Oh, the ATL endo specializes in HRT for transgender patients. I can find one in the south. He is just hours away, so not as convenient as the hometown endo. My hometown only has one endo, and he is it. I figure if I am driving an hour, I might as well drive a couple to get to someone who specializes.
Most people around here are too polite to do anything other than use obviously desired pronouns. Ambiguity seems to engender uneasiness, as people don't want to offend, but don't want to ask, and don't know what to do. I don't think they generally dislike people for being gender queer, they just see talking to them as a potential minefield.
But, there is a high percentage (certainly not MOST, but many) who want to make a point of letting everyone know "they weren't fooled", and they "aren't playing along". For them, it is a virtue to make a deal of it. I think they see it as fighting a change they find shocking and unacceptable.
Men like this tend to either deadpan ignore our adherence to gender norms (calling MTF's "Sir" and not accepting correction) or mock and laugh at us. Women, tend to make catty comments that can penetrate defenses, and try to entice a group to exclude us.
It isn't that they are the majority here. It is that the support of the majority who are "tolerant" (don't want to be seen as mean) is so weak, that they are easily swayed to display their own muted bigotry. And, there is a LOT of that here.
I don't know what it's like other places. And, I have only witnessed it through seeing transwomen (no one here seems to care about the difference between a butch lesbian and a transman; it sort of a "whatever"). But, somehow for MTF's that I can tell are MTF's and so can everyone else, this is how they are treated.
I defend the MTF's and shame those who are unkind, knowing full well it is self defense as much as anything. And, one person standing up to meanness can make a HUGE difference. For this, I am seen as "liberal" and/or brainwashed. Whatever.
But, this is one reason I don't think transitioning would be good for me. I am afraid that such treatment would wear me down and eventually make me miserable. Until I am convinced that I can take such meanness and truly not be hurt, because I just don't care anymore, I need to hide under a cloak of "regular guy...who is liberal".
