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transHello, everyone. I've introduced myself here at least a couple of times, but it's probably worth repeating some relevant information. I'm Erin, a transwoman currently living partway out of the closet. My eventual goal is transition, though at this point I'm not specifically planning SRS.
I know roughly how I plan to start transitioning. I graduated from college a bit over a year ago from a very liberal university set in a very liberal city. I've since moved back home to a much more conservative area. My plan is to return to said city and hopefully work in some capacity for said university. I don't really stand any chance of going into any real sort of stealth in that city because I know far too many people there. I doubt it should matter overmuch, though... if I'm going to be accepted as openly trans anywhere, it will probably be my old college town. I don't plan on flaunting my trans status, but I don't plan on being exteremely secretive about it, either. The plan is to try to get through the awkward first stages of transition in this city, where it's not absolutely crucial that I pass 100%, and where I already have a large support group made up of friends who know my trans status still eagerly accept me. I'll seek therapy, laser, hormones. Change my name and sex legally. Accumulate work experience. See if I can get my school records changed (I don't know if it's even possible, but it's worth the attempt). Let my body develop. Let my presentation develop. Then, once I'm comfortable enough, I may stick around or I may move elsewhere.
The main problem with my plan is this. My college town is a very expensive place to live, and in addition to rent and utilities and food and gas and the like, I have to pay some pretty heavy pills for college loans, my car, and car insurance. It's critical that I get a job before I move back, and it's critical that it be a fairly decent one.
I don't think this is out of the question, at least in this particular city. The question I have is this: how do I approach the matter of transsexualism in my job application? This is a matter, frankly, that I've found little if any advice about, online or elsewhere. Perhaps it's out there and I just haven't found it. As it is, I'm rather clueless. I suspect I'll be better off if I apply under my male name. Currently all my jobs, school records, and legal junk is under my male name, so as Erin I would show up as a nonentity. No legal background, no work experience, no education. Nothing that could probably get me any sort of real job. So what do I do about the trans thing? Mention it in a cover letter? An interview? After I sign all the paperwork? The first day of work? A few weeks into the job? Do I show up that first day dressed as a man? A woman? Androgynously? Obviously, if I plan to go full time, they're going to have to find out at some point, and I'm going to have to make the transition at some point. So when and how to I make that all-important jump? When the time comes, how do I break the news?
Thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people have transitioned, most of them probably in places that aren't as trans-friendly as my college town and many of them probably with more bills to pay than me, so I know it can be done. I just need to know how.
It's worth mentioning that my college town was in California, and the university happens to fall under city, county, and state antidiscrimination laws that specifically mention gender identity/expression, and the university has such a policy as well.
It's also worth noting that I'm currently in Indiana, which will make showing up for job interviews rather difficult. (Actually, I don't even know how I'm supposed to handle that. All sorts of people move across the country, right? And most of them probably aren't wealthy enough to be able to fly back and forth for every job interview they get. So how do they do it?)
I know roughly how I plan to start transitioning. I graduated from college a bit over a year ago from a very liberal university set in a very liberal city. I've since moved back home to a much more conservative area. My plan is to return to said city and hopefully work in some capacity for said university. I don't really stand any chance of going into any real sort of stealth in that city because I know far too many people there. I doubt it should matter overmuch, though... if I'm going to be accepted as openly trans anywhere, it will probably be my old college town. I don't plan on flaunting my trans status, but I don't plan on being exteremely secretive about it, either. The plan is to try to get through the awkward first stages of transition in this city, where it's not absolutely crucial that I pass 100%, and where I already have a large support group made up of friends who know my trans status still eagerly accept me. I'll seek therapy, laser, hormones. Change my name and sex legally. Accumulate work experience. See if I can get my school records changed (I don't know if it's even possible, but it's worth the attempt). Let my body develop. Let my presentation develop. Then, once I'm comfortable enough, I may stick around or I may move elsewhere.
The main problem with my plan is this. My college town is a very expensive place to live, and in addition to rent and utilities and food and gas and the like, I have to pay some pretty heavy pills for college loans, my car, and car insurance. It's critical that I get a job before I move back, and it's critical that it be a fairly decent one.
I don't think this is out of the question, at least in this particular city. The question I have is this: how do I approach the matter of transsexualism in my job application? This is a matter, frankly, that I've found little if any advice about, online or elsewhere. Perhaps it's out there and I just haven't found it. As it is, I'm rather clueless. I suspect I'll be better off if I apply under my male name. Currently all my jobs, school records, and legal junk is under my male name, so as Erin I would show up as a nonentity. No legal background, no work experience, no education. Nothing that could probably get me any sort of real job. So what do I do about the trans thing? Mention it in a cover letter? An interview? After I sign all the paperwork? The first day of work? A few weeks into the job? Do I show up that first day dressed as a man? A woman? Androgynously? Obviously, if I plan to go full time, they're going to have to find out at some point, and I'm going to have to make the transition at some point. So when and how to I make that all-important jump? When the time comes, how do I break the news?
Thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people have transitioned, most of them probably in places that aren't as trans-friendly as my college town and many of them probably with more bills to pay than me, so I know it can be done. I just need to know how.
It's worth mentioning that my college town was in California, and the university happens to fall under city, county, and state antidiscrimination laws that specifically mention gender identity/expression, and the university has such a policy as well.
It's also worth noting that I'm currently in Indiana, which will make showing up for job interviews rather difficult. (Actually, I don't even know how I'm supposed to handle that. All sorts of people move across the country, right? And most of them probably aren't wealthy enough to be able to fly back and forth for every job interview they get. So how do they do it?)