Amanda Simpson: Transgender Appointee to Commerce Department

by Rhonda J Mangus | January 2, 2010 at 06:07 pm

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President Obama recently appointed the first transgendered woman to a federal government position. Amanda Simpson, has been appointed to the Department of Commerce as a senior technical adviser. An aerospace and defense veteran, Simpson sits on the board of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

Simpson, who is transgender, will be working in the Bureau of Industry and Security.

"I'm truly honored to have received this appointment and am eager and excited about this opportunity that is before me," she said in a press release by the National Center for Transgender Equality, an organization for which she has served on the board of directors. "And at the same time, as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others."

Simpson brings considerable professional credentials to her new job. For thirty years, she has worked in the aerospace and defense industry, most recently serving as Deputy Director in Advanced Technology Development at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona. She holds degrees in physics, engineering and business administration along with an extensive flight background. She is a certified flight instructor and test pilot with 20 years of experience.

She has also been very active in political and community groups. She has served on the Board of Directors of two national organizations: Out & Equal and NCTE. In Arizona, she has been on the board of Wingspan, the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance, the Southern Arizona ACLU and the Arizona Human Rights Fund (now Equality Arizona).

In 2004, the YWCA recognized her as one of their "Women on the Move," and in the same year, she won the Democratic nomination to the Arizona House of Representatives. In 2005, she was given the Arizona Human Rights Foundation Individual Award.

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stejeb

at 18:30 on January 2nd, 2010

So, I read this, haven't started clicking links yet, thought it might be a good start to know exactly what "transgender" actually means.

So I went looking for a simple answer,

"Transgender (pronounced /trænzˈdʒɛndər/) is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to diverge from the normative gender roles.

Transgender is the state of one's "gender identity" (self-identification as woman, man, or neither) not matching one's "assigned sex" (identification by others as male or female based on physical/genetic sex). "Transgender" does not imply any specific form of sexual orientation; transgender people may identify as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, or asexual; some may consider conventional sexual orientation labels inadequate or inapplicable to them. The precise definition for transgender remains in flux, but includes:

"Of, relating to, or designating a person whose identity does not conform unambiguously to conventional notions of male or female gender roles, but combines or moves between these."

"People who were assigned a sex, usually at birth and based on their genitals, but who feel that this is a false or incomplete description of themselves."

"Non-identification with, or non-presentation as, the sex (and assumed gender) one was assigned at birth."

A transgender individual may have characteristics that are normally associated with a particular gender, identify elsewhere on the traditional gender continuum, or exist outside of it as "other," "agender," "Genderqueer," or "third gender". Transgender people may also identify as bigender, or along several places on either the traditional transgender continuum, or the more encompassing continuums which have been developed in response to the significantly more detailed studies done in recent years." Source Wikipedia

Now I have come to the conclusion that - for simple folk like me - it would be far better if the headline just read: .....appoints Amanda Simpson.

Because I'm still not sure if this is a guy who is gal, a gal who is a guy, either, neither or both!

But the way I see it, as long they can do the job properly, fair play to hi..sh..th...whatever, congratulations!

Rhonda J Mangus

at 19:16 on January 2nd, 2010

stejeb, thank you for reading, researching the term, and for the rec!

It is my understanding that Ms. Simpson transitioned over a period of six years (from male-to-female). It is probably the case that she identifies as 'transgendered' (not to be confused with 'transsexual') because she did not have sex reassignment surgery (SRS). I have not, however, been able to confirm this.

It is unfortunate that we live in a world of 'labels', but it is necessary to identify LGBT individuals as such, and for many reasons. In this case, the appointment is considered 'historic'. It has the potential to open future opportunities for many others in the LGBTQI community.

Thanks again!

stejeb

at 20:25 on January 2nd, 2010

I must say (he said in a very small voice) I'm still confused.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 07:09 on January 3rd, 2010

No, t k kidwai, LBGTQI are not from a different planet; they are, like all human beings, unique.

"A trivial issue is transformed by media into an important news."

Far from a "trivial issue", it is important news, as well as historic, t k:

But local, state and federal authorities don't always make it easy for transgender people to live their new lives.

When someone can't get a new document reflecting a new gender, the ramifications can be serious.

Social Security records that list someone as a man who presents herself as a woman, for instance, may cost that person a job.

"My clients — they just want to work," said Connie Hope, a Maple Grove attorney who has helped many transgender people through the process of changing their birth certificates. "If you can't have ID, you can't start a new job. If you can't go to the Social Security Administration and have your gender marker changed, that causes problems for most people."

