Thread: I'm starting classes - I need advice, I may be the only TG there!

(Note: Names of cities and teachers have been obfuscated, I'm just playing it a bit safer than I need to. A certain amount of googling might I suppose identify some of them.)

Okay... I spent a while over Christmas finding out how long it would take to get to several cities by train, and contacting people who ran burlesque classes. As a result, I'm doing cancan lessons in one of these cities - let's call it City X - on a Sunday, and I've got burlesque classes starting there on the 28th. I told (call her Ms. X) - she's really nice and friendly, really supportive - in advance that I was TG and asked if there would be a problem, and she said there wouldn't.

However, I'm realising that there may be a problem if the other learners turn out not to feel the same way. If they perceive me as male, or decide they don't feel safe having a "male" in the class, I don't want this to result in a bunch of people emailing Ms. X after the first class saying "I can't believe you let a MAN into the classes! I'm not coming back!!" or anything like that, on the other hand I don't want to back out of this if I can avoid it because I really want to learn burlesque and I also want to make friends with my fellow students.

I've previously just assumed the teacher will know best, but after there was a mix up this week where I thought somewhere in City Z would be okay - seems the teacher didn't realise I was the same Amy who mentioned being TG before - I had to leave before the class started. Later emails confirmed it was because the others might not have felt comfortable learning burlesque with an apparent male around. Anyway, with one course having vanished unexpectely, I'm desperate to avoid anything similar happening again.

(Also from emails to someone in City Y "It's not an issue to me who I teach ... but the girls have felt intimidated when I have allowed gay male friends and even drag queens into the classes".)

(Am I getting a bit ahead of myself here, i.e. should I assume the teacher will know how to prevent any issues arising?)

Now, I'm willing to leave the room if/when things get as far as tassel-twirling - I don't actually have real breasts so there's nothing to attach the tassels to anyway.

I'm also willing to leave the room if anyone strips down past a certain point - and do bear in mind here that underwear does have a bodyshaping effect, I don't want to take off my bra with fake breasts in or remove my shaping-knickers - but as far as I can tell this class doesn't have any full stripping, it's done over the top of normal clothes, so this shouldn't be an issue.

I really need advice. Mainly, is there any other thing in particular where others might not feel comfortable having me in the room at the time, so I can be prepared to leave? Someone did mention stocking removal (which reminds me, I need to buy a suspender belt) but I don't see how that would be a problem. Is there anything else I can or should do or say before the class starts? I don't want to make anyone feel unsafe but I really don't want to lose this course either.

Previously, I've arrived dressed "normally" and changed and put makeup on after arriving. I think I'm going to need to change to arriving already dressed en femme, this is going to be a bit tricky as I don't know how safe this city is going to be (don't fancy being prevented from using the station toilet either - unfortunately you have to get past an attendant) and I need to kill time before the class starts. Anyway, my current plan to avoid risk if I turn up already dressed is to hang around in the station waiting room until half an hour before the class starts and then get a taxi - the place feels like a total ghost town on Sundays, it's actually pretty scary.

Thanks for any advice you can give me. I know I'm always asking for advice on here but this REALLY is the most important yet.

Bye!

Amy x.

WARNING

Warning: This is an Old Thread This discussion is older than 60 days. information contained in it may no longer be current

Hi Amy,

I can't really provide any answers as to what other class members may or may not be comfortable wiht you doing, but I can provide some legal advice:

The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 S 2A(1)(aa) (as ammended by the The Sex Discrimination (Amendment of Legislation) Regulations 2008) prohibits discrimination on the grounds of gender reassignment with regards to the provision of goods and services.

Whether this would apply to you depends on your gender identity - current legislation only affords protection to those who intend to undergo, are undergoing, or have undergone gender reassignment surgery (this includes everything from hormones to actual surgery).

Therefore, if you at any stage of transitioning I think it would be illegal to bar you from attending the class and taking full part in it. From a legal perspective, if you intend to/are transitioning then it is irrelevant that others in the class are happy with your being there. Furthermore, there is no legal obligation on you to inform either the class leader, or other members of the class as to your gender identity.

Sadly there is no similar protection for those who are transgender, but do not intend to transition.

I hope that is of some use, and that you are able to go to the classes that you want.

Best wishes

PS - Standard legal caveat - I have a law degree, but am not a lawyer, if the above is applicable and you do pursue it, consult a solicitor rather than relying on the above!

I will try and do some more digging and see if I can find anything else that may be of use to you.

x

I was thinking as regards to how safe the city is, see if there is any LGBT societies or support groups in the area. If you could get to 1 or 2 of there meetings you might make friends with someone there whose house you could change at, you may also meet someone who is in the same boat as you e.g. they want to go to burlesque classes.

Again as for what people would and wouldn't be comfortable with I really couldn't say, personally I would have no problem what so ever. But I guese if the above does apply to you then the opinions of the other people in the class don't really count (from a legal stand point any way).

Hope this helps and you manage to find a class you enjoy doing.

When I did my Burlesque course with there was male to female Trans Gender person in our class. However nothing was ever mentioned and everyone just accepted her for who she was.

I think the teacher was fullyaware but it just never an issue for anyone. Good luck, and I hope everything goes well for you.


Clio xx

Thanks for the help everyone! I'll address some of the points you've made:

ex-sistent - while I'm TG I'm not sure if I will want to transition, if I do it's going to be quite some way into the future so I'm afraid most of what you've said doesn't apply to me. I wouldn't want to use the threat of the law on people I'm really hoping to make friends with too. But a big thanks for getting all that information anyway!

I can't really provide any answers as to what other class members may or may not be comfortable wiht you doing

It's not so much what I'm doing. It's more like, with me in the room, would they feel comfortable doing it.

Sadly there is no similar protection for those who are transgender, but do not intend to transition.

Did you know this is also the case with the new Equality Bill?

Thanks also to salls and Clio for your kind words and advice! I'll do some googling, see if there are any LGBT groups in City Z, fingers crossed.

(Oh - I also went through with the plan to arrive en femme by hanging around in the station waiting room/getting a taxi on Sunday. It went pretty well!)