That sounds kinda rough going.
I'm afraid I don't have much to offer for advice. Any experts on the subject?
I work in an office environment amongst a bunch of jock types, and we all know what it's like when they're all together in one room, and the peer group mentality kicks in. Everybody wants to suck up to the alpha dog, and get approval amongst the group.
For me, I'm not a junior level guy anymore so it's rough enough for me to try to grow my hair long when already I have pierced ears and thinned out eyebrows, and I used to be known as a guy with long sideburns. I meet with clients on a business level. I love my job but there are compromises I make in order to pay the mortgage, and save for retirement.
I think it's a shame that your co-workers would even dwell on sexual orientation. Since when does anybody need to defend themselves in order to justify approval from peers or fellow co-workers?
The downside I've struggled with being a CD'er or TG is that it's not like being gay, where you can tuck away your personal life a la DADT, and you look like any normal person. Once you start altering your appearance, it makes others feel uneasy. I feel bad about many people who've gone down the road of transition, only to find themselves out of work.