There is something surreal about holding a newspaper in your hands and seeing your own story reflected back at you.
In honor of Transgender History Month, I am incredibly grateful to Mimi Walker of the Ojai Valley News for taking the time to tell the story of transgender visibility and leadership here in Ventura, and for giving me the space to talk about what that visibility means to me.
Part of My Story, Not the Totality
Being transgender is an important part of my story, but it is not the totality of who I am.
I am a mom. A neighbor. A community advocate. A candidate for the Ventura Unified School District Board of Education. And, most days, just a woman trying to live a joyful, meaningful life and leave her little corner of the world better than she found it.
That is why I have chosen to be so open about my life.
For many people, I may be one of the few openly transgender people they know, even if that relationship exists through a screen. If sharing the ordinary parts of my life can replace a little uncertainty with familiarity, or help someone realize that our lives have far more in common than they imagined, then visibility matters.
What Is on the Other Side
And yes, I am proud of the history we are making. Representation matters. Firsts matter. Breaking glass ceilings matters.
But the whole point of breaking a glass ceiling is getting to whatever is on the other side.
For me, what is on the other side is our schools, our students, our educators, and the work I am running to do for Ventura Unified.
Thank you, Mimi Walker, and the Ojai Valley News for approaching this story with curiosity, care, and humanity, and for helping tell our stories to the community we call home.