my own experience

[BriannaKatherine]

my first time i went shopping with a friend of mine, i was nervous and scared to say the least. but went to a clothing store in NY (not the city, the state) got some stuff and was trying them on when was asked to leave, that  my presence in changing rooms made others uncomfortable. i was so ashamed and felt so out of place for a few days but i did write to the company later. and received this as a response.

Thank you for your recent email.

-excerpted name- is a womens retail clothing establishment.  As such we
provide dressing rooms for our female customers.  We recognize that a
number of male customers also shop in our stores.   Our male customers make
their purchases and then try them on in the privacy of their home.
  They are sure to leave the tags on the garments and hold their receipts
until they determine which, if any, items need to be returned.

Thank you for your interest in -excerpted name-

and at that point i had no idea how to respond and did have the outrage still but couldnt think of anything to do at that point

[IsabelleStPierre]

Oh dear,

I am sorry that happened to you and while it's not right a lot of places respond like that. It sounds like you have already e-mailed the store...next step should be to follow-up with a written letter to the store management, owner, and if a chain, the franchise itself, making sure that each knows you're contacting the other too.

I don't know how far you want to take things, but you could also write the local newspaper, TV news, etc. Sometimes it takes brining some negative press to the place to get them to change...or you could contact an attorney...it really depends upon how comfortable you feel going through this...

Peace and love,
Isabelle St-Pierre

[Sheila]

When I first started trying clothes on, I went to the men's section and tried on clothes. Of course I left all the stuff that I tried on in the room. I did that several times. I was talked to by a Penny's person one time and I told them that women go into the mens dressing rooms all the time. She looked at me and said that I was right. She just told me to use the womans dressing room, but try to be discreet about it. I guess they got tired of cleaning the womans clothes out of the mens dressing room. I wouldn't buy anything to try on at home, that is rediculous. Try to look as fem as you can, that doesnt mean you have to dress up just make sure you look fem for you.
Sheila

[Schala]

When I went for the first time to try clothes on (as I went full-time that day), I went in an unisex (but 75% devoted to female fashion) trendy store, tried a couple pairs of pants and two t-shirts. I seriously have no idea what they thought at the time, but no one batted an eyelid. I went in girl clothes that I already had, mainly from friends - though I did already have women's jeans bought pre full-time. There was no separate male and female dressing sections, as it was a medium-sized store (not a department one like Sears or Wal-Mart).

I was with a friend, more for moral support than anything else, I would have been a wreck alone.

The first time I went in a shop carrying only girl clothes, I was a wreck too, that was about two months later. I was with my mom at the time, didn't dare look directly in people's eyes. I did try on everything, and no one said anything. I must admit I never looked particularly masculine though.

[zombiesarepeaceful]

I got stopped and told to use the male changing rooms....before I was trying to pass as male, even. It didn't bother me any, except for the fact that I was with my mother and wasn't out to her yet, and I was forced to mumble "no, I'm a girl." Having to say that, when there could be nothing further from the truth, hurt more than any cisgendered person can imagine.

They didn't give me any trouble after I mumbled that though, so you could always try saying "no, I'm a girl" (which you are afterall) and just continue towards the women's changing rooms.