Katie Sprinkle is an American lawyer, former public defender, and founder of the Law Office of Katie Sprinkle. With more than twenty years of legal experience, Katie has dedicated much of her career to public service and criminal defense. After working for fourteen years at the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office and helping establish a new public defender’s office in Burnet County, she opened her own practice in 2013. Her work includes criminal defense, family law, wills and probate, as well as name changes and gender marker corrections for transgender clients.
Beyond her legal practice, Katie is committed to improving access to justice for the transgender community. She volunteers with the Resource Center of Dallas’ G.E.A.R. Program, where she provides legal assistance and guidance, including through a free monthly legal clinic. She is particularly concerned about the difficulties transgender people face when seeking accurate identification and protection against discrimination. Drawing on her own experience of transition, she also shares thoughtful advice on overcoming fear, building self-confidence, and finding the courage to live authentically. In our conversation, we discuss her legal career, the challenges facing transgender Americans, the importance of visibility and representation, and her hopes for a more inclusive legal system.
Monika: Katie, welcome, and thank you for joining me today!
Katie: Thank you for having me.
Monika: Two decades in the legal field is an impressive record. How did your career take shape?
Katie: I began my career in the private sector working for a couple of different law firms. I did that for about three years before starting to work for the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office. I was an assistant public defender in Dallas County for 14 years. I left Dallas County in 2011 to go to Burnet County to help set up and start a brand new Public Defender Office. I left Burnet County in the summer of 2013 to start my own practice. I had originally planned to start my own practice a couple of years ago but delayed doing so in order to complete my transition.
Monika: A year ago you opened your own firm, the Law Office of Katie Sprinkle. What services does your office provide?
Katie: I handle criminal defense cases, name and gender marker changes, wills and probate, and some family law.
Monika: Do you offer anything specifically for transgender clients?
Katie: I do name and gender marker changes as well as some family law for transgender clients. I also volunteer at the Resource Center of Dallas’ G.E.A.R. Program, which is an advocacy group for the transgender community.
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| Speaking at a G.E.A.R. Mixer on the Legal Aspect of Name and Gender Changes. |
Monika: From a legal point of view, where do transgender Americans face the biggest challenges?
Katie: Name changes with gender marker corrections. So many states, including mine, Texas, are not transgender-friendly. States such as Texas block our efforts to obtain proper identification despite knowing that it opens us up to job discrimination, harassment, embarrassment, and hate crimes. There are a few judges in Texas who are willing to give us the court orders we need to change our names and correct our gender markers, but they are few and far between. I want to help people obtain the name changes and gender marker corrections and be the focal point for information regarding these matters. Job discrimination is another area where the law is failing the transgender community.
Monika: You mentioned job discrimination. Has the law offered any protection in that area?
Katie: There has been some movement in this area with Macy vs. B.A.T.F., which held that transgender discrimination is sex discrimination, so even without specific laws enacted to protect us from job discrimination, we can still fight it on the basis of sex discrimination. We still have a very long way to go in this area as well, but there have been positive steps.
Monika: Your free monthly legal clinic for the Resource Center’s transgender G.E.A.R. program in Dallas is a generous pro bono contribution. What cases come up most frequently there?
Katie: Most people come in with questions about name and gender marker changes. I have had some family law issues, job discrimination issues, as well as some criminal law issues. I have set up a couple of non-profit corporations for a couple of people who were starting their own non-profits.
Monika: Could you think back to the time of your transition? Were there any transgender role models you could follow?
Katie: Not really. I have had a number of transgender friends over the years, so I was able to watch them and learn from them. I didn’t have a single role model to follow, so I sought the help of a good therapist and a support group, as well as making many friends in the transgender community with whom I could gain insight into the process.
Monika: Coming out is a big step for many people. What was the hardest thing about it for you?
Katie: Fear! Without question, the fear of losing anyone and everyone that means something to you is the single hardest thing to overcome when coming out. I heard so many horror stories of people who had been rejected by employers, family, and friends. Of course, one of the hardest people to come out to was myself, and once I did that, I opened up to a few friends. It did get a bit easier.
Monika: Telling your family must have been the next big step. How did that go?
