Trans Talk
By Veronica Zerrer
Editor’s Note: Connor Maddocks has taken a leave of absence for personal reasons, but in his stead will be local trans community leader, Veronica “Ronnie” Zerrer.
When asked by straight men and women what trans people want, I always answer with three things: to provide for ourselves and our families, to be valued co-workers, and to be respected members of our neighborhoods, communities, and country.
We, like the larger population, work for any number of reasons. Over the years, I have come to the conclusion that the reasons we work have to do with two fundamental human requirements: to live securely with food and shelter, and to satisfy our sense of worth to the world. As human beings, the work we do validates and recognizes our value to ourselves and our co-workers, and underscores our contributions to society. It endorses our autonomy.
Writing in 2017, Kristen Lucas of the University of Louisville said that dignity could be “confirmed or denied” in the workplace. I recently read a Business Insider article about how many Gen Z interviewees listed “feeling undervalued” as reasons for quitting during the “quiet quitting” years when we started coming out of the pandemic.
We have all had that crusty, distant boss, manager, or leader, who gave no accolades at all. Or another who lavished us with praise to the point their atta-boys and atta-girls became valueless. It was a rare leader who expected your best efforts daily all the while saying nothing. Yet when you truly performed above and beyond, you felt you earned that enriching “Good Job,” and were proud that they recognized your effort.
Too often the LGBTQ community seems to favor with recognition the drum beaters, the protest marshals, and the trans people who have made a career of being trans. But that’s not who we should be recognizing. Those we should be paying attention to are the trans men and women who earn their co-workers respect through their hard efforts.
Women like Tracie Jada O’Brien, whose decades of work with Family Health Centers attests to her competency, leadership, and devotion. Connor Maddocks helped begin many of the trans programs The Center continues to this day. Jerry McCracken shimmied up telephone poles and communication towers as a lineman for AT&T until a bad fall ended his career. A young trans man named Evan repairs cars in a local auto shop. Cassandra Scantlebury, a front office manager for a leading hotel company here in San Diego, earned promotions to management through her hard work and having pride in herself. And Andrea Cubit, a recognized leader in the Biotech field, and Vickie Estrada of Estrada Land Planning, whose designs fill the public spaces in San Diego, are just two of the business owners our community can boast of. My wife Michelle spent decades with the California Department of Transportation working on projects like the Genesee Street intersection on Interstate 5.
Who among these people have not made San Diego a better place to live?
Many years ago, I was sitting in a church pew listening to a Catholic priest sermonize about a person’s dignity. So much of it, Father Fideles claimed, stems from the labor we do. Many laborers can rightfully take pride in their jobs, seeing their product as an extension of themselves. But, he cautioned that work exists for people, not the other way around, as some bosses would have the worker believe.
I know that I have left out too many local trans men and women so I ask you to send me a note with your name and what you do for a living. My email address is below.
A future column, to observe Labor Day, would be a great way to celebrate our trans siblings and the work they do that helps make our home a lovely place to live.
–Veronica Zerrer is the author of “Memoirs of a Cold Warrior, a Novel.” She is retired from the US Army and active in the local LGBTQ community. In 2023, she was appointed to the California Veterans Board by Gov. Newsom. She can be reached at [email protected].
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