Restricted Changing Rooms?

[SusanLCD]

I was shopping en femme in a Burlington Coat Factory store a few days ago and was about to purchase a top that I was considering. I planned first to try it for size and see how it looked with the skirt I was wearing.

As I approached the women's changing rooms, I saw a sign posted at the entrance to the rooms stating, in large letters, that these changing rooms are "For Women Only." There was smaller text below it saying that there are other changing rooms for men in another part of the store. Might it just be intended to reduce the likelihood of men using those rooms at their convenience? Or, is this a way of preventing CDers using the women's changing rooms? Of course, you all know which was my first thought.

Regardless the store's intent, I didn't challenge it. I returned the top to the rack and, after looking around a little longer, left the store.

Anyone else seen this? And, what are your thoughts?

[RADER]

You did rite, I would have walked out also. Most places allow you to go into
a try-on stall if dressed for that sex. You could always ask a SA if it is OK.
But I am with you, I would not challenge a sign such as that. Rader

[AKAMichelle]

I think it was purely to keep men out of the dressing room. If you dressed then you should be able to use it if you avoid other women while there. I know the one concern that you should have is not to make a woman feel uncomfortable. But if it was empty then why not.

[charlie]

We are such a small percentage of their sales that the sign was there to prevent F"men" from entering the changing rooms. That way any man that was there could be stopped and dealt with. What they think of crossdressers I'm sure they did not think about beforehand. You could always ask. Not sure if I would have asked or left indignantly as well.

[Nicole Erin]

Just to keep men out.

I know I go thru this a lot, I tend to think everything is geared towards anti-TG'ism, but really it is not. I doubt they put up that sign thinking, "You know, there might be CD's trying to go in."

And with burlington, wow, I have never found anything worth a crap in there. The few nice things I saw had phony markdowns. If you shop a lot, you know most stores will have the MSRP, say, $40, and the "sale" price which is like $19.99.

[Karen564]

This is an easy one....

All you do is walk up to a SA in that dept. and ask where are the dressing/changing rooms, and let That person tell you where to go...

Then you have two options, go change where your told to go, or leave the store..

End of story..

[Kaitlyn Michele]

you really have to ask..women don't want men in a changing room for the same reason yuo don't want to change in the men's room..

they really will help you in almost every case...if you are afraid of the attention, then you have to deal with that issue with your thought process is gonna have to accept things more...

sometimes we are are own worst enemies...i was with a friend at burlington coat factories and i tried on a blue jean skirt there...she came into the dressing room with 3 dresses, she started to try them all on and started asking me to take pictures of her posed in the stalls....i told her no and left..it made me uncomfortable.. she was pissed at me and said i was "gonna get her caught"

.i am not in charge of anything...I was uncomfortable..she crossed my line..others disagree...but in the end, there have to besome rules and it seems a very reasonable way to deal with our problem is to be open with sales staff...in the end , u just want to be comfy trying onthe clothes...if you want more than that (pics, thrills), then my opinion is that crosses the line

[AKAMichelle]

you really have to ask..women don't want men in a changing room for the same reason yuo don't want to change in the men's room..

they really will help you in almost every case...if you are afraid of the attention, then you have to deal with that issue with your thought process is gonna have to accept things more...

sometimes we are are own worst enemies...i was with a friend at burlington coat factories and i tried on a blue jean skirt there...she came into the dressing room with 3 dresses, she started to try them all on and started asking me to take pictures of her posed in the stalls....i told her no and left..it made me uncomfortable.. she was pissed at me and said i was "gonna get her caught"

.i am not in charge of anything...I was uncomfortable..she crossed my line..others disagree...but in the end, there have to besome rules and it seems a very reasonable way to deal with our problem is to be open with sales staff...in the end , u just want to be comfy trying onthe clothes...if you want more than that (pics, thrills), then my opinion is that crosses the line

That crosses my line as well. You are there to try on clothes and buy something not create a catalog photo shoot. I would have walked out too.

[MrKunk]

I have never quite encountered this issue yet. I have had simular issues where I
had to tell a SA that I am transgender and a crossdresser. It is ussually taken well
though.

[sissystephanie]

When I shopped as Stephanie before my wife died, I always told the SA that I was a crossdresser before I tried anything on. It is their store, and therefore their rules! If you don't like the rules, shop elsewhere!

