More often than not here, when cis women are surprised to see me in a restroom, they jump for a moment, then their eyes soften and they get all excited to make me feel welcome.

Otherizing? A bit. But we both get to leave that room feeling better about the world.

The day is coming. Even here in Seattle. I'll have to deal with harassment when I have to use the bathroom. But in two years of transitioning, it not only hasn't happened once; the opposite has happened. Repeatedly.

I've been very lucky, but those women all made that choice.

They all just chose not to be gross bigots creeping out about what genitals I might have.

Keep in mind, this was happening even early in my transition, when I still looked like this:

It's not because I passed. It's because of a choice. Every one of them could've freaked out at the "man" or the t-slur in "their" bathroom, but literally hundreds didn't. They made the decision to be kind.

And they all understood that I was the one who felt like I was in danger.

I really wish all those women and enbies who've been shamed, harassed, and even assaulted in bathrooms were as lucky as I've been.

When those women made the choice to be accepting, they also felt better. And I felt safer. And that's how it should be.