Transgender Rights
“Hey Juan, thanks for coming over,” Juan’s neighbor, Rob Lewis, opened the gate to his backyard. The two men sat in their regular chairs. “You want a beer?” Rob asked.
“Sure,” Juan answered, accepting the ice-cold can of Coors Light. “How come you’re asking me in English? Have you stopped practicing your Spanish? You’re never gonna get better if you don’t practice,” Juan gently scolded.
Rob’s grinned sheepishly, “Lo siento, señor. I will try harder to practice.”
Juan laughed and leaned back in his chair. “What’s going on? Why’d you call me over here today? Is something broken? You sounded kind of serious on the phone.”
“I am serious!” Rob hoisted a beer can. “Serious about having a party today!”
The unexpected announcement from his close friend pleased Juan, “What’s going on?”
Rob looked up at Juan with red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes, “I’m celebrating.” It looked like he’d been celebrating for a while.
“What’s going on?” Juan repeated. “Did you get some money?” Juan knew that Rob had received a disability paycheck for years from a work-related injury.
“No,” Rob shook his head. “Nothing like that.”
Juan waited.
"It's just that…" Rob blushed again, his face beet red. “It’s just that I live on a fixed income, you know?”
Juan nodded.
“Yeah, well, anyway,” Rob struggled to come to the point. “Well, it’s like this. I’ve never really had the money to follow my dreams.”
“You can’t always do what you want, Rob," Juan nodded. “None of us can. But that’s OK. Life is pretty good. En Vida, right?”
Rob let out a frustrated sigh and looked away, up and to the right. “Life hasn’t been good for me for a long time, OK?” He sighed, “But I’m gonna change that.”
“What you gonna do now, Rob?” Juan asked, his brow furrowed. “You need some money?”
“Naw,” Rob popped the top on his next can. “I don’t need any money, that’s what I’m talking about. I just refinanced my house. The interest rates dropped again, and I just pulled out all the cash I need.”
Juan was dying of curiosity. “You did? Why? What are you gonna do?”
“I’m gonna live my dream, bro,” Rob slurred his words and flashed a mad grin. “I’m gonna get a sex-change operation.”
“What?” Juan was sure he’d misunderstood.
“You heard me.” Rob reached out and placed his hand on Juan’s knee. “I’ve been living a lie all my life. Now my new life is going to begin.” He seemed desperate for Juan’s approval.
Juan brushed Rob’s hand violently away. “What are you talking about? I’ve known you for over ten years! And now I find out you’re a… you’re a…” Juan couldn’t finish naming the reality he was being confronted with.
He stormed out of the backyard.
“Juan! Calm down!” Maria shouted. It didn’t do any good. Her husband was furious.
“Ay cabrón,” he swore, staring like a rabid dog into Maria’s eyes. “I trusted that…” Juan cursed like a Mexican cowboy. His unconstrained use of foul language shocked Maria to her core.
“There’s got to be some mistake,” Maria stammered, unable to resist Juan’s wrath. “Rob’s your friend. He wouldn’t do something like that to himself.”
“He was my friend!” Juan pointed an accusing finger at Maria’s face. “Ay, Madre de Dios! But I never knew what he was!”
Maria turned away and held her hands to her face as she burst into hot tears, “You can’t walk away from your friend… All those years, gone.”
“I can’t believe this,” Juan knocked over one of the kitchen table chairs. “He’s humiliated me.”