After I retired, a couple of years ago and move to a small town in the foot hills of the coast range in Oregon, I got bored and decided to drive school bus for the local schools. Now, while I don't make any real effort to hide my trans status, I also don't flaunt it. As such, I generally look pretty androgynous. That means, long hair, past my shoulders and and my full size breast forms in a bra every day. My hair is usually pulled back at the sides and captured at the crown of my head with a simple brown barrette. Even so, most people clock me as male.

Every year, we are required to do a bus evacuation drill. Last Tuesday was the date scheduled. As I was making my presentation for the primary grades, one little girl near the front of the bus kept raising her hand. I tried to tell her that I'd take questions at the end, but she was insistent. Finally, after being put off for the fourth time, she blurted out, "You totally fooled me. I thought you were a lady, but you're a guy."

I glossed it over and went on with my presentation. But I have to tell you, that's exactly what I want. I want people to be unsure of my gender when I'm dressing a bit butch. If I can achieve that, when I put on the glam... add a little light makeup and decidedly feminine clothes, then I can be sure that most will be convinced that my gender is feminine, even if the have some slight doubt as to my physical sex. In the past, when going out en femme it was the young children that generally were the hardest to convince of my feminine nature. But I guess, I've cleared that hurtle, given the little girls remark.