Jo Mason ticked off the reasons why Time Magazine declared a “transgender tipping point”: a transgender woman got to play a transgender woman on a television show; an Olympic athlete was able to come out on national news; people weren’t misgendering crime victims as frequently.
“That, for me, isn’t making it,” Mason told about 20 supporters celebrating Transgender Day of Visibility March 31 at Norris Square Park in North Philadelphia.
Equality Pennsylvania took the lead on organizing the event with the help of Naiymah Sanchez, coordinator of the Trans-Health Information Project at GALAEI: A Queer Latin@ Social Justice Organization.
“Part of the Trans Day of Visibility isn’t us standing up asking to be a part of the community,” Mason said. “It’s us standing up and saying, ‘We are your community, and we have always been here.’”
“I am the person who spends hours with your children down at the Special Victims Unit,” said Mason, a transgender community member and police officer in the 14th District in Germantown. “I’m the person who spends the extra couple minutes with your family when you find out that someone’s passed away.”
Mason also serves as president of the Greater Philadelphia Gay Officer Action League, called GOAL. Deputy Commissioner Myron Patterson, who took over as police LGBT liaison in January, stood next to Mason during his speech. He held a sign that said “Proud Ally” over the transgender flag.
“For a lot of people who are allies, it’s important to stand up and say that you are,” said Nellie Fitzpatrick, director of the Philadelphia Office of LGBT Affairs. “It’s important to learn every day how to be a better ally. You’ve got to learn about all the other layers of oppression people go through. People can’t break through every barrier alone.”
Fitzpatrick read a proclamation from Mayor Jim Kenney officially recognizing March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility. She said the day “summons all people to take action against prejudice and discrimination.”
Patterson told PGN he’s learning about the LGBT community in his new role as liaison, adding every police deputy serves as liaison to specific groups and he “readily filled” the LGBT post as part of his promotion at the beginning of the year.
“I’m still finding things out about the issues the community is facing,” he said, “whether it’s victimization down to prejudices they’re challenged with every day. We never like to see anybody being victimized or discriminated against.”
Patterson said his first priority as LGBT liaison centers on awareness. He recently signed off on GOAL officers speaking later this spring at West Chester University.
“We want to bring more awareness through the police department with the LGBT community,” Patterson said, “and make sure our personnel at all ranks of the department are well-informed and, I keep saying it, aware of the LGBT community as a whole. We need to make sure we’re not seeing disparaging treatment.”
He said he doesn’t have a specific project in mind yet, like retired Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel’s Directive 152, which outlined guidelines for police interaction with LGBT people. But Patterson expected that would develop over time through collaboration with the LGBT liaison committee.
Mason told PGN he has a personal affinity for Directive 152.
“In many other cities, it takes a terrible incident before a police department’s willing to make change,” he said. “Our department went the other way. Seeing the change was necessary.”
Mason said police officials could’ve issued a memorandum or called for more training, but “they went so far as to make it a directive. A directive is the prime order of a police officer. Violation of a directive means you lose your job.”
Representatives from Equality Pennsylvania at Transgender Day of Visibility shared the importance of passing the Pennsylvania Fairness Act. The law would extend protections to LGBT people against discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation.
Sanchez of GALAEI addressed the need for better health-care coverage. She said hormone treatments can cost as much as $400. With proper insurance coverage, the price drops to less than $100. But her insurance plan, like many others, doesn’t always cover hormones.
“We’re taking small steps to the bigger mountain,” Sanchez said.
The event concluded with seven black balloons being released in honor of the transgender people who have been killed recently in Philadelphia, starting with Nizah Morris in 2002 and ending with Maya Young last month.