Comments on: Letters editor@floridaagenda.com http://floridaagenda.com/2012/03/09/letters-editorfloridaagenda-com/ Florida Agenda Your Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender News and Entertainment Resource Mon, 19 Nov 2012 19:06:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Victoria Lavelle http://floridaagenda.com/2012/03/09/letters-editorfloridaagenda-com/comment-page-1/#comment-21355 Victoria Lavelle Wed, 23 May 2012 15:58:47 +0000 http://floridaagenda.com/?p=12765#comment-21355 Dear Editor (To Whom It May Concern) I am the reigning Miss Florida TS 2012 - Victoria Michaels - (Pre-Op Transsexual) and editorial columnist for numerous LGBT publications and GayLifeNewsLetter.com (Resident of Ft Lauderdale) and employeed at Boardwalk Bar as a nightclub hostess for 7 years! I felt compelled to write you with two important issues ! First and foremost - I was a victim in Wilton Manors in 2011 where I then resided. Being that I had previously filed a complaint with Wilton Manors Police Department in 2008 for being mistreated by an officer because I was a transsexual - the former Chief of Police and City Commissioner were quick to respond to my issue and offer me a formal apology from the Wilton Manors Police Department in 2008 for the officers inappropriate behavior directed towards me for being transsexual. They too promised me that the police department would send their officers to a training course to educate their department on how to address people who are transgender. I believe what they offered me was a bunch of B.S. !!! I am Male to Female Transseuxal - my drivers license gender marker reads "F" Female.. and my legal name has been changed to Victoria M Lavelle in 1999 - and I identify as a passable female. When I had an emergency issue in 2011 at my former home in Wilton Manors I was reluctant to call on the police department to assist because I had previously been mistreated by them. I did call on them and they did indeed come to assist me. However - I just this week picked up the 20 pages of police reports - and over and over I am refered to as Victoria Lavelle ( HE - HIM - HIS - MALE ) 20 pages of ignorance ! As a Trans-Columnist I am too aware of the profound statistics that reflect that people who are "Transsexual" are less likely to call law enforcement in fear of us being judged - embarrased - discriminated againsts - and degraded. Transgenders already struggle within our own community for acceptance and understanding - but in 2008 Wilton Manors Police Department promised me that this would never happen again as they told me if I didn't go to the media with how I was mistreated by their officer during a simply routine traffic stop - then they would send their officers to sensitivity training ! Apparently that never happened because 5 different police officers in this more recent case in 2011 continuely refer to me as HE - HIM - HIS - MALE in all of their reports ! If you would be interested in taking up this story I would be happy to write a more clear understandable version/column for Florida Agenda ! I feel it's important to inform our community of the ignorance that still taints the Wilton Manors Police Department when it comes to dealing with "Transgenders/Transsexuals." Since there is a new "openly gay" Chief Of Police now perhaps it would warrant a response from him. Finally - It's to my understanding that you do NOT have a Transsexual-Transgender Columnist. I do write bi-weekly and wasn't sure if there would be an opportunity beyond this topic I am presenting to you today to write for Florida Agenda in the near future as I cover all Trans-related news and I have a following of readers and fans. Victoria Michaels Lavelle VictoriaMichaels@aol.com 302-588-9314 iPhone Dear Editor (To Whom It May Concern)

I am the reigning Miss Florida TS 2012 – Victoria Michaels – (Pre-Op Transsexual) and editorial columnist for numerous LGBT publications and GayLifeNewsLetter.com (Resident of Ft Lauderdale) and employeed at Boardwalk Bar as a nightclub hostess for 7 years!

I felt compelled to write you with two important issues ! First and foremost – I was a victim in Wilton Manors in 2011 where I then resided. Being that I had previously filed a complaint with Wilton Manors Police Department in 2008 for being mistreated by an officer because I was a transsexual – the former Chief of Police and City Commissioner were quick to respond to my issue and offer me a formal apology from the Wilton Manors Police Department in 2008 for the officers inappropriate behavior directed towards me for being transsexual. They too promised me that the police department would send their officers to a training course to educate their department on how to address people who are transgender. I believe what they offered me was a bunch of B.S. !!! I am Male to Female Transseuxal – my drivers license gender marker reads “F” Female.. and my legal name has been changed to Victoria M Lavelle in 1999 – and I identify as a passable female.

When I had an emergency issue in 2011 at my former home in Wilton Manors I was reluctant to call on the police department to assist because I had previously been mistreated by them. I did call on them and they did indeed come to assist me. However – I just this week picked up the 20 pages of police reports – and over and over I am refered to as Victoria Lavelle ( HE – HIM – HIS – MALE ) 20 pages of ignorance !

As a Trans-Columnist I am too aware of the profound statistics that reflect that people who are “Transsexual” are less likely to call law enforcement in fear of us being judged – embarrased – discriminated againsts – and degraded. Transgenders already struggle within our own community for acceptance and understanding – but in 2008 Wilton Manors Police Department promised me that this would never happen again as they told me if I didn’t go to the media with how I was mistreated by their officer during a simply routine traffic stop – then they would send their officers to sensitivity training ! Apparently that never happened because 5 different police officers in this more recent case in 2011 continuely refer to me as HE – HIM – HIS – MALE in all of their reports !

If you would be interested in taking up this story I would be happy to write a more clear understandable version/column for Florida Agenda ! I feel it’s important to inform our community of the ignorance that still taints the Wilton Manors Police Department when it comes to dealing with “Transgenders/Transsexuals.” Since there is a new “openly gay” Chief Of Police now perhaps it would warrant a response from him.

Finally – It’s to my understanding that you do NOT have a Transsexual-Transgender Columnist. I do write bi-weekly and wasn’t sure if there would be an opportunity beyond this topic I am presenting to you today to write for Florida Agenda in the near future as I cover all Trans-related news and I have a following of readers and fans.

Victoria Michaels Lavelle
VictoriaMichaels@aol.com
302-588-9314 iPhone

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