A little Office laughter

Since I transitioned at work in late October we have had some staff changes and three new women started in January. They have all been lovely, but I got the impression of ?walking on eggshells? and I overheard one of them comment she wasn?t sure what to say.

A few weeks ago the women in the office were talking about being more comfortable and that included having to wear bras and taking them off as soon as they get in from work.

For a few moments I weighed up maintaining my normal reserve or sharing, before chipping in that just the opposite, many of us rush home and put our bras on. There was a brief moment as the penny dropped (not a concept they had thought of) then they all had a good laugh and the ice if not broken was melted somewhat.

Helena,
No harm done , a little humour is a great way to break the ice ! Well you know me I'm all for a bit of a laugh .

You have to take a little care with your replies , would a woman say certain things or hold back , let them get really comfortable with you and get to know them before going too far .

As Teresa said

It is ok I guess, but not something I would say.

With the girls I stick to girly stuff and life, and nothing about being TG.

Yea, that?s ok. I have made similar comments to my GG friends. I think basically to say I waited a long time for the chance to wear a bra, and am making up for lost time!

I think many men and women really would not know how to approach a person transitioning. Asking a lot of questions would be very intrusive. Their laughter sounds as if their usual banter had been made without considering your transitioning status. Just normal girl talk among girls. Maybe it suggests you're fitting in. Perhaps, after the little banter the question will arise, "Why isn't she wearing a bra?"

I see you in the UK, Helena. Past experience suggests that Brits are more relaxed about that kind of banter than some other nationalities. Your audience's laughter would seem to confirm this.
I do hope that the new women will now feel more comfortable about taking to you in a normal manner. And sharing more British humour.

Helena,

I think Gale's on the mark. We Brits do have a fairly laid back attitude to these sort of things. If you're relaxed about it and not "Going on about it all the time" then I feel small off the cuff remarks, which let's face it are more self deprecating than anything else, shouldn't cause any issues. Use your spidey senses and if you detect any unease with one of your colleagues then perhaps a discrete word might be the way to go as a method of gauging the way forward. Possibly enlist your manager to act as a go between?

I think that is a wonderful way to break the ice, the more you can joke about yourself the easier things become.

Teresa I like your landmark total of posts.... 11,111. :-)

Beverley,

A we all know, Teresa's the one(s).

I don't know about your part of the country, but in the USA, one has to be very careful of what one says when it comes to anything but talk about the job. Sexual and racial harassment issues and lawsuits have made it pretty difficult to work in a mixed environment. If you were in this country, my advice would be to steer clear of any talk about women's undergarments or anything personal. Even if the people you are talking with are OK with it, a person passing by and overhearing the conversation can make trouble for you.

How brave of u, Helena!:thumbsup:

All in good fun until the "political correctness" police comes to call, but I'm still confused...

Since you claim to have previously transitioned at work, wouldn't you already be wearing a bra there, so kind of a moot point in terms of waiting to get home to put one on, no? Methinks this would be more of an issue for closeted CD's as opposed to individuals who are on the TS end of the spectrum.