The words “police” and “transgender” put together are usually a cause for alarm. Law enforcement, worldwide, has typically been a force of oppression for trans people rather than a source of protection or inspiration.
Yet, the times are a-changin’, as the song goes. This week Argentina announced a first, a trans woman who has become a chief in its federal police force. Analia Pasantino, a veteran officer for decades, was promoted to subcomisaria, a rank equivalent to chief in the United States. Persons holding this rank are addressed as Jefe (male) or Jefa (female), a cognate of the English word chief.
Chief Pasantino’s road to her current high office was rocky, to say the least. After 20 years as a line officer in the federal police, she came out as a trans woman in 2008. At that time, Argentina was still struggling with issues about gender and orientation, on its own rocky road to ultimately becoming the most LGBQT-accepting nation in Latin America (as well as a world leader in such issues).
Gay marriage would not be legalized for another two years and the inherent legal rights of trans people would not be formalized until 2012 by the landmark Gender Identity Law (Ley de Identidad de Genero), which is to this day the “gold standard” worldwide for laws dealing with transgender recognition.
Pasantino was forced to take a leave of absence from her duties, assumed to have a medical or psychological condition that needed correction. She regularly submitted to psych evaluations, presented the evidence to her superiors, and was denied reinstatement each time.
Finally, a change in leadership at the top of the agency opened the door to her return to duty. Now she is not just a cop again, but a top cop.
There have been other stories, in Argentina and elsewhere, of regular line officers who are transgender and found acceptance in their jobs. There have even been a few instances of trans folks in the upper echelons of law enforcement (for example, Theresa Sparks of San Francisco who was a police commissioner). But, those high level posts were political and policy oriented, rather than “line of duty” positions where the person carries a badge and a gun; it’s like the difference between an Undersecretary of Defense and a general who actually leads an army.
Although this is billed as a first for Latin America, my Google search found nothing equal anywhere else. Pasantino and her supporters may very well be understating her achievement and she might be the first trans police chief anywhere in the world (perhaps Rserven — DK’s resident expert — or someone else in the trans community may know one way or the other?).
Anyway, congrats to Chief Pasantino and kudos to the Argentine federal police for their evolution in the acceptance of transgender people.
Argentinas first transgender police chief on duty at Buenos Aires News.net (English)
Policía argentina tiene primera ‘jefa trans’ de A. Latina at El Nuevo Herald (Spanish)