[soft hum]
[gentle music]
- A car for me
is a little different
than it is for many people.
A car for me
is a way of life.
I'm what's called
a master technician.
I was actually trying to avoid
being a mechanic
or a technician because
that would stick me
into a very male-dominated
profession, I knew that.
When I finally made
the decision to transition
at 51 years of age,
I needed to inform my employer.
Part of the reason
I chose to transition
was because of the relationship
with that employer.
Everything was as good
as it could possibly be.
They were very supportive,
but two weeks after that,
the vice president came to me
and she said,
"You need to tone it down,
not talk about it as much,
and things like that."
I was called into a meeting
with the owner.
He made me aware
he was uncomfortable,
that it was affecting his
relationship with customers.
He even stated in the meeting
that I was his best technician,
but I left there knowing--
knowing that he wanted
to terminate me.
There was one day
that I had come in.
It was--snowed,
and ice was on the ground,
but they never turned on
the heater in the shop.
We didn't have the parts
to work on the cars.
There was no movement
of anything by anybody,
so I happened to sit
into the backseat of a car
that I was working on,
and due to the circumstances
I fell asleep.
I guess because
of all the stress
and all the--everything
that I had been going--
dealing with up to that point.
I failed.
I mean, I admit it, I failed.
Didn't mean to.
Um, so I was terminated.
I have not been able
to get a similar job.
- What's up, stranger?
- Hey, John.
How are you doing?
It's been a while
since I've seen you.
- Ah, I know it.
- What's going on
with the truck?
Is it acting up on you?
- Yeah, got a little bit
of a ticking noise.
- Maybe raise the hood and
see what we can come up with.
- You don't want
to go sledding first?
- No, not sledding first.
I'm getting too old for that.
- Shit, I am too old for that.
- Well, the truck
is still looking good.
You've got that
transmission cooler line
leaking right there
a little bit.
- Damn.
- Yeah.
- That's just pretty much age,
I guess.
- Oh, yeah, probably.
Looks like you need
an AC belt, too.
- Damn it.
- [laughs]
Should we close the hood?
- Yeah, it's time.
It's time.
- Close the hood.
Stop looking.
[gentle music]
My father worked
in the motor pool
repairing military vehicles.
He would allow us to sit
in the driver's seat
of a tank or, you know,
a truck or something cool,
and we could drive it around
the test area that they had.
When I got my own car,
it brought a certain amount
of respect,
and it allowed me to fit in
a little bit more,
which I was
pretty desperate for.
I was an outsider.
I used cars as a way to fit in,
into the cool groups,
into society, with everybody,
and it gave me a certain
amount of respect
that I had never had before.
It gave me a sense of power.
As my son grew,
I started teaching him
about things automotive
and went to car races
and car shows.
It brought my son and I
closer together,
so the car hobby side of it
has brought me tