I'm sure that nearly everyone here is familiar with the uncomfortable feeling of having to put up with your gender presentation and physical sex not matching exactly at one point or another. For me, it's a problem I used to have a lot.

Then I got fat again.

Well, I've finally started shedding the pounds I put on over the last three years or so, and one way I can tell is that I seem to have started confusing people again on whether I am a guy or a girl -- even though I present pretty much totally as a guy. This doesn't bother me at all; in fact, I find it pretty humorous some times. It does, however, lead to awkward moments, such as:

--When you are helping a customer over the phone, and they arrive at the store to talk to the "helpful woman on the phone" and find out it was you.

--When you help a parent and child, or a couple, find something they are looking for, and they each thank you with a different gender pronoun.

--Those times when you are called over to help a female coworker with a misogynistic jerk, and she steps back only to see him treat you exactly the same as he was treating her.

--Trying to explain to customers or coworkers that no, you aren't gay and no, you aren't dating anyone and no, you aren't a typical male without coming out and admitting the truth.

--Finally admitting to a handful of coworkers what is going on with you, and having to deal with the smirks and knowing looks when you're being questioned by other coworkers not in the know.

There are, of course, numerous other examples that could be used, but these are just a handful of them that have happened within the past week for me. This is beyond the more basic examples of trying to answer questions little kids innocently ask about why you have earrings or long hair or fingernails without pissing their parents off or getting yourself shanked by rednecks.

So, are there any examples of this kind of awkward moment that any of you would like to share?

Melanie E.