The Social Security Administration requires a person to submit a court order authorizing a change in the name and gender on the birth certificate in order to change Social Security records, according to a spokesman in the Minneapolis office. It also requires a physician's statement saying the person has had sex-reassignment surgery.

But according to the Minnesota Department of Health, which processes the court orders, the orders are few and far between.

More common are amendments to the birth record, which can be accomplished with a physician's letter, again testifying to the fact that surgery has been done, said Krista Bauer of the Health Department's Office of the State Registrar.

A court order replaces the birth certificate with a new one. It contains no indication that there was any change. The amendment, in contrast, contains a note saying a change has been made to something "other than the registrant's name or date of birth."

Passports present another challenge

A person can change the gender on his or her passport with documentation of the sex-change surgery, according to an official with the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the U.S. State Department.

That leaves out many transgender people who can't afford the surgery or whose health insurance doesn't cover it.

Driver's licenses seem easier to change. State policy says a transgender person can use a "variance" process, said Lisa Hager of Driver and Vehicle Services. The person must provide documents saying they are undergoing a sex change, but actual surgery is not necessarily required, she said.

The Pioneer Press found that getting solid answers to such questions can be time-consuming and difficult. Most government Web sites do not address the issue of transgender identity documents. The clerks at government counters do not always have the correct information.

Hope, the attorney, said her experience was similar.

"From government sources, you'll have a hard time," she said.

A long process

The hardest part for society to accept may be that the process of changing from one gender to another is a long one — and many people live much of their lives in between.

Keeping in mind that this excerpt is just the challenge of facing "identity documents".

aurealeus

at 07:16 on January 3rd, 2010

"...it would be far better if the headline just read: .....appoints Amanda Simpson."

Maybe, but since s/he sits on the board of the National Center for Transgender Equality, the headline is applicable in this case.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 07:42 on January 3rd, 2010

Thank you, aurealeus! The headline however is applicable and I think Ms. Simpson would agree for the reason that she is very open about it:

"And at the same time, as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others."--Amanda Simpson

stejeb

at 11:51 on January 3rd, 2010

It must be me Sara, your very question confuses me.

The confusion raised in me by this is akin to - say - a white person announcing that they are, actually black.

See I know how weird this sounds, but if a person has male genitalia, then, though I must apologise for my lack of understanding, to me they are a man.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 22:25 on January 2nd, 2010

Hi, sara! Thank you for reading and the rec! No, I am not saying Simpson has a penis -- I have not been able to confirm SRS--in that case she would no longer have male genitalia, and would have probably amended her birth certificate to indicate female, not male.

Also, I need to make a correction: Simpson transitioned approximately 6 years ago -- not 'over a period of six years'.

t k kidwai

at 02:34 on January 3rd, 2010

Sara Star,you have asked a pertinent question.If a transgender person has been appointed by Obama,so what.Are LGBTs from a different planet?Some unique human beings.A trivial issue is transformed by media into an important news.

Victim (not verified)

at 09:02 on January 12th, 2010

Great! A guy with tits! Obviously aMANda is the right guy to make sound, important decision for our country!

Rhonda J Mangus

at 07:23 on January 3rd, 2010

More on Legal aspects of transsexualism from wikipedia.

Barry ORegan

at 16:03 on January 3rd, 2010

good story

Rhonda J Mangus

at 16:15 on January 3rd, 2010

Thank you, Barry!

Wes Shull (not verified)

at 17:18 on January 3rd, 2010

Not that many years ago, society felt that it was important to publicly label women by whether they were single (miss) or married (mrs.). Most of us got over that (ms.), realizing it was none of our business, and that women deserve to be treated the same regardless of marital status.

So here we are in 2010... still acting as if it's our (or the government's) business what genitalia someone else has. Seriously, people?

Gender is something that most people take for granted, but it's not really that simple. I highly recommend Kate Bornstein's book _Gender_Outlaw_--it gets a bit pomo at times, but overall it will open your eyes to the true complexity of the issue.

RePete (not verified)

at 23:06 on January 3rd, 2010

Pathetic. Oh well, the U.S. won't be around much longer.

Nastasha2010 (not verified)

at 09:01 on January 6th, 2010

you are so sad lol you're the one who took the time to read this. you have no life you're the one who's pathetic. Oh well I guess you won't be around much longer! LOL1 get the fuck out of here!