Katie: I finally came out to my family, which was the scariest thing that I had ever done. I have been extremely fortunate that I have been accepted by my family and friends. I have had a few acquaintances who turned away, but the people who truly mean something to me have stayed with me through my transition.
Monika: Transgender women often face the harsh test of whether they pass as women or not. You are a lovely lady yourself, but what advice would you give to women who fear they will not pass?
Katie: I think this is a complicated issue. We need to have the self-confidence to be ourselves regardless of our looks, but it is the hardest thing in the world to do. I think that we get so caught up on “passing” that no one really knows what it truly means. I have been presenting part-time as me for almost twenty years. There were times that I looked better than other times. There were times that I got read and times when I didn’t. Here are a couple of thoughts based upon my own transition, but also twenty years of presenting part-time before I transitioned.
First, I think we need to understand what passing means. It does not mean that if someone studies you for long periods of time that they won’t figure it out, because they will. It means that you can walk into a room and people can give you the customary glance and then proceed back with whatever they were doing. I think there are things that we can do to help ourselves with passing. Things such as dressing appropriately for the circumstances, in other words, don’t wear a mini dress with 5-inch heels to Sunday brunch.
Monika: Beyond dressing for the occasion, what else can make a difference?
Katie: Transwomen are no different from cis-women. We take our cue from other women in what to wear or not wear, and learning these cues can be extremely helpful. Learn to walk, sit, stand, and have more feminine mannerisms. I know some very beautiful transwomen who walk, sit, or stand like a truck driver. There is a belief that cisgender women do not have to do this, but that is not true. Cis-women learned all of this as teenagers, so part of this game of “passing” is just learning the rules of fashion and presentation that cis-women learned as teenagers. These are things that we can change, which will help us “pass” and give us greater confidence when we present to the world.
Monika: How much attention does passing really deserve?
Katie: I think that focusing on passing is a fool’s errand. In the end, it boils down to going out and living your life on your terms or hiding in the shadows because you live in fear. I overcame my fear of not passing simply by going out and presenting to the world as me. I had to learn some very hard lessons which I stated above, but as I mastered those, my confidence grew. As my confidence grew, I developed the attitude that I just didn’t care what happens if someone read me. I was always safe and aware of my surroundings as any woman should be, but if someone figured out that I was transgender, I didn’t care. I had an incident in 2012 at a department store in Austin where I went to purchase some clothing and the clerk noticed the male name on my credit card, which prompted her to ask for my ID. I showed her my male ID, which surprised her, so she called a manager.
Monika: What happened after the clerk called her manager?
Katie: With the manager on the phone and a line forming behind me, she very loudly spoke into the phone, “It is dressed as a woman, but its ID says male.” If this incident had happened twenty years earlier, I would have been so mortified that I would have gone home and hidden for who knows how long. However, by this stage in my life, I had learned to roll with the punches. I asked to speak with a manager, and I logged a very stern complaint, which ultimately made its way to the district manager, who called and personally apologized to me. What got me through this incident as well as other incidents was my experience of presenting as me.
Monika: What other steps would you suggest to women trying to get past that hurdle?
Katie: I think that the first step transwomen can take to get over this hurdle of passing is learning the female socialization steps I stated earlier. Those are all issues that can be corrected and worked through. The next step is meeting with other transgender people. Start with safe environments such as support group meetings, therapy sessions, and even gay clubs. I used to explore the gay clubs as a male just to get the lay of the land and then go back as me. These things can help you build confidence. Push your boundaries. I dressed at home, then would go check the mail while dressed before building up to doing errands. I was careful not to be noticed too much but gained valuable experience. Eventually, it helped me find a support group where we often went in a group to a local restaurant after the meeting, then maybe to a gay club to dance or take in a drag show. It’s a journey that we take, and with each step, we get closer to where we want to be. Don’t let fear dictate your life. Eventually, you will overcome that fear and present the real you to the world, and you will lay the beast of “passing” to rest.
Monika: A few weeks ago Jared Leto received his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for playing the transgender Rayon in “Dallas Buyers Club.” How do you see the way transgender characters and stories have been featured in films, newspapers, and books so far?
