“First Boi In — Dressing Queer in the Corporate World”
“I walked in and saw all the women in the office look over to watch me walk down the aisle. I got to my group and nobody said a word. And then finally one of the women supervisors said, “Ooh, I like your tie.” And so my journey as the first boi in began.
You never really forget the day you realize that not only are you a stranger in a foreign land, but you are the first of a species that those around you have ever encountered.
I had to get used to the daily stares, the interested glances of some, and the disdain of others. I had to tow the fine line between curious women and distrustful men.
And I had to do this while all the time trying to maintain a sense of who I was, while also making sure to carry myself in such a way as not to fall prey to any preconceived notions that people might have because of what I wore.”