The funny thing is now that I no longer have my wife to fix my wig and do my makeup, I still shop as Stephanie. Only now I am a male Stephanie! Feminine clothes from the skin out, but very short hair(what there is of it!) and no makeup. Just a guy dressed as a girl! I always use the men's dressing rooms because that is what I am, regardless of the clothes I am wearing. Been doing that for 5 years now, and have never had a problem in any store. And I do go in a lot of them!!! I have had compliments on either the outfit I am wearing, or something I tried on, but nothing else. Your attitude has a lot to do with how you are accepted.

[Kelly DeWinter]

This is a tough one.

I tend to think of other people first, like what if a mother and a daughter are using the changing rooms ? That would stop me dead in my tracks.

[kellycan27]

This is a tough one.

I tend to think of other people first, like what if a mother and a daughter are using the changing rooms ? That would stop me dead in my tracks.

That's what you would call being considerate...... I like your style!

[subaru_forster]

To me, this is ultimately the same issue as which restroom to use. The consensus for that on this board (and my personal opinion also) from what I read is that one should use the one for what they're presenting as. Just mind your own business, and nothing will probably happen.

In my experience, a store's fitting rooms seem to be less taboo than the restroom. Most people seem to simply use the room closest to the rack they found the garment on. In my area, Burlington Coat Factory fitting rooms aren't even marked for gender.

[Fab Karen]

The store intends it for men. HIghly doubtful they thought of CD's.

[tess graham]

I am pretty much 24/7 Tess now. I just bought a skirt at Marshalls. I found 3 that I liked, found the women's dressing room and walked up to the SA like I belonged there.
She gave me "3 card" and said to let her know if I needed any help. One long pretty skirt fit well. I gave her the other two and checked out. Nice day shopping. No problems. I think if you act like you belong there, people pretty much give you a pass.

[pamela_a]

Before I started living full time as a woman I went by the "how am I presenting myself" rule for everything. I wasn't doing anything wrong nor do I have any intention of doing anything untoward so why should I be ashamed or afraid to act normally?


I tend to think of other people first, like what if a mother and a daughter are using the changing rooms ?
OK.. what if a mother and daughter are using the changing rooms? I've been in many changing rooms and they all have doors on the individual rooms (same as rest rooms by the way) that are closed when someone is using them. I've seen a few women come out of the room if there is a common 3 way mirror but they've always come out dressed.

I do appreciate the thought and the "courtesy" but the idea of "thinking of other people first" was the major contributor to my misery and the primary impedement to starting my transition years ago.

Why do people think being a cross dresser or being TS is something bad and shameful?? Because that's how we act.

[jenna_woods]

i have never had a problem useing a changeing room, i did today, i asked a sa if i could try on a skirt and she said go right in, and it was to bif and nothing smaller like it.

[Naomi Rayne]

Thinking of other people first is a good way to look at it.

BUT! There are doors on the changing rooms and if people come out of those doors they must be comfortable enough in whatever they are wearing to step out of the door. Some dad could be waiting in the doorway of the changing room for his daughter to finish trying something on because he doesnt want her far out of her sight. So if someone is going to leave the privacy of their closed door they should not walk out of the door in their bra to see what their jeans look like in the three way mirror only be thinking females are going to see them because its a female dressing room.

That would be a bit arrogant seeing as you never know who could be just outside of the changing room.

Id say go into the changing room that you are perceived as. If you are en femme, go into the womans changing room and vice versa.

[NathalieX66]

I work near a Burlington Coat factory...haven't tried anything there, except just buy a women's wool coat off the rack.
I think the right thing to do is ask the sales staff if you can use the womens' dressing room despite whatever the sign says. . That is exactly what I did at Macy's, Dress Barn & New York & Co, though I was en femme in those cases and therefore played the transgender card. I had no problem. There's no sighn there anyway.

[Presh GG]

Flip side :D
I'm GG

First, when I broke my back, Tea had to help me dress, so when shopping with Tea [ for both of us ] , no matter how he/she was dressed they sent us to the men's dressing rooms together. They were much bigger.

Second, some womens dressing rooms don't have doors or even stalls. We have never had a problem unless you consider Tea being asked to try on her dresses [ with a kind smile ] in the men's dressing room once when in drab. [ I know this store and the womens fitting room is one big room, like a locker room ] But they were very nice, even inquireing if she needed the next size up or down brought to her room :)

I would have just asked as someone said " where are the fitting rooms?"
I doubt that sign was ment for TGs
Presh GG