Monika: You played a substantial part in changing the law in California in 1978 on "Birth Certificate" along with Joanna Clark. Was it a difficult fight?
Ar’lene: In my autobiography that I’m writing presently I devoted a whole chapter to “California AB 385, The Fight for Birth Certificate Change”. It birthed out of the Los Angeles “TS Rap Group” with Joanna Clark leading the way.
I was the TS Rap Group’s facilitator at the time. We did a mass amount of letter writing to the State Legislators. There were about six (6) people and a senior group involved in the campaign. The Bill passed. There was an attempt to block it by trying to pass another bill known as SB 2200, but that was voted down. The original Bill stood as is and California AB 385 became law in 1978. It became the model for other States.
There have been several changes to the law since then. We follow Illinois, where I was born. Today, there are three (3) states left to change their laws on birth certificates (Tennessee, Ohio, and Idaho). A few states are unclear on their “Trans” birth certificate laws like Texas.
I was the TS Rap Group’s facilitator at the time. We did a mass amount of letter writing to the State Legislators. There were about six (6) people and a senior group involved in the campaign. The Bill passed. There was an attempt to block it by trying to pass another bill known as SB 2200, but that was voted down. The original Bill stood as is and California AB 385 became law in 1978. It became the model for other States.
There have been several changes to the law since then. We follow Illinois, where I was born. Today, there are three (3) states left to change their laws on birth certificates (Tennessee, Ohio, and Idaho). A few states are unclear on their “Trans” birth certificate laws like Texas.
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| Ar'lene in Florence, Italy. |
Monika: What is your general view on the present situation of transgender women in American society?
Ar’lene: The best that I can say, “For the most part, the parents are seeing their child’s needs in starting “Blockers” (i.e. like Spironolactone) at the right time in the child’s life.
Doctors are more educated on “Trans”, except a few like Canadian doctors “Psych’s”, who are trying to circumvent the DSM -V. Also, quackery of the twisted thinking of these bad docs. These believers think that the “Trans-person”, as well as the gay person, can be changed through faith healing “Reparative Therapy”, like the “Family Research Council”.
Doctors are more educated on “Trans”, except a few like Canadian doctors “Psych’s”, who are trying to circumvent the DSM -V. Also, quackery of the twisted thinking of these bad docs. These believers think that the “Trans-person”, as well as the gay person, can be changed through faith healing “Reparative Therapy”, like the “Family Research Council”.
Monika: Such surgeries must have been very expensive.
Ar’lene: My advice or the bottom-line; work for a company that pays for your medical insurance that covers most of your surgeries and/or HRT. You would be lucky if you worked for the City of San Francisco. Their Health Insurance covers HRT, Psych, and GCS. Kaiser Permanente for many policies covers Psych, Speech Therapy (female voice), HRT, and some GCS (SRS).
As for FFS, the body and breasts are rarely covered. Also, the lucky ones are in the countries that pay for medical (NHS) including HRT & GCS, but one, unfortunately, has to wait long periods before any surgery. It’s unknown if AHCA (Affordable Health Care Act) or Obama Care covers these surgeries and/or treatments; for my state, “California OneCare” (upcoming), also unknown yet. “Don’t let it control you, control it yourself!” Which means, “No is not an answer”. Keep pushing, find a way to go around the obstacle and/or system.”
Look, if you really want these surgeries and treatments, just go the best way possible and get it!!! Many people (especially a medical insurance company) will try to stop you. Just push around them and my best wishes to all of you!
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| At the Hotel Bar in Atlanta, Georgia. At the Southern Comfort Conference. |
Monika: At that time of your transition did you have any transgender role models that you could follow? What was your knowledge about transgenderism?
Ar’lene: My Role Models started with, Coccinelle and Bambi (Marie-Pier Ysser). Bambi began as an entertainer and then became a University Professor. I cannot forget Christine Jorgensen and April Ashley, who married Lord Arthur Corbett in 1963. She adopted a son. All had GCS (SRS) in Casablanca. My knowledge was still at its learning stage. If you said, people I know personally, “It would be Joanna Clark, Canary Conn, and Christine Konda, who was My Maid of Honor” and was murdered in 1989.
