up on if you want to get a guy. You don't have to do this just because you can't get a boyfriend."

Most ignorant comment I've ever read. I'm not transitioning to male because I can't get a date.

Ugh. And yes, all women want men and if they do they should slap on some make-up. Because women all need a man and to look pleasing to them. I love when kids try and act they know everything.

I heard a few comments like this when I was first starting. They all thought I couldn't "get a date" despite knowing that I was happily married. I had a few lesbians tell me "well, if you just act a little more butch/femme you can get a girlfriend.

No thanks, I'm gay. I'm married to a gay guy. I don't think he'd like it if I put on some push-up bras and makeup.

[Alice Rogers]

"What are you doing in here luv, this is the gents!" This was before I started dressing full time and was just in jeans tee shirt and no makeup, I was smiling from ear to ear, I realised later he may have thought I was male and just being a prick cos I looked feemy but I didn't care!

[CaptainRossAlexander]

One time I was on the school bus, and this dude sat in the seat across from me, and I guess his friend wanted to sit with him, because he said "Just sit with her." to which his friend said "Bro, that's a dude." They proceeded to argue over whether I ("it") was a boy or a girl for a while, when the one who believed I was a guy got the BRILLIANT idea to -gasp- ask me. I told him I was a guy, and the other kid (who I guess knew me before I came out) tried to argue with me about it. Then he asked, and I quote "Do you got a pee-pee?"
Everyone has a urethra, sir.

[AdamMLP]

Woman on the tills: "That'll be £14. Can I interest you on getting a membership card?"
Me: "No thanks."
Her: "That's if you're old enough..."
Me: "Probably, but no thanks." (I'm 18)
Her: "I probably shouldn't ask people if they're old enough like that..."

[FindingJames]

Obviously kids at school can be jerks and purposely use the wrong name and pronouns, but other than that I've never really had a problem. Actually a bunch of people thought I was a guy before I even came out and was presenting as female. Back then it made me mad because I was vehemently trying to deny to myself and others that I was trans*, but now it makes me happy. I think the only awkward time I had was when I went into the women's restroom at a movie theatre with my sister shortly after I got my hair cut short for the first time (but I still wasn't out quite yet) and this woman had to do a double take and then stared at me the whole time she was washing her hands. I think she was stuck somewhere between "why is there a boy in the women's room?" and "that must be a lesbian.....right?"

[Eevee]

"Do you got a pee-pee?"

I can't stop laughing!  Thanks for that. I almost woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but stupid questions always make up for it.

[Wolfy]

One time I work I had to use the bathroom. I needed a haircut since it was starting to get a bit long for how I normally have it cut. anyway this man walked in and he looks at me washing my hands, and looks back at the other bathroom and looks at me again and says

Uh, is this the womens room?
and I said "No, this is the mens room"

and he apologized to me and kept saying my hair is so long (when it was not long at all. It was pretty short, maybe a little bit past my ear)

[And_go]

I've always had short hair so pretty much went through my early life with most people who didn't know me thinking I was male. I loved it.

After puberty, once I had two massive things growing from my chest, it was a harder mistake for people to make. There were times, usually if people were behind me, eh bid hear them question what "it" was. There were also a couple of occasions where I heard groups of teen girls call me "he/she". No matter how much you try to ignore it, that's hurtful.

Other times have been funny though. I got to ask a question from the audience on a discussion programme once and the host described me as the young man..." My family assumed I'd be embarrassed when they heard it, but I wasn't. He was the one who'd got it right!

[Edge]

"That's a cool name. I've never met a girl named Victor before."

[makipu]

I hate teenagers the most of all humankind. They are the worst in my own experience.
Instead of using "it" why can't people use "they"...?

[Liam Erik]

I once had teenagers/preteens a few campsites over mock me and harass me for using the bathroom and argue loudly (for my benefit) about what kind of monster I was for two days straight.

This summer a woman came up and said she knew my family (it's a small place), and insisted that I had a sister, and so on (I don't have a sister) - so that my options were to invent a sister, or to straight deny it which would confuse her and probably invoke an argument, or what, admit that it's me, the bearded dude?  In front of ten other strangers crowded around?  In the end I indecision-ed my way out of it with the sheer force of awkward silence.  She broke in a matter of minutes, and left me alone.

