Being considered a woman, even from a distance, comes with membership in a club noted for dehumanizing experiences that include violence. One in three women are feeling that today.
When I lived as a guy that male privilege meant I was more likely predator than prey and seen as a competitor by other males. It is some of our special experiences as transgender people to really feel life as other gendered people do.
I once road my bicycle any time of the day or night and walked my dog whenever I felt like it in Portland. Not any more. My adult daughter was one of the first people to say; "you can't do that anymore!" I had recently started HRT and what would once have resulted in righteous anger became crying and tears. OMG, I thought, that is not going to stop someone from getting in my face. I had a mini melt down but resolved to confront my new reality with confidence and care.
Although I resent it, the truth is that women of any age or shape are too often victims of violence. It becomes truly in our own interests to now be mindful of our safety. One of the T girl clubs I have been out with always insists on walking to our parked cars in pairs. It becomes second nature to consider what some call situational awareness. I used to engage in making direct eye contact with men. Not any more. That eye contact might now mean very different things as beauty and pursuit are in the minds of the beholder?
Walk tall, be confident and watch out