Overheard at the Counter: Verble talks with Peace

I’ve known several transvestites, particularly in the 60s and 70s.  Everything was much more low-key then, it was pretty much don’taskdon’ttell and liveandletlive.  While we think modern times are more “accepting” it actually seems that they are much more volatile now, but that’s probably just my perspective.

 

Anyway, in the early 2000s I worked in a Municipality where a man was transitioning to female.   Nice guy/lady.  It did cause whispers and some of the women were nervous when she started using their restroom, but eventually everyone got used to it and it just became quite normal.  She was a she. 

 

I found, though, in meetings, no one ever wanted to disagree with her.  In whispers they seemed to be saying that to disagree – even on work stuff – they would be seen as “incorrect.”  Me, I said, “Hey we have a job to do – running a city.”  So, I agreed with her when I did and I spoke up when I didn’t agree with her. 

 

When she finally left for another job (bigger city/better pay), she told me this:  “Verble, your ideas are pie-in-the-sky and won’t ever work, so I shot you down every time.  But you were the only one who ever treated me like a colleague.  So thank you.”   It was one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received.