Bad Morning or a Karen?

 I have been taking the dog out for a walk every day, weather permitting. On the plus side, our walks seem to be helping my health immensely. During the times we walk, normally there are very few people we

"Un Karen" Photo
Courtesy Jessie Hart

encounter. I have to be careful to clean up after the dog because every morning he has to take a constitutional in someone's yard. I always I careful to bring a bag along to clean up so I don't aggravate any neighbors. 

This morning I encountered a middle aged woman who lives a couple houses down the street from Liz and I. She was talking to another neighbor as the dog and I approached and by the time we reached them, they moved apart and the woman in question approached us on the sidewalk. 

I always make it a point to try to be the first to speak to a neighbor and I did this morning to her. When I did, she looked right through me and said nothing. 

Of course I immediately thought of two things. Maybe she is a "Karen" who resents anything different existing in  "her" neighborhood. If I am nothing else, I am different. If she knows I am transgender, maybe she will have to try to explain it to the two daughters she has. Along the way recently the girl has stopped Liz and I to pet our dog. 

Yet another factor I always have to consider when or if we encounter a bigoted "Karen" is Liz and I have never been shy about holding hands in public. Maybe "Karen" doesn't like lesbians holding hands in public either. 

Who knows? Maybe I am just over reacting and she was just having a bad day. When I always run into situations such as this, one of the things I have to tell myself is it is not all about me. Maybe some other dog poohed  in her yard or world. Maybe she is concerned also that a family of color has moved into her comfortable white privileged world. 

One of these mornings I am just going to ask her. Until that time, I will make sure I am the first to speak. 

A Trans Girl and her Dog

I recently read a post on Jessica Who?'s blog about a crossdresser who was basically attacked by his dog after a transformation session. Obviously his dog was totally fooled by the transition and not in a pleasant way.
Of course I started to think about my loyal furry companion for the last decade and her reaction to my transitions over the years. She has never gone on the attack mode and probably if she could talk, she would say "really-are you going to wear that tonight?"
Just recently I have let her come with me more and more. For the longest time, she went every possible place with me as a guy but almost never with Cyrsti. So she got to the point where she would go into an extreme pout as I was getting ready to go out.
As my transition moves forward now I do take her with me.
I did have another furry friend for several years up until he passed on to doggie heaven about a year ago and he would look at me quizzically.
But that's about it with my dog stories. If you are a dog person, I'm sure you have a story or two of your own. Normally, our pooches take unconditional love to a higher level and really don't care how we are dressed. Be sure to check out the story in the Jessica's Blog link above for one who didn't!