I'm 25 years old and work as a fitness coach. A customer from my gym came up to the reception desk and told me "I'm really sorry I thought that you were a girl from behind" (I have long hair, but I'm NOWHERE NEAR feminine in terms of my appearance, so I thoght that it was intentionally disrespectful). I was shoked because the last time something like that happend was many years ago before I even entered work life. I don't have any problems standing up for myself when on the street/any other setting, I would just probably just say "fuck off" or "come find out" or something like this. Overall I'm confident and strong but during that situation I just completely froze because I don't even know how to react while at work…
So I basically swallowed it at first, then I waited until the customer went out and told him "good bye, girl". My blood was just boiling, I had not been disrespected like that for a long-long time. He told me "not to be offended", we had a conversation about it, I told him that I felt disrespected and I don't want any further issues at work becasue of that. He apologized and we shook hands. Anyway… I'm feeling down and humiliated, don't even want to come back. Thank God only one of my colleagues saw that.
I know that all of that might sound "infantile" but that's what it is. I would like to hear y'all's advise on how to cope with that situation and let go.