Brook Shelley's previous work for The Toast can be found here. Welcome to lesbian trans womanhood. I know, we aren't supposed to say that. Welcome anyway. Let's assume you know two things: that you are a woman, and that you like other women. Good. That's a fine place to start. Follow along, and we will get you from this humble beginning, to being a real-live dater. Take a deep breath. Ready? 1. First, lower…

The Toast’s archive of trans* related stories can be found here. When I began to work in the tech industry 11 years ago, it was a lucky break. I got a chance to fix laptops at the University where I studied, and that continued into a career in IT, testing, and analytics that pays my bills today. When I began work, though I have always been a woman, I was presenting as a man.