I think of my friends as the correct gender identity even if I met them before they came out. However, my mind feels super sure that all my friends and associates who knew me before I came out still think of me as a woman and it feels awful and there’s no way to confirm or deny they aren’t just being polite
Would it make you feel less awful if they told you they do still think of you that way subconsciously after you asked, instead of just being polite?
(For my part I read all your posts with the voice of that SU character you have as your avatar.)