I've always been a nerd. I share random trivia wherever I go, talk about politics and economics. Before transition, I could tell people all sorts of crap and they would believe me, or at least take me seriously.

I transitioned and immediately the SAME MEN started talking over me. Using a higher voice and wearing a skirt was all it took. They knew I was the same person, I came out and started dressing femme and one week later I was sharing sheepish glaces with women as the men spoke over me. They didn't know they were doing it.

It's not submissiveness or leadership, it's how people treat you. Masculine voices carry and people listen to them. Feminine voices are talked over and ignored. It's not malice or conscious bigotry.