One of my regular correspondents, Alison, WA1YKL, did attend. She is a ham radio operator like me. She wore a badge displaying her call sign while attending First Event to see if any other ham radio operators in attendance would take notice and make a connection with her.
Her strategy worked. Another ham noticed the badge and they had an “eyeball QSO” (translation: meeting another ham in person rather than via the radio). Alison also ran into another trans ham who she knew previously from Tri Ess.
I have been attending ham radio conventions and meetings as a woman since 2010 and I always wear a badge displaying my call sign, as do most of the hams attending such events. I blend in as a middle-aged female ham and other trans hams who no know better, don’t pay me much mind.
But hams who read this blog and attend the same ham events as I attend have made an effort to find me at those events for an eyeball QSO. In that scenario, I have had eyeball QSOs with about 20 other trans hams including a couple who attended as women.
And over the years, I have had encounters with perhaps another 20 trans hams. Two were local hams who I had known for years — we were in the same ham radio club — then one day, they each showed up en femme at my support group’s meeting!
So, I am curious: how many trans hams are there? If you are a trans ham radio operator, just leave a comment saying so (with or without your call sign) or do the same with an e-mail.
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| Wearing Veronica Beard. |
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| Alex Lutz and Bruno Sanches in French television's Catherine et Liliane. |