Monika: What was the hardest thing about your coming out?
Ar’lene: The stubbornness and misunderstanding of my parents. My sister was the first to know. It’s all different today. Also, I can say this, “I would have loved to begin transitioning as a child or better yet, be born 100% female”.
Monika: What did you feel when you were finally a woman?
Ar’lene: “Check it off with a big checkmark!” I felt very lucky then and Happy-Happy-Happy!!!
Monika: What do you enjoy most in being a woman?
Ar’lene: Cosmetics, clothes with style, dating hot men (in the past), being married to a sweet man (at present), and my trades (as an Electrologist and a Cosmetologist). Also, my HRT. It is easy for me to travel going through airport security. I even traveled for five (5) months through Europe on a Rail Pass in 1986 and many times visited the United Kingdom since then.
Monika: You are married to a man. Was it difficult for him to accept you as a trans-woman?
Ar’lene: Only at the time of transition beginnings. Not for the most during the marriage, but except the first few years when the Newsweek article messed him up at his work. He was fired for it. Because of one of the photos in the article with both of us at the wedding, our finances, and irreconcilable differences. We divorced in 1980. After nine (9) years, we re-married in Las Vegas (1989). We’re still married today, but on occasion, “I flirt with hot guys”!
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| Southern Comfort Conference - Seminar 2009 "Our Trans-History, the Heroes" - Ar'lene (standing), Yvonne Cook-Riley, Monica Helm, and Jamison Green (the three sitting). |
Monika: We are witnessing more and more transgender ladies coming out. Unlike in the previous years, some of them have the status of celebrities or are really well-known, just to mention Lana Wachowski in film-directing, Jenna Talackova in modeling, Kate Bornstein in academic life, Laura Jane Grace in music or Candis Cayne in acting. Do you think we will have more and more such women?
Ar’lene: In our history, I’ve seen a few of the “Matrix films” and V for Vendetta by the Wachowskis (Lana and Andy). Also, Laura Jane Grace, Lisa Jackson, Jane County, Dana International, and Canary Conn (she was also an author, who I knew); are among the successful singers that recorded music.
As far as acting: Candis Cayne, Alexis Arquette, Aleshia Brevard, and Alexandra Billings are some of the famous ones. Two of the models are Isis King and Jena Talackova. Authors are Jennifer Boylan, Lynn Conway, Jan Morris, and Kate Bornstein among the many. I love that our community shows its strength.
Yes, we are not done; we as a community created a Library full of books, music, and successes. Yes indeed more of us will be known, because of the public fascination with us and them wanting more. We are entering a new era of “Civil Rights” for our community. We look toward the future of things to come, as new laws in our favor; for schools, education, textbooks, the world internet, and new innovations that are yet to come.
As far as acting: Candis Cayne, Alexis Arquette, Aleshia Brevard, and Alexandra Billings are some of the famous ones. Two of the models are Isis King and Jena Talackova. Authors are Jennifer Boylan, Lynn Conway, Jan Morris, and Kate Bornstein among the many. I love that our community shows its strength.
Yes, we are not done; we as a community created a Library full of books, music, and successes. Yes indeed more of us will be known, because of the public fascination with us and them wanting more. We are entering a new era of “Civil Rights” for our community. We look toward the future of things to come, as new laws in our favor; for schools, education, textbooks, the world internet, and new innovations that are yet to come.
Monika: At the same time, sometimes we get horrible news about transgender women being killed or beaten just as in the infamous case of Chrissy Polis that was beaten by two teenage girls in McDonald’s because she used the ladies’ toilet. How can we prevent it?
Ar’lene: As for Chrissy Polis or others that get attacked or murdered, I call this lunacy; “The Jerry Springer Syndrome”. An attitude of the low educated, twisted faith believers, gun totally crazed off their bedpan nuts! They think violence is the answer: destroy and it will go away. “These are the real sickos!” It’s the reason why many of us don’t patronize the businesses that pay money to organizations that block US Congress.
