nTïTTTTÏÏTTîTïnews
n Dec. 23, 1998, Portland Police
Officer Damon W oodcock—
then a nearly 8-year veteran of
the force— went before the City
Council to testify in favor of
Resolution 1851, which added gender identity
to the city’s nondiscrimination policy.
“I feel fortunate to be able to say that I have
not personally experienced
any discrim
ination
in
the
work
place,” testi
fied W ood
cock,
who
began his tran
sition
from
female to male
a year earlier.
“But I would be
naive to believe
that the fear and
hatred
toward
those whose gen
der identities do
not conform to the
norm does not
exist.
Everyone
should have the
right to feel safe in
the workplace. No
one should have to
fear for their safety while using the restroom or
locker facility.”
Seven months later, Woodcock, who has
received numerous awards and commendation
letters during his career with the Portland
Police Bureau, would find himself fearing for his
own safety.
Approximately July 1, 1999, Woodcocks
locker at Central Precinct was defaced. The
incident occurred after Woodcock had been
instructed by former Chief Charles Moose to
move into the men’s locker room.
Some feel that change was made too abrupt
ly, without the necessary planning for a smooth
transition. (In other words, one day Woodcock
was in the women’s locker room, the next he
was in the men’s.)
Someone in the guy’s locker room apparent
ly didn’t appreciate the switch and scrawled a
circle around Woodcock’s locker nameplate,
then drew a slash through it.
A superior ordered the graffito be cleaned
off. Woodcock, meanwhile, was not informed
of the episode, and only learned about it a few
days later from another officer.
Woodcock, who has legally changed his sex
from female to male, has called the incident a
bias crime, one that has evoked fear for his safe
ty-
O ngoing S truggle
Officer will appeal the denial of his disability claim
In an August 1999 letter
to Portland city commis
sioners, he wrote, in part:
“It saddens me to tell you
that I was recently the
victim of a hate crime by
a co-worker.... 1 am writ
ing to put you on notice
that I have been victim
ized, threatened and
harassed in my work
place, and I fear for my
physical safety. I won
der how members of
the sexual minority
community can ever
truly feel safe when
minority
officers
can’t even feel safe
in the workplace.”
According to
Detective Sgt. Mike Hefley, the
bureau conducted a criminal investigation, but
no suspect was ever identified.
Woodcock also requested a transfer to the
Tri-Met police division, to no avail.
WcxxJcock, who hasn’t been back to work
since July, filed a work-related stress claim.
A few days ago, on April 11, members of the
Portland Fire and Police Disability and Retire
ment Board rejected Woodcock’s disability claim
by a 5-5 vote following a two-day hearing.
“I’m disappointed in the lack of bureau sup
port. I believe it sends the wrong message to the
entire community. I’d like to thank those mem
bers of the board who offered their support,”
Woodcock told Just Out via e-mail. “Obviously, I
don’t agree with the stand the bureau has taken
with regard to my disability claim. We will be
appealing the board’s decision and letting the
legal system take its course.”
Portland Mayor Vera Katz, who sits on the
board, backed Woodcock’s claim. Police Chief
Mark Kroeker, also on the board, opposed it.
As for how the bureau handled his situation
from the get-go, Woodcock says: “I don’t believe
there has been much contention among the rank
and file that things could have been handled bet
ter by management.... Due to the ongoing inves
tigation, I can’t discuss the details of the case.
But 1 believe even the bureau agrees that this sit
uation could have been managed more sensitive
ly with respect to all involved.”
by Inga Sorensen
The Portland Police Bureau has been hailed
by some as a model for advancing acceptance of
sexual minorities, due in large part to its Sexual
Minorities Roundtable, a monthly gathering of
queers and cops at Central Precinct. The round
table is open to anyone from the queer commu
nity who wants to participate.
At the same time, Woodcock’s attorney,
Lynn Nakamoto, notes “there clearly have been
some complaints both internally and externally”
by bureau members who are sexual
minorities.
Most notable is a lawsuit
A u fu n 9 .1 9 9 9
brought by Mike Garvey, a Portland
police captain.
