And now for a completely different safety question.

[Lone Wolf]

Simply do not say anything to anyone about it, and you will not get any of the attention you seem to be looking for.

yeah really. this is a non-issue

[CowHead]

don't worry about hikers they are moving from point A to B locals might be a issue but lay low get what you need and move on down the trail

[blitz1]

I agree with the advice not to make a point of it. The great majority of hikers and probably townies won't care either way, and the Southerners I've met have mostly been as open-minded and warm as any Yankee. Stereotypes can work both ways. I would have thought construction workers would be very intolerant, but I work with a transgendered FtM who worked closely with a large construction crew during extensive renovations of our site and there were zero issues. He just didn't make an issue of it at all, wasn't trying to be a hero by convincing people to be cool about it, which I think could have been the wrong approach in a situation like that. On the AT too, I wouldn't make an issue of it, till you know people well enough for all to be comfortable.

[cold kettle]

I was born and raised in the north and have lived in the south Florida & Tennessee for 40+ years. No area seems to have a monopoly on bigotry. I think you will find more acceptance on the trail then off of it. But, never having been in your situation aside, I don't think you will find any greater problem then some shunning.

[TFOS]

What is the point in deliberately proclaiming to everyone that you're x-gendered? If the point of this post is how to avoid being hassled just don't expose yourself to this ridicule by keeping your personal life private and don't try to make a big political/social issue out of it.
If someone showed up at my camp and made a point of telling me he/she was x-gendered my first question is why in the heck do you think I even care about that and why do you feel the need to tell me? The last thing I want to talk abut with other hikers is their sexual exploits.

Why do I feel the need? For the exact same reason that women sometimes feel the need to ask about their safety on the trail. Because it's a slight concern, and I wanted to here from people who have been out there that it won't be an issue. I have no intention of talking about it with anyone while hiking, unless they specifically ask me and want to know. It's not a political or social issue, it's a safety concern. Nor it is any more attention seeking than the questions of the aforementioned women who have asked the same question (and not receieved half the antipathy).

Let me spell it out for you - some people are going to immediately guess that I'm female, and wonder why the hell I call myself a boy and why Max is calling me "he", and I'm not sure what I should tell them when and if this happens and they want to know *** is going on. Around here I know what kind of bigotry I might run into, so I know from plentiful experience how I have to handle it. Down there (and yes, I know from personal experience that southerners are for the most part extremely nice and polite people whom I will be happy to meet and chat with) beliefs are social interactions are sometimes different, so the negative encounters might be a type I'm not used to dealing with and might not know how to handle.

Oh, and gender has absolutely nothing to do with "sexual exploits". Just fyi.

[sbhikes]

If someone thinks you are a girl and somehow figures out that you are not, they'll probably not actually say anything or they'll apologize. Something about these long trails seems to bring out the best in people so I wouldn't worry too much.

[TFOS]

If someone thinks you are a girl and somehow figures out that you are not, they'll probably not actually say anything or they'll apologize. Something about these long trails seems to bring out the best in people so I wouldn't worry too much.

Thank you. I just needed a little reassurance, and this is exactly what I was hoping to read. Thanks very much.

[Montana Mac]

This is a tough one, so I guess all I can do is bite the bullet and ask flat out.

I'm transgendered, FtM, and planning to thru hike the AT next year with my (male) fiance. I pass as a young man, teenage or early 20s. I'm also a Yankee, and a little concerned about my safety while hiking down south. Would I be best served by posing as my fiance's little brother when we hitch into towns? I'm not worried about other hikers (we can just avoid them, and vice versa, if we make them uncomfortable) but the possibility of trouble with locals scares me a little.

Any thoughts?

I guess my question is if you pass as a young man what makes you think you will be questioned.

Personally I could give a rats a$$ if your are a FtM or MtF. What I would look at is how you treat others on the trail and mother nature. It is the person within the body that counts the most, IMO.

Enjoy your hike

[TFOS]

I guess my question is if you pass as a young man what makes you think you will be questioned.

Because I sometimes am questioned. There's passing and there's passing. I pass at the mall, might not when I'm stuck in a car with someone for 15 minutes. It's a complicated issue, and one I'm happy to discuss with whomever is curious. Just shoot me a PM.

