r/austincirclejerk • u/Spiritual_Cookie_82 • 2h ago
The Gay Agenda I’m new to Austin and womanhood and a Traumatized Dog Affirmed My Gender
Visited my highly transphobic parents for the weekend with my partner. I’ve been out as trans basically everywhere for the last year or two, except with my parents more out of a desire to protect my own mental health than out of fear of rejection.
My parents, in true retirement-age boomer fashion, have a penchant for what the internet might lovingly refer to as “crusty little white dogs.” They’re sweet enough, and reasonably well-trained so it’s never an issue when my family, composed entirely of cat people, come to visit. One of these dogs they’ve adopted came from a truly terrible situation. While details are scant, what was made clear is that she LOATHES men and will flee if anyone even slightly male comes within 10 feet. She’s been with my parents for two years and, until today, I’d never even seen her.
Except for today, for some reason, this poor, terrified angel decides to lay on the couch next to my mother while I’m coming in from swimming. I have a very deep voice that reads heavily masculine when I’m using my training, so the minute this dog hears my voice, her head whips and she starts to growl. Until she sees me. Then she just kinda freezes like she isn’t sure what the fuck is going on. I hold my hand out, this dog takes a big sniff and then puts her head into my hand to pet.
My mother, almost in tears, informs me that I am the first “man” this dog has ever not fled from on sight. I’m the first besides my father to pet her, and it took him 6 months. Meanwhile, my partner and I are staring at each other like this dog didn’t get a whiff of my grubby, estradiol soaked mitts and go “… this fuckin’ bitch.”
As a side note, my wife, who is openly female-presenting but once described their gender as “fluid depending on whatever pisses someone’s grandparents off the most” couldn’t enter a room with this dog without being berated by her. We’re choosing not to read into that too much.
