When I scheduled my augmentation surgery in September of
2013, I knew I would need to notify my employer.
I work for the Texas
State Department of Health in the Metroplex.
I am an Infectious Disease Specialist.
In plain terms I investigate disease outbreaks. Due to public vaccinations my job is
relatively slow, however with Zika and West Nile I stay busy.
In August of 2013, I scheduled a meeting with the Director
of Human Resources a nice lady named Debbie. I explained that I was going in for surgery
and it would be altering my appearance.
She asked what that meant.
I explained I was getting breast augmentation surgery, she
asked if I was transgender at the time I told her I was not but do to the
surgery my appearance would be changed.
She asked how so when I explained that I was getting Double DDs I
doubted I would be able to hide them and that at some point I may wear women’s
clothes to work.
She asked again if I was transgender, I again told her no!
She ended up with the forms for a transgender employee as
that is all she had and she had me sign when the surgery was going to take
place. I explained 9/2013. She stated next month. I state yes, she had me re-read the employee handbook
and determine if I needed anything from her.
I explained I was in unfamiliar waters as was she and wanted
to make sure I was taking all necessary precautions. She explained by reading the employee dress
code which stated all employees were to maintain a professional demeanor at all
times. It didn’t state men were to wear
this and women that it stated you are to maintain a professional appearance at
all times.
She let me know if I wanted to transition she just needed to
make a few extra phone calls she could get my email changed over. I thanked her but stated at this time I did
not need to change my email. She let me
know if there was anything she needed to do to let me know. She once again had me reread the employee
dress code.
As I was leaving I mentioned to her that the guide never
said men couldn’t wears skirts or dresses not that I wanted to but it didn’t say
we couldn’t. She stated she knew that
and it was written purposely for that reason not to discriminate. Why they wanted men to wear kilts if they
choose they realized that it would be better to take an inclusive approach.
I took 4 days off for surgery and was back at work. I ran into Debbie she let me know she had
been thinking about me and if I decided to make any other changes to let her
know. So when I decided to wear women’s
tops and pants to work I gave her a heads up so she was expecting the feedback
which she received and quickly smashed.
It has been over 4 years since I started wearing women’s
clothes to work and by enlarge most my colleagues know that and don’t bat an
eye. Occasionally I will get a new
person that lets them know that some guy it wearing a skirt or dress or
something and they go that’s Joe.
So After 4 years I decided to go ahead and transition at
work. I notified Debbie to change my
email to Bethany and my first day as Bethany would be April 30, 2018. Since it had been four years she had
completely forgot about the change or me but got caught up quickly and got the
email changed over almost immediately. I
will write another story about the first day of work as Bethany but right now I
am just focusing on the employment experience.
Humorously Debbie had me reread the employee handbook again it hadn’t changed
in four years. I let her know that I
would be wearing the same clothes I had been wearing but also more obviously women’s
clothes and a lot less androgynous. She
asked me if I thought the dresses and skirts and flowery tops were androgynous. I responded of course not I will just be
wearing more of them.
Debbie was great most of my colleagues are great people at a
job I enjoy doing
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