These organizations are the main obstacles that stand in our way for the states to create new laws made to benefit us like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) or state-by-state Restroom laws and stopping the Defence Of Marriage Act (DOMA). Unfortunately, restroom laws differ from state to state. Most states have laws for our benefit. Maryland (Baltimore Area suburb), where this Chrissy incident took place, actual the law is written in our favor. She just hit upon the wrong place at the wrong time. Most Micky-D’s (McDonald’s) are okay with us patronizing them. The two young ladies (prosecuted) and manage (lost his job). They received their comeuppance.
As for people and organizations that butt into our business and stand in our way, “the list is long”. Some are a large number of the Republican Party members (for religious reasons). Others are businesses like Chick-A-Fila, Domino’s Pizza, and Carl Jr. (Hardees’ and Green Burrito) to name a few with their own personal religious convictions.
These organizations are the main obstacles that stand in our way for the states to create new laws made to benefit us like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) or state-by-state Restroom laws and stopping the Defence Of Marriage Act (DOMA). Unfortunately, restroom laws differ from state to state. Most states have laws for our benefit. Maryland (Baltimore Area suburb), where this Chrissy incident took place, actual the law is written in our favor. She just hit upon the wrong place at the wrong time. Most Micky-D’s (McDonald’s) are okay with us patronizing them. The two young ladies (prosecuted) and manage (lost his job). They received their comeuppance.
As for people and organizations that butt into our business and stand in our way, “the list is long”. Some are a large number of the Republican Party members (for religious reasons). Others are businesses like Chick-A-Fila, Domino’s Pizza, and Carl Jr. (Hardees’ and Green Burrito) to name a few with their own personal religious convictions.
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| Christine Konda (left) and “Ar”lene (right) Post-Wedding. |
Monika: Do you think that in our lifetime we could live to the day when a transgender lady could become the President of the USA?
Ar’lene: We are already in branches of the government and with two judges: The Honorable Judge Phyllis Randolph Frye of Texas and The Honorable Victoria Kolakowski of California. Appointee by President Obama is the Senior Technical Advisor to the Department of Commerce, Amanda Simpson.
We have a small-town mayor in Silverton, Oregon: The Honorable Mayor S. Rasmussen (Trans). There was the case of Susan Ashley Stanton in Largo, Florida and her being fired as City Manager, but later obtained another job as City Manager in Lake Worth, Florida. We are already in government as I said. America does not have a lock on a “Trans-person in government. There was a Member of Parliament Georgina Beyer of New Zealand (as well as a published author).
As for the USA, “American President being Trans-woman?” “Let’s be real!” It’s very doubtful in our lifetime, however, the likely scenario is possibly The First Lady and “Trans-persons” could be members of congress (congresswomen) and possibly congressmen (ftm). Trans-persons are likely to be State Legislators or State Senators in our lifetime. Unfortunately, a Trans-person female or male being a US Senator (questionable, two per state) or US President (not likely) would be stopped by the Religious Right and/or Corporate America, not to say present day, “The Republican Party”, if they still exist at that time.
We have a small-town mayor in Silverton, Oregon: The Honorable Mayor S. Rasmussen (Trans). There was the case of Susan Ashley Stanton in Largo, Florida and her being fired as City Manager, but later obtained another job as City Manager in Lake Worth, Florida. We are already in government as I said. America does not have a lock on a “Trans-person in government. There was a Member of Parliament Georgina Beyer of New Zealand (as well as a published author).
As for the USA, “American President being Trans-woman?” “Let’s be real!” It’s very doubtful in our lifetime, however, the likely scenario is possibly The First Lady and “Trans-persons” could be members of congress (congresswomen) and possibly congressmen (ftm). Trans-persons are likely to be State Legislators or State Senators in our lifetime. Unfortunately, a Trans-person female or male being a US Senator (questionable, two per state) or US President (not likely) would be stopped by the Religious Right and/or Corporate America, not to say present day, “The Republican Party”, if they still exist at that time.
END OF PART 2
All the photos: courtesy of Ar’lene D. Lafferty.
© 2013 - Monika Kowalska
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