The California Dreamin Transgender Convention, April 17-20, 2008, at the Hotel Doubletree, San Jose

Ask Officer Julie
or, What Do I Do When I Have Contact With The Police?

When: Saturday, April 19, 1:30–2:30 pm

Where: San Juan Room

Answers to common questions about what to do if you are stopped or have contact with the police and your gender issues arise or are questioned.

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Transition: Planning and Considerations

When: Saturday, April 19, 4:30–5:30 pm

Where: San Juan Room

Develop a comprehensive strategy for your gender transition which includes addressing family disclosure, workplace notification and resource management and policy development. We should be involved in all aspects of any disclosure to our families and especially our spouses and children. Helping them to understand and providing them with the tools to continue a relationship is vital to our mental health for both short term and life long happiness. Disclosure of our desire to transition genders in the workplace is an emotional and involved process. It is important to be a part of the planning team and have input into how the employer addresses disclosure to your co-workers, issues of your appearance and their deportment around you. A good workplace policy setting down the expectations of management for others is noteworthy, realistic and vital to a successful transition. There are ways to achieve this without seeming to “shove it down” your employers throat.

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Julie marin

Julie Marin is a long-time police officer in the Capitol of Silicon Valley. Officer Marin had worked extensively as an investigator working sexual assault, child exploitation, sexual predators, sex registrants, narcotics, burglary, pawn shop and special investigations into public corruption. Julie specializes in complex, and in-depth criminal investigations of conspiratorial nature and has a background in behavioral profiling and crime scene reconstruction. She is also a member of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and is educated and trained to work with the mentally ill, emotionally distressed, and neurologically impaired members of our communities.

Julie, is also a member of the Transgender Community. She transitioned on the job after 20 years of service. Her transition was mostly well-received and helped her employer in establishing policies and procedures for other transgender persons to transition, in their employment with the City of San Jose. She is currently a patrol officer assigned to the Western Division—the area of the Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center, Carla's Salon & Boutique and other LGBT businesses located along The Alameda. She is a frequent visitor to many of these places during the course of her work shift and volunteers to participate in local LGBT events, especially transgender-related youth group functions and speaking engagements.

In addition to being involved with these issues, Julie helped establish a group of transgendered law enforcement professionals. The group is called TCOPS or the Transgender Community of Police & Sheriffs and has a formal membership of about 115 in the group's discussion forum and about 610 transgender identified law officers from around the world. The group deals with transition issues at home and in the workplace, as well as activism in the transgender/ gender identity community.

Julie has a large blended family with seven children. She spends most of her off-duty time with her family and working with her TCOPS group. She is a life-long East Bay resident.

url: www.tcops.org