unsurprisingly I have spent most of today staring into space

[kaberett]

I note with mild amusement, however, that I have in fact now trained myself to respond automatically to misgendering from strangers trying to sell me things on the street.

"Excuse me, miss--"

"Not a miss!" I call back, as I keep wheeling.

They usually follow up with "... Mrs?" to which my response is "Nope!"

This lot continued with "Ma'am?"

"Nope!"

"Sir?"

"Closer, but no!"

... and then I disappeared around the corner.

I continue astonished at how much better it feels to correct people without actually investing any of my time in the interaction than it does to completely ignore them.

Comments

[kaberett]

See also: "Oh no! How long have you been in that [gestures toward wheelchair]?"

"Since I left the house."

[niqaeli]

Ooooh. *files that one away*

[kaberett]

they get VERY CONFUSED

[sfred]

:-D
<3

[alexseanchai]

*dies*

[alexwlchan]

That’s ~excellent. :D

(Sympathies re: misgendering)

[davidgillon]

I'm longing for the moment I can deploy "About 5/10/20 minutes" :)

[cesy]

I like it!

[shanaqui]

*takes notes*

[cosmolinguist]

I think of Janet from The Good Place going "Not a lady, not a robot" when I do corrections like this. :)

[sfred]

<3

[redsixwing]

WONDERFUL <3

[steorra]

The thing this knocks loose in my mind is of less significance, but:

When I was studying in the US, I'd often get asked if I was registered to vote. I took pleasure in saying "Nope, not eligible".

[kaberett]

Heh, yep.

[sfred]

Good self-training! *admires*

[kaberett]

The trick (as with so much of this sort of thing) seems to be practising it enough internally that it comes out on autopilot so you don't have time to second-guess yourself...

[worlds_of_smoke]

That's an awesome way to address it.

[azurelunatic]

Excellent.

[ironed_orchid]

::grins::

[sylvaine]

Yeeeeeees 👌👌👌

[davidgillon]

Score one for Kab!

[cesy]

I love that you can do this on autopilot.

[silveradept]

Well done, and especially for doing it without...breaking the wheeling rhythm? (I haven't found a good chair equivalent for "breaking stride," which is completely inappropriate to use in this situation.)

[jedusor]

I generally don't engage random strangers when they misgender me but am intrigued by the relatively recent phenomenon of occasionally being misgendered as male. A few weeks ago a beer league hockey opponent addressed me as "Mr. [surname]" in playful frustration with my defensive competence and I had more feelings about it than I was previously aware could be felt simultaneously XD

[kaberett]

<3<3<3