Hello everyone. I am excited to begin my house sitting journey but need feedback or suggestions. I am a 70 year old transgender woman. I have been married to my wonderful cis-wife for over 50 years. We are monogamous and content with our situation.
My question/concern would be how accepting do you think ho’s will be and do you think I have a reasonable chance I will be accepted?
Thanks
Rachel
Welcome @RachelTG. A fifty year marriage is a wonderful thing!
I suspect you’ll find your experience with pet sitting similar to your ‘real world’ experiences - some people will have no issues, some people will have a whole bunch of 'em. It’s not always easy to know which way things are going to go.
As a host, I want my listing to be very obviously inclusive, so state that we are LGBTQ+ allies. I’ve seen others do the same, but it’s not the norm.
I wish you lots of luck. 
Personally, it would not bother me in the slightest! All the best with your house-sitting journey, 
Like @Pips I specifically state that I’m LGBTQ+ ally in my HO listing. I see lots of listing and sitters that are gay couples, so hopefully the inclusivity extends to trans people also.
Good luck!
Do you love animals?
Are you responsible enough to look after someone’s home?
Is clean and tidy your middle name?
Do you communicate well?
Are you easygoing, can fit in to most environments and are happy in your own skin?
Answer yes to all these questions and you and your partner will be great pet/house sitters. No one really looks at your preferences or how you choose to live your life. If they do they’re not worth the time and effort you would put into looking after their pets.
Good luck my lovelies.
Hi @RachelTG - Your gender identity has no relevance to your ability to care for a home or pets so I would not worry about it. There is no need to tell home hosts that you are transgender - some may guess, some won’t. Frankly, it is none of their business.
Before 99% of sits are confirmed you will have a video call with the home hosts. If they are happy that you and your wife are a good fit for them, and you both are happy that the sit is a good fit for you then all is well.
Sitters come in all shapes and sizes. We all get some of our applications rejected and have no way of knowing why but there is no reason at all that you should be rejected any more or less than the rest of us.
Good Luck!
Hi Rachel,
Congratulations to you and your wife for your lasting and loving relationship!
I think it’s really great that you are so open and honest about who you are. It tells me a lot about your character. That’s what truly matters to me in finding a sitter.
Personally, I don’t give a hoot how someone identifies or who they love. Are you responsible? Honest? Are you tidy? If you and your wife take good care of my dogs, communicate well, show up when scheduled, are respectful of my home and neighbors, and clean up after yourselves, I’d be thrilled to have you sit for me.
There will always be people who judge or are uncomfortable accepting you - here as much as anywhere else. If you do video chats before agreeing a sit, I’d simply lay it out there. If they don’t want you as a sitter because of it, it’s their loss. There will be plenty of other HOs who will.
Welcome to Trusted Housesitters. I’m sure you’ll do great!
Hi @RachelTG
Welcome to the wonderful world of THS and its forum.
Personally I think it’s a shame that you feel you have to ask the question but your honesty and openness is to be admired.
I agree with the comments and advice others have given.
There’s a lot of help in the forum and website how to make a great profile.
Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Thank you all for your encouraging replies.
Hello @RachelTG
To add to @ElsieDownie response and all the other brilliant comments from my buds here, the only thing that matters is your willingness and ability to home and pet sit.
Focus on highlighting your experience and interest there.
Forget the rest. Yes it may deter some. Who gives a flying fig?
There is no need to lead with personal information of sexual preferences, religion, politics, food choices or whether you absolutely must have an expresso machine with an automatic drip set for 4am.
Enjoy your new adventures!
Welcome and keep providing yourself your best life.
Just why do you feel the need to tell people you are transexual? I don’t care and I suspect most don’t. What’s important is how you take care of the animals put in your care surely? As long as you looked after my pets nothing else matters.
Welcome @RachelTG. Congrats on 50 years!
You’ve got some wonderful advice already. Ultimately the most important thing to most HO’s is can you take good care of their pet(s) and home?
Good luck.
Firstly, congratulations on your long-term relationship!
Please feel free to look at our listing in Hastings. It is a quiet, cosy house in the woods with a sweet cat and 4 hens.
We have had a lot of very different sitters and hope we are open-minded.
We are going away for a few days in mid February. Maybe a long way to travel but it could be a good start for you.
Which area is Hastings in. I moved from Minneapolis and there was a Hastings near us.
Rachel
We’re actually Hastings in England. Maybe one day you can come over.
My future goal is to visit and sit in many countries. As others have recommended, I am starting with local sitting here in Colorado to build my reviews. Thanks for the support and I look forward to meeting you someday.
Hi, as a HO looking for caring sitters I have no bias to anyone who can care for my furbabies.
My hubby and I welcome anyone who is sincere, caring and conscious to our home.
I wish you a great journey on THS.
We will post a sit for early Sept this year so look for it if interested.
All the best from Portugal.
Chris
Hello everyone. Thanks for all the support and words of encouragement for @RachelTG. This certainly is an open and welcoming community.
Just a gentle reminder that it is against forum guidelines to post specifically to seek pet sits or pet sitters in the forum. If you want to have those conversations, please contact each other via DMs.
Thank you!
Thanks for the support.
Post moderated to adhere to forum guidelines
Hi Rachel
Really appreciate the question.
For me and my wife, it would be all about the person based on their reviews, Airbnb link info and vibe at the initial screening.
If I believe you would care for my home as I do, care for our kitty as agreed with a little bit if extra lovin’…that is what would be important to us.
I think there will be some people that will decline me & my wife for sits/stays…that’s ok.
I would not however let anything that seems blatantly discriminatory, or hostile go unaddressed. I would report that to THS.
But I think it would just be a simple “decline” application" with both parties better off in the end.
All the best!
Bonnie