Katie: It is a mixed bag. I think that the portrayal of transgender people in various forms of media and pop culture casts us in a negative light. However, the gay community went through this, as did the African American community and Latino community. We will overcome this as did the other minority groups. What I am hoping to see very soon is a good transgender character that audiences will love, as we found in “Will and Grace.” I think the characters of Will and Jack showed two different types of people who just happened to be gay. I think that pop culture will help the transgender community in the same way. We are not there yet, but I think that we are a short distance from seeing that. I think that seeing more transgender actresses play transgender characters will be helpful. I think there are a number of transgender actresses who could have performed the Jared Leto role.
Monika: Beyond casting, is there anything you would like to see change in how the media presents the transgender community?
Katie: I would also like to see the media, particularly interview shows, focus on better role models. The main people that we see on these shows are models and actresses, but we are doctors, lawyers, engineers, and parents. People need to know that we are no different from them, which will help us eliminate ignorance. We will still face tremendous bigotry, but with more and more allies, we will overcome the bigots like so many before us.
Monika: Are you active in politics, and do you take part in any lobbying campaigns? Can transgender women make a difference there?
Katie: I am not as active as I would like to be. I occasionally attend a Democratic Party function, mainly because it helps me stay in touch with so many local political leaders. I am mainly interested in getting the legal system to be more open and helpful to the transgender community. Many local judges will call me whenever they have someone in their court with a transgender issue, which is exactly what I want. My belief is that if they are comfortable enough to call, encountering a transgender person will not be an issue. We are very blessed in Dallas County right now, because the bulk of the judiciary at the county level want to be fair to the transgender community. If I can help that, then I will do so.
Monika: In the 60s and 70s, Harvey Milk was a driving force for gay activism. Is there anyone in the transgender community today whose actions could be compared to his?
Katie: I don’t know that I would say that there is someone who would be on the level of a Harvey Milk. I am a great admirer of Harvey Milk, so it may be that I have the bar set pretty high, but I don’t know that there is anyone out there who is taking the dramatic risks that he took. I think that we are still searching for that one person who will become our spokesperson.
Monika: What role does love play in your life?
Katie: I think love is important in everyone’s life. Being transgender can cause havoc in our personal lives and make dating and relationships far more complicated. I avoided relationships altogether for many years because dealing with a relationship while sorting through my gender issues proved to be too much for me.
Monika: Do you like fashion? Could you tell me about the outfits you usually wear and any designs, colors, or trends you favor?
Katie: I do like fashion, although you might not notice. I wear a lot of business attire for court. I try to dress up my suits with very feminine blouses. I try not to sacrifice comfort for cute, but I have done so. I love coral and rose colors. I don’t wear skirts as often as I thought I might, but I think that finding a balance in your wardrobe is important. My wardrobe fits my needs to be comfortable while expressing my femininity. Of course, I am not afraid to wear sports shorts, a T-shirt, and flip-flops.
Monika: Many transgender ladies write their memoirs. Has the idea of writing one ever crossed your mind?
Katie: I have considered writing my memoirs. I am very fortunate that I have kept a journal for over twenty years, so it will be a daunting project to go back over that many years of material and condense it into my story, but that is a great problem to have when considering taking on such a project.
Monika: What new projects are you working on now?
Katie: My main focus right now has been to get my law practice established and get my legal clinic going. I would like to improve the way the court system treats transgender clients as well as help transgender people find a voice.
Monika: Having transitioned yourself, what advice would you give to transgender women struggling with gender dysphoria?
Katie: The first thing is to find a good therapist with experience working with transgender clients. This could be extremely difficult depending upon where they live. The next thing would be to find a support group. Again, this could be difficult to do depending upon where you live. I know someone who drives from Oklahoma City to Dallas to attend support groups and socialize with other transgender people. Find social events that you can attend to get to know other transgender people. So many people rely on just socializing online, but that will only get you so far. They will need to get out of the house. Again, do so with caution and take slow steps, but eventually, you will find your confidence.
Monika: Katie, thank you for sharing your story and your expertise with us!
All the photos: courtesy of Katie Sprinkle.
© 2014 - Monika Kowalska
