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E
ven as a tixldler,
Liura Calvo knew
she was different.
But the Catholic
tradition she grew
up in did not allow deviation
from the rules.
“You’re scripted
into
meeting certain expecta
tions despite yourself. I’m
left-handed, and they gave
me hell for that," she says.
Calvo, a trans woman
and horseshoer living in
Medford, is serving as
chairwoman of the 2004
Lambda Awards Celebra
tion, which will he held
Jan. 10. She lives as a
woman only part of the
time, still using the name
Logan when identifying as a
man.
To all appearances,
Calvo lived until 1995 as a
typical American male.
Having worked as a
Josephine County sheriff
for 16 years, Calvo had
chalked up a gleaming
record of public service,
even serving George Bush.
"1 was on his presidential
security detail when he was
vice president. 1 t(x>k him
fishing. I was there when
Gerald Ford was shot at in
San Francisco, part of that Laura Calvo is busy planning the 2004 Lambda Awards
detail as a paramedic.”
Celebration, which will be held Jan. 10 in Medford
As a submachine gun
Calvos wife had accidentally discovered
instructor, Calvo was on the
the
secret earlier. Though it was hard tin the
cover of National Tactical
Officers Association magazine, perched outside a family, she has been supportive throughout
the coming-out process. “We still have ups
flying helicopter. “I’ve done every macho thing
and downs, we have to balance a marriage,
there was."
balance finding out who the hell I am. We
Then a storage unit was broken into, start
definitely want to stay married. At this point
ing a chain of events that would transform
Calvo’s life. The unit contained clothes, pic- I in life I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I’d like
to stay this way for as long as I can.”
tures and other personal effects she secretly
A year ago, Calvo began her life anew and
kept and used from time to time to express
has not looked hack. “I’m not gonna hide
the female aspects of her identity.
“I kept coining hack to it, then kept trying anymore, I’m not hurting anyone...! just
to get rid of it. You throw everything away. It’s want to live my life. So I started to get more
involved with support groups, rebuilding my
called purging. People will purge, try to
life."
repress it for periods of time. 1 got tired of
In May, Calvo heard about a Basic Rights
doing that— having to start all over again. 1
got a storage unit in a different county, in a
lature to protect queer people from job dis
different city. 1 figured I’d be steps ahead with
crimination. She contacted the organization
the storage unit."
with her story. "Before I knew it, I got a letter
There was a call from the police. “They
from BRO saying they’d really like me to
said they’d found my things. I said, ‘When
come testify in person. I talked it over with
can I pick them upT ”
my wife, decided it was right thing to do."
But it wasn’t that simple. Calvo was told
Calvo had no idea how much attention
not to come hack to work. “They set up a psy
her testimony would generate. “I figured
chiatric review board. They refused to give
there’d he press on it, hut it’s just a little rule
me my property. They investigated me for
crimes." And firing a person purely for being committee thing. I figured I’d he lost in the
crowd. Unfortunately that was not the case—
tmns was perfectly legal.
well, fortunately. 1 came home Sunday after
Calvo was discouraged by the whole affair
noon and my message machine was overflow-
and remained in the closet to everyone hut
her wife and a few close friends for five more
phone call from my sister who never talks to
years. “I kind of went underground again,
me. On the Internet my e-mail is overflow
thinking, ‘God this is horrible!’ About a year
ing. The Associated Press had picked it up,
ago I suddenly had an epiphany: This is just
me, so now I’ve got to do something about it.
So I started the prtKess of coming out.”
PHOTO BY JIM
MORTGAGE
4 Advocates