I do engage in the little things.
Within the immediate vicinity, my floor that is, people (the women anyway) know I'm trans. This is for my protection as I didn't pass as well when I came out as trans. But so far it hasn't really been a problem. In fact they have all been so nice to me.
They comment on my dress or clothing or colors of nail polish, my purse or other things. I also do compliment them.
However you do feel like you're part of the sisterhood with women especially in male dominated fields like mine (engineering and tech). Today we were at a presentation from a vendor. It was me and a female colleague. There was one other woman there. We were in a room full of men. Basically you know the deal, the whole "brogrammer" culture in the tech and engineering world. Well, I held my own of course, and one of the others was my colleague who I brought with me. But the other woman apart from us was from another company and she introduced herself and we exchanged contact information.
Yes, I network with women now and it is very interesting because women know how tough it is in the man's world of tech and engineering. I am fortunate in that I have a lot of experience and carry myself well. I am also extremely confident. This is because I pass now without effort so I don't have to worry about being clocked. This allows me to basically own the room and drive the conversation. I am really in my element. There are women who are afraid and timid, and I try to hold their hand and guide them along. When the men try to talk over them I set them aside to give the woman a chance to speak. I think that as women we should all strive to uplift each other and it pays dividends in that you find new friends and allies this way.
BTW I am debating entering a mentorship program for returning military veterans and I will get the opportunity to work with women who are separated from the military and transitioning back to civilian life. This would be a really nice way to give back. I am seriously considering it.
