They say a dog can sense your fear. They act accordingly, friendly if you are cool, aggressive if you fear. People are no different.
Transgender is a scary thing. It’s scary for cis people because they don’t understand us, it’s scarier for us because we do. We know we are different, we need to do things society deems strange. We know we won't go unnoticed.
Most of us spend years struggling with our feelings, keeping them carefully hidden from society, many of us will never stop hiding. But for some of us, the day will come when we emerge from our self imposed exile and step into the light of day.
How does the dog ‘sense’ our fear? Smell? Mental telepathy? ...Body language, dogs, cats and many animals, communicate greatly by body language. We do it too, but just don’t think about it as much. If you approach a dog or cat, and their ears are upright, their eyes are open wide, they look up at you, you know they are receptive to approach. If their ears are folded low, eyes slits, head low, you know to stay back!
When you start expressing yourself in public, remember this. As you are trying to blend in, hoping to go unnoticed, your actions can produce the opposite effect. Walking with your head down, shoulders slumped, averting the gaze of the crowd, you are showing your fear. People notice this, their reactions are just like the dogs, they become aggressive.
Loosen up, look people in the eyes, hold your head up. Your body language will do more to help you blend into society than clothes, makeup, or surgery.