I've done local music shop lessons for a couple years now, not an absolute beginner. But I'm looking for somebody who specializes in bluegrass and knows their stuff. I'd like to get competent enough to eventually go to some jams. Having a hard time finding that, ik it's a long shot but I figured one of you might know someone in the area
This community never failed to make me laugh, even thru the worst of times. Thank you all, you are the real bright spot
I've been on T many years now, but this is the story of warning for those that need to hear it. I was starting college in the first year of my medical transition. Home for Christmas break, I was at a bar with my parents watching a family friend of ours play a show with his band. My family knew I was trans but wasn't accepting. It was back when if I dared to use to correct bathroom in front of them it would be a fight later. I was already passing and using the men's room in any other context. I hated the thought of ever making women uncomfortable in their space and had been using the men's rooms for a while before. But in order to not start a fight with my parents, they watched me enter the women's bathroom that night.
The second I entered I heard a loud, drunk voice behind me. "Hey man that's the women's room". My nightmare come true, I hurried inside, locked the stall behind me as he followed me in. "Get the fuck out of here you pervert". I just waited, afraid, not sure what to do. He came up to the stall I was in seeing my feet and started banging his fist on the door. I put on my best "girl voice", "Are u talking to me?" He starts trying to get in, at this point my voice passes as male and it doesnt work. I work up all the courage in the world and open the door, but not ready for whats coming. He hits me hard in the face, as I'm trying to recover I fall to the ground, he starts dragging me forward. Someone must have called security. As he's dragging me out they come in. Pull us apart.
Security forces me outside and once they get my ID they still see it reads female. No sympathy, just laughs. My parents are dumbfounded by the interaction. Security says they're calling the cops per the protocol. Wait for them, I say to the cops I don't want to press charges but they should let him know what my ID said. I don't believe assault charges would have done this guy any good, but maybe a guilty conscious would.
The drive home with my parents was almost silent. Later on, I got blamed by my mom for confusing people and told I needed to stop hrt.
This is all to say, when it's time to use the men's room, it's time. Don't delay it, don't make women uncomfortable, don't put yourself in danger for any reason, just do it.
I've had years to work thru this incident. I'm only sharing it now bc it was formative for me, but I've moved passed it. I just hope that none of you ever have to experience anything like this, I feel like u need to hear it to understand the seriousness of this kinda thing