Com nBM iooar Dan Saitzm an
In 1998, he filed a federal civil
1221 SW 4 * Avenue. Room 2 3 0
rights lawsuit against the city of
Portland. O R 9 7 2 0 4 -1 9 9 4
Portland, alleging Mayor Vera Katz
and then-Chief Charles Moose dis
D ear Com m iaaiooer Saitzm an:
criminated against him due to his
I am a p olice o fficer fo r the C ity o f Portland. I have been a fu ll-tü n e o ffice r fo r nearly
sexual orientation. Earlier, Garvey,
eigh t y e a n , and I w ar a reeerve o ffice r fo r th e city fo r aia y e a n prior to b e u g h in d . I
have w o tted a t C entral P recin ct, with the exception o f m in in g tra n rfen , fo r my
who is gay, came under fire from
entire
career. 1 have received num erous
awards and
and com
com m
m endedoe
endasi«» lectern during
u.—-----------
_______aids
m y _____
superiors because of allegations he
with the Portland P olice Bureau. I have been an ‘o u t' sexual m inority o ffice r fo r the peat
seven y ean , la the rum m er o f 1997 I cam e to realize I am transgendered. and in
had paid male prostitutes for sex.
D ecem ber o f 1 9 9 7 1 began the transition from fem ale to m ale.
In 1996, a grand jury refused to
I testified before you and the C ity C ouncil on D ecem ber 2 3 , 1998 regarding the passage
indict Garvey, who was demoted
o f R esoiuboo 1851, w hich added gender identity to the c ity 's noo-disenm inatioa policy.
In that testim ony 1 stated the fo il ow ing:
from commander to captain. The
lawsuit maintains Moose held a
"1 feel fortunate to be able to say that I have not personally experienced any
discrim ination in th e w o rt place. B u t it would be naive to believe that the fear
“discriminatory animus toward
and hatred tow ards those w boee gender Identities do not conform to the norm
gay males.”
does not exist. I am here to tall you it does e x is t Everyone should have the right
to feel safe ia the w ork place. No one should have to fear fo r th eir safety w hile
Says Norm Costa, co-chair of
using the restroom o r lock er fa c ility ."
the Sexual Minorities Round
It saddens m e to have to tell you that I w as recently the victim o f a hale crim e by a co
table: “We seem to have a good
w orker T h is incident occurred after having m oved into the m en 's locker room at C entral
working relationship with the
P recin ct 1 am w riting to put you on notice that I have been victim ized, threatened and
harassed in my work p lace, and fea r fo r my physical safety. I w onder how m em bers o f
bureau...but what happened to
the sexual m inority com m unity can ever truly fe el safe when m inority o fficers c a n 't even
feel safe in the w ork place.
Damon should not be tolerated.”
Still, Costa says he’d like
It is my hops that this incident w ill be used to create positive change w ithin the P olice
Bureau so that all it's m em bers can feel safe in the work place.
more information.
“Neither side will say much
about it, so it’s really hard to know,"
he says.
For his part, Woodcock is encouraging mem
ing to foster comm unication between the
bers of the queer community to attend the
bureau, its minority members and all the
monthly Sexual Minority Roundtable meetings.
minority communities is the key to making
“Be active and let your voice be heard. C on
progress. Clearly this incident has highlighted
tinue to educate the police bureau on minority
the need for the bureau to work even harder at
issues. Continue to hold the police bureau
gaining and regaining the trust of the commu
accountable for its actions and words,” he says.
nity.”
“If you are a queer officer, I would encourage you
to attend as well. If you come into contact with
■ For questions or comments about Just O u t’s
the police, be truthful, cooperative and respect
Northwest, national or world news coverage,
ful. That goes a long way toward the outcome of please send an e-mail to News Editor I nga
the encounter.”
S orensen at inga@justout.com.
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Kroeker, meanwhile, reportedly has urged
Woodcock to return to work.
To that notion, Woodcock says: “W hen I
am medically able to return to work, I intend
to do so. It has been my intention from the
beginning to positively resolve this situation.”
He adds: “Overall, I think the bureau is
moving in the right direction. But it still has a
long way to go. Sometimes it takes a few steps
backward, as it has in my case. I was stunned to
hear that the police bureau has concluded that
the vandalism to my locker was not even a
crime, let alone a hate crime.
“Personally, I find that very frustrating,
especially in light of the fact that this very issue
of police not recognizing hate crimes is a topic
frequently discussed at the Sexual Minorities
Roundtable,” Woodcock concludes. “Continu-
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