That kind of thing happens a fair amount because of the size of the community and the fact that everyone in it knows my family.  People I don't actually know often conclude that I am my little brother - which makes me uncomfortable because of the above described situation, but it's funny too because after they decide I must be him, they are enormously confused, on account of him being 6'2 and me being 5'7.

[makipu]

This summer a woman came up and said she knew my family (it's a small place), and insisted that I had a sister, and so on (I don't have a sister) - so that my options were to invent a sister, or to straight deny it which would confuse her and probably invoke an argument, or what, admit that it's me, the bearded dude?  In front of ten other strangers crowded around?  In the end I indecision-ed my way out of it with the sheer force of awkward silence.  She broke in a matter of minutes, and left me alone.

This is very interesting! 

[Erik Ezrin]

"You don't need to transition. You are very pretty."
Now please STFU okay, I do not want to transition because I think I'm UGLY! Or hate women or whatnot, but because I am A MAN!

My mom (not actually a stranger, but whatevah): "You can be a boyish girl too, yknow. That is totally okay. You don't HAVE to become a guy!" Totally missing the point mom. I will not BECOME a guy, I AM a guy, and this guy does NOT appreciate his non-male body... it is simply something I cannot relate to, my brain is not wired to have a hole between my legs and fatty blubbers at my chest.

[supremecatoverlord]

This was posted on ->-bleeped-<-:

"You're not an ugly girl so just work on yourself and put some make up on if you want to get a guy. You don't have to do this just because you can't get a boyfriend."

Most ignorant comment I've ever read. I'm not transitioning to male because I can't get a date.

My God, people are so dumb.

[Brandon]

I hate teenagers the most of all humankind. They are the worst in my own experience.
Instead of using "it" why can't people use "they"...?

You would be suprised, In my experience there better than adults I think as long as you make it know that you are a guy most will eventually respect it all of my friends do in fact I had to be backed up by one of my dudes today because of ignorance. And if they weren't taught right then you can't blame them, After all thats what refer to baby's until they are born, but I see your point dude.

[AdamMLP]

You would be suprised, In my experience there better than adults I think as long as you make it know that you are a guy most will eventually respect it all of my friends do in fact I had to be backed up by one of my dudes today because of ignorance. And if they weren't taught right then you can't blame them, After all thats what refer to baby's until they are born, but I see your point dude.

I think that generally that teenagers haven't developed the concern for other people, particularly strangers that adults have, or know what's acceptable to be said in public.  That's not to say that all adults know better, but more than a fair few would probably use the singular they if they weren't sure. They realise that knowing the answer isn't that important, and isn't that amusing, whereas teenagers are at that point where they're still wanting to know the answer for everything like children, but don't want to admit there's something they don't know in front of their peers.  So they pose the question in a way that they hope will make their peers laugh, and don't think about the person stood there in front of them.

The key word the being person. We are not inanimate objects, we are not tables, or chairs, we are not even a fetus (which are mostly in my experience referred to in the singular they, or these days by the pronoun of their sex), and we need to be seen as that and not as an interesting commodity on this planet to amuse people.

You may have got lucky in your friends, obviously not all teenagers are like this (we know better for instance), but as a general attempt at summing up the population that's my guess on how things go. 

[NathanielM]

I think it can go both ways with teenagers-adults. teenagers don't have the same (generally) maturity and sometimes tend to speak before they think. I also think in teenagers it's often the peerpressure that gets to them, get a teen alone and you will get a lot more respect then when they have to prove themselves in front of their peers. That said I also think that teenagers stand up more for their friends (Like with Brandon) and are willing to be very openminded for them. I also have the experience that they're not as stuck in their ways and their opinions as adults can sometimes be.

I got told not to use my sisters trainticket (it's for a year) today... Had to get out my ID to prove it was me, even when the picture on the card for the train looks exactly like me it's just the name. And then he kept staring at me... Dude, look away, I'm not that interesting :p

[Edge]

"If you're a man (or to be PC, want to be one)..."
*facepalm*