Last night, my wife and I had a "girlfriend" dinner out at our favorite Thai restaurant. We had been to this restaurant many times as wife and husband (myself not en femme), so they definitely know us as a couple.
Anyhow, when our server (in her 20s) came to our table to introduce herself and get our drink orders, she couldn't help looking at me closely. Then she said in a friendly manner, "I recognize you. You're pretty and look classy." That was so nice. The rest of the evening, she smiled at me whenever she walked by, addressed us as "ladies" and asked if we wanted one check or two (since we were obviously just girlfriends and not a couple for gosh sakes!)
I told her I really appreciated her effort to treat me so well. Honestly, it can feel better to be read and treated as a woman, than to pass altogether. I guess I'm saying that receiving acceptance feels really good