Grocery shopping in a skirt

[Leona]

So, I had this sorta ongoing conflict with the grocery store I've been shopping at. After going through all the paces, I wrote this:

http://www.davefancella.com/blog/heb_in_a_skirt.html

[Leah Lynn]

Good for you, Leona! I hope all future shopping trips are filled with respect.

Leah

[Cynthia Anne]

Great story Leona! I think and hope you got the point across!!!!

[AmyGaleRT]

I'm glad it worked out so well for you, Leona!

I've visited grocery stores as Amy several times, including being in a crowded one in the middle of a Saturday afternoon. I've encountered no difficulties in the way I was treated. In fact, the last time I went to one, I got there a little too late and the woman by the registers looked up as the door opened and said, "Ma'am, we're closed." :)

- Amy

[Beverley Sims]

I know it is good to get the story across but I think it can be painful at times.

[STACY B]

Take um out one store at a time ,,, LOL,,,

[Ellie52]

Fantastic post - But I think ill wait a while longer before I try my first outing. Maybe another 10 yrs then it'll be pensioner Eloise and they wont be zble to say anything.

[Brenn]

Good for you. I used to live in Austin and never had any issues when I was out and about - although my particular style then was shorts or capris and ballet flats (to some extent still is). My wife usually did the grocery shopping, so perhaps I just did not intersect with that particular part of society. Even if you only changed one store for a short period of time, hopefully it will start to sink in.

[Asche]

If that's what it's like in Texas, I think I'll stay here in Yankee-land. I go into all kinds of stores, hike, walk around town, take the train into the city, ride the subway, everything in a skirt, and never had anyone dis me. On the contrary, I've had strangers in the subway or on the street come up to me and say how much they like my style. (New Yorkers are like that.)

[famousunknown]

So, I had this sorta ongoing conflict with the grocery store I've been shopping at. After going through all the paces, I wrote this:

http://www.davefancella.com/blog/heb_in_a_skirt.html

Not a circus freak ?
I believe you'll have a uphill battle proving that in TX.

[Leona]

Good for you. I used to live in Austin and never had any issues when I was out and about - although my particular style then was shorts or capris and ballet flats (to some extent still is). My wife usually did the grocery shopping, so perhaps I just did not intersect with that particular part of society. Even if you only changed one store for a short period of time, hopefully it will start to sink in.

Well, the area is fairly uniform demographically. Older couples, kinda ritzy, usually conservative (even for Austin). Obama and Romney stickers ran about half and half here where in the rest of the town you'd hardly see a Romney sticker. The HEB is the one on Spicewood Springs and 183, right by the Balcones Woods golf course.

[Princess Grandpa]

I'm sorry you had this trouble. I'm proud of how you handled it

Hug
Rita

[Leona]

Thank you to all who have read and a special thank you to all who have responded.

Princess Grandpa: I'm humbled that you're proud of me. *hug*

famousunknown: Well, I have been known to juggle on sixth street.... :)

Asche: You're safer than I, because New Yawk is a blue state. Texas is red, and I live in the splatch of blue that's the heart of Texas. Different worlds we live in....

eloise: Why not tomorrow? Why wait until you're a pensioner? :)

STACY B: I actually considered that after I got no response from the first email. I considered a lot of things, some of which I'm still considering. You could say I'm quite considerate. :)

Beverly: I found a lot of frustration, some anger (obviously), and a little paranoia that I must always question (being a tad schizo, after all), but no pain. I need to get out more and see if there's more of this in town, or if there's more acceptance. I've been here long enough to have a realistic idea what to expect.... (more of this)

Amy: If I'm ever in Denver, we are SOOO going out drinking. If there's anything I've picked up from your posts, it's that you'd be a really fun person to go out drinking with. I'll probably shock you with some of my crazy antics, but at the end of the evening, we'd be laughing our tits off and celebrating our good times. :)

Cynthia: I got the point across. Employees have been behaving differently. I have to admit, now they're acting a little scared, but they probably got a serious chewing over this. HEB scoring second for their treatment of transgender employees had to have some sort of influence on how they behave in general.

Leah: I saved you for last, even though I technically started at the bottom and worked my way up. I mentioned in another thread, but I wanted to say it here, too. Tonight was completely different. The staff is obviously getting used to me, and since I used the self checkout tonight, they had no reason to interact with me. I got either really positive reactions from customers or they ignored me. I didn't even have the "I'm not making eye contact" people that I usually have. There was one couple in particular (I mentioned this in another thread) that the guy was teasing the girl about liking my outfit, and the girl agreed and went further and said she wouldn't be able to pull it off as well as I did.

When the prejudice is lifted, wonderful things can happen. This is why we all need to speak up and be heard, go out and be seen. The prejudice can't be lifted while we're hiding in our closets. </soapbox>

Now, who else can I offend.... :) (There's got to be somebody!)

[Brenn]

If that's what it's like in Texas, I think I'll stay here in Yankee-land. I go into all kinds of stores, hike, walk around town, take the train into the city, ride the subway, everything in a skirt, and never had anyone dis me. On the contrary, I've had strangers in the subway or on the street come up to me and say how much they like my style. (New Yorkers are like that.)

Asche, that reminds me of an incident when I was in a mall in San Antonio. I was wearing a skirt and ballet flats, but was otherwise presenting as a male. I was just doing some window-shopping, when a couple came up to me and asked, "Are you from New York?" I responded that I was not and the girl just said, "OK, cool." And that was that. It made me wonder if perhaps they had visited New York and seen other men wearing skirts.

[Dena]

Well, the area is fairly uniform demographically. Older couples, kinda ritzy, usually conservative (even for Austin). Obama and Romney stickers ran about half and half here where in the rest of the town you'd hardly see a Romney sticker. The HEB is the one on Spicewood Springs and 183, right by the Balcones Woods golf course.

If I remember right, you're right up against "The Chicken Wire Curtain" (Williamson Co.)!

[Sandieland]

I lived in Austin a long time ago and back then it was one of the most liberal cities in Texas. Women could go topless legally... there was a topless jogging club at UT and a special area at Barton Springs where women could take their bikini tops off - although they were not really restricted only to this area. Also, there was "Hippie Hollow" at Lake Travis where all could go nude (I think that still goes). Anyway, all over Austin you could see see so many crossdressers out and about that people barely noticed. Then, the climate changed. The religious right took hold in Texas politics and many tolerant municipalities started to change, Austin included. Austin still has a special place in my heart, but I suspect there is much there that I would not like anymore.

[Tracii G]

Good for you Leona.

[Leona]

I lived in Austin a long time ago and back then it was one of the most liberal cities in Texas. Women could go topless legally... there was a topless jogging club at UT and a special area at Barton Springs where women could take their bikini tops off - although they were not really restricted only to this area. Also, there was "Hippie Hollow" at Lake Travis where all could go nude (I think that still goes). Anyway, all over Austin you could see see so many crossdressers out and about that people barely noticed. Then, the climate changed. The religious right took hold in Texas politics and many tolerant municipalities started to change, Austin included. Austin still has a special place in my heart, but I suspect there is much there that I would not like anymore.

Austin went through a period of explosive growth. In 1990, the city had less than half a million people and only two freeways. Now the city itself has over a million people, and the metroplex on the whole has around 2 million, there are toll roads, more and longer freeways, and downtown is being revitalized. It's still legal for women to go topless, and hippie hollow is still there. Eeyore's Birthday still gets celebrated in Pease Park by painting your boobs and going around topless. A lot of newcomers have austinized themselves, but the image has changed quite a bit.

And yes, I'm within walking distance of Williamson County. :)