It is the person within the body that counts the most, IMO.

I certainly won't disagree with you on that.

[Sierra Echo]

Max&Isla, you are being a hater towards fine upstanding southern people. You can keep your butt in Maryland for all I care!!!!!

[Majortrauma]

OK Max, you are obviously the one trying to draw attention to your condition. You made the decision, now put on your big girl pants and live with it. All you ahd to do was read the plethora of posts aobut female safety and your question could have easily been answered but insted you turned it into a x-gendered issue and have all kinds of attention now which is likely your original goal. Your original post said you could easily pass for male but now later you claim that might not be completely true or words to that effect. If you really are not pulling the whole FtM thing off of course hikers are going to wonder WTH is going on; what did you expect?
And as far las labeling southern rednecks as some kind of freaks, well you sort of made your mea culpa there but it was weak.
We all have our crosses and issues and some take longer than others to work through.
I hope you get things straightened out.
Honestly, if you were to puill into my site ad it was obvious you were a x-gender I'm not going to mess with you or play games. I'd even let you take a few hits off of my Jack Daniels if that's what you like.
I don't agree with what you do but I'm not going to deliberately hurt.
Just hike your own hike.

[TFOS]

All you ahd to do was read the plethora of posts aobut female safety and your question could have easily been answered but insted you turned it into a x-gendered issue

Because, while a similar question, it is not the same situation. "Will women run into trouble while thru hiking" is not the same as "will someone who is viewed by many as a sick freak/creature of the devil/something worthy of ridicule and/or abuse just for existing run into trouble on a thru hike".

Your original post said you could easily pass for male but now later you claim that might not be completely true or words to that effect.

Nope, the word "easily" was not in there at all. Just because I try to pass doesn't mean I always do. And at 30 years old, passing as a young man is getting more and more difficult.

If you really are not pulling the whole FtM thing off of course hikers are going to wonder WTH is going on; what did you expect?

Exactly my point! I was just looking for some input on how to handle it.

And as far las labeling southern rednecks as some kind of freaks, well you sort of made your mea culpa there but it was weak.
We all have our crosses and issues and some take longer than others to work through.

I never said anything of the sort - you did. I said that southerners tend to be more religious, and that what I am could be a problem for those who are. There's absolutely nothing wrong with having strong religious beliefs, but it could lead to some conflict in this particular situation.

Honestly, if you were to puill into my site ad it was obvious you were a x-gender I'm not going to mess with you or play games. I'd even let you take a few hits off of my Jack Daniels if that's what you like.

I do love me some JD, and would happily share a swig with you. And I don't mess with people or play games either. I just like to think about what situations I might run into and prepare for them ahead of time, to make them a lot less awkward for all involved when and if they actually happened.

I don't agree with what you do but I'm not going to deliberately hurt.
Just hike your own hike.

No one agrees with everything done by every other person. I disagree with a whole lot of people myself. But, just as you said, I won't cause anyone any grief over it. I hike my own hike on the trail, and everywhere.

MT, You're probably good people (I've found that most people are) and if I ever run into you on the trail, I'll be happy to give you a beer out of my own pack.

[Skidsteer]

Because, while a similar question, it is not the same situation. "Will women run into trouble while thru hiking" is not the same as "will someone who is viewed by many as a sick freak/creature of the devil/something worthy of ridicule and/or abuse just for existing run into trouble on a thru hike".

People will, in general, assign as much value to you as you assign to yourself.

Your geographical location doesn't have anything to do with it. Enjoy your hike.

[sbhikes]

Seriously, the people are being pretty mean here on this list but most people don't have transgendered stuff on their mind at all. At the worst, people you meet may just think you're a little weird. Some of them are going to think you are just crazy for walking that far without a weapon and sleeping on the ground and a few are going to just look at you and see a mirror held up for some dream they've always had and never had the courage to do and they won't even see YOU at all.

[ShelterLeopard]

This is a tough one, so I guess all I can do is bite the bullet and ask flat out.

I'm transgendered, FtM, and planning to thru hike the AT next year with my (male) fiance. I pass as a young man, teenage or early 20s. I'm also a Yankee, and a little concerned about my safety while hiking down south. Would I be best served by posing as my fiance's little brother when we hitch into towns? I'm not worried about other hikers (we can just avoid them, and vice versa, if we make them uncomfortable) but the possibility of trouble with locals scares me a little.

Totally a valid safety question. (I know some of this was addressed in some later responses, but some of it wasn't) It's in a similar category as: "I'm a young solo female, should I be worried?", though with a hate crime slant.

You're pretty safe on trail. Most people on the AT are open minded or just plain don't care. In towns, you're mostly pretty safe. But be careful. Bad things do happen, and stupid people do exist. (This goes for towns above and below the mason-dixon, by the way.) I'm a lesbian and had no problems on trail myself, but my situation was different from yours. The only difference between this- the AT- and normal life is that you're on unfamiliar territory.

What is the point in deliberately proclaiming to everyone that you're x-gendered? If the point of this post is how to avoid being hassled just don't expose yourself to this ridicule by keeping your personal life private and don't try to make a big political/social issue out of it.
If someone showed up at my camp and made a point of telling me he/she was x-gendered my first question is why in the heck do you think I even care about that and why do you feel the need to tell me? The last thing I want to talk abut with other hikers is their sexual exploits.

MajorTrauma- It is not "proclaiming" or boasting or flaunting. It isn't like Max and Isla are going to go around saying "Hi, I'm so and so, and I'm transgendered!" It is being your self. When someone asks me if I'm dating anyone and I tell them about my girlfriend, do you think I'm flaunting my sexuality? You have no idea what it feels like to be in the closet. What you're trying to say is that all GLBTQ people should stay in the closet, and that their life is some strange sexual escapade that you just don't want to hear about. That attitude is just as bad as people who say that gay and transgender people are going to hell.

To the OP, you don't get out much do you and your paranoia makes it sound as if you watch too many movies and cable news programs. And this question is not "completely different", lot of people out there with your same sterotyping of the south. I, BTW, am also a yankee from Maryland.

John- it isn't paranoia. You've obviously never dealt with something like this. You don't know how it feels to be talking with some person you met along the way, having a perfectly nice, normal chat, and suddenly, your sexuality or sexual orientation comes out in passing, and they palpably shrink back, and maybe give you a dirty look. Even tell you you're going to hell. (Or worse, that you should go to hell.) I'm not easily shaken, and sh1t like that scares me.

(Sorry if most of that was already addressed by other posts, I'm not fantastic at consolidating things, and wanted my thoughts out there.)

[ShelterLeopard]

And what SBhikes said is true- town people will most likely think you're crazier for wanting to sleep on the ground than for being transgendered. With most non hiker people, the one thing they'll get from talking with you (whether you also mention that you're transgendered, or the smartest person in the world, or whatever) is that you are WILLINGLY sleeping outside, all the time, and eating weird food, and not showering. Because you WANT to.

[rickb]

Because, while a similar question, it is not the same situation. "Will women run into trouble while thru hiking" is not the same as "will someone who is viewed by many as a sick freak/creature of the devil/something worthy of ridicule and/or abuse just for existing run into trouble on a thru hike".

Many hikers only see the beauty along the AT, because it is abundant. I think you will too.

That said, everyone should bear in mind that hate is still out there, and hate crimes of the most vile sort have been perpetrated on or near the trail. The links below recount the only examples I know of-- if others exist they are virtually unknown among hikers.

I have no doubt that many on this list think poorly of me for sharing this kind information, but so be it.

Your question was very appropriate.

http://www.aldha.org/arrest02.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Whole-Truth-Mu...ref=pd_sim_b_1

[10-K]

If you've got enough energy to harass someone you still have enough left in you to hike 10 more miles....

I don't know about ya'll but when I'm hiking I don't have the time nor the desire to mess with anyone.

[SassyWindsor]

Don't be surprised if someone trys to mess with your "Trail Name"

[ShelterLeopard]

And the only way to escape a bad trail name is to out-hike those from whom it came. And it may still catch up with you. (Someone tried to out-hike cowpie two years ago. Didn't work)