Editor's Notes: Diverse voices start conversation about tolerance

When Mitchell Simpson told a top manager at Raytheon he was going to have a sex-change operation, the executive told him: “That takes balls.”

“Not for long,” deadpanned Simpson, who underwent the surgery in 2001 and completed a transition from man to woman that astounded his co-workers, family and friends.

Since the decision, I have considered Simpson, who now goes by the name Amanda and whose 13-year-old son attends school with mine, to be the bravest person I know.

The chief engineer at Raytheon, who has advanced degrees in physics, engineering and business, greets supporters with a firm resolve to succeed and disarms critics with an engaging sense of humor.

Simpson has run for the Legislature. She has been making speeches about misconceptions and misunderstandings about transgender women. She has been chosen as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in August. She has inspired hundreds to be themselves, in spite of the consequences.

Simpson’s marriage ended in divorce and she has joint custody of her son. Her father and mother have grown to accept her decision, though her father was slower to accept it. It’s nearly impossible to conceive of having a son one day and a daughter the next.

I have known Simpson in passing for six years. I couldn’t wait for her to speak Saturday at the “Gay/Straight — Getting Acquainted” program at the Joyner-Green Valley Library. I was excited because I knew she would answer questions in detail about what prompted a sex-change operation and the effect it had on her life.

Simpson cleared up misconceptions for two hours. She was not selling an agenda. To the contrary, she reminded me all men and women are created equally and deserve protection under the law.

I was under the mistaken impression men have sex-change operations because they’re gay. They want to become women to attract men easier, I assumed. Not true in Simpson’s case.

“Sex was the last thing on my mind,” Simpson said. “I was prepared to never have sex the rest of my life.”

I thought men who become women would prefer outlandish clothes as part of the attraction. Not so in Simpson’s case.

“I preferred women’s clothes when I was a child and used to dress up in my mother’s and girlfriend’s clothing when no one was looking,” Simpson said. “But I dress conservatively. I wear a lot of business suits.”

I figured anyone who undergoes a sex change would be wise to keep it secret, hiding it from everyone except family. Not true in Simpson’s case.

“My family asked me why I couldn’t wait until later, until my son was older,” Simpson said. “I just felt I was not being honest with my family, friends and co-workers. I was unhappy. I did not want to live a double life. By being honest, I was able to find happiness. I am better than ever at work. I think I am better than ever with my son.”

I assumed any son would be embarrassed as he introduced both parents to his friends. Not so in Simpson’s case.

“When he was a small child, he would ask the grocery clerk for cookie,” Simpson said. “The clerk would say, ‘You have to get your mother’s permission.’ He would say, ‘She’s not my mom. She’s my dad. But he’s a woman now.’”

The confusion is not as great as six-plus years ago. Simpson’s son calls her mom. He says he misses his father, but Amanda is the same person inside. Simpson’s company and co-workers continue to be impressed with her charm, talent and tenacity.

Simpson, who’s an airline transport pilot and certified flight instructor, has spread her wings even more since the sex change. The world can be a vicious place. She has had her moments of doubt and mental uncertainty, but she has overcome them. She has gone from being the boy with the strange feminine side to the woman with unlimited potential.

Thanks in part to Simpson, Raytheon expanded its equal opportunity employment policy to include transgender and transsexual workers. It was the first major defense company to do so.

At the Democratic Convention, Simpson will be a seldom-heard voice, and that’s good. Not everyone in America is the same. We’re a land of diversity, as Barack Obama’s historic nomination will underscore.

The Amanda Simpsons of the world should not be ashamed. They should not be shunned. Their ideas and experiences make us a richer and better community.

Simpson’s ability to succeed, and feel comfortable in her own skin, speaks volumes of how far we have come as a country in this week of American independence.

Contact Editor James Bennett at jbennett@gvnews.com or 547-9770. Respond with a Letter to the Editor by e-mailing letters@gvnews.com. Comment online at www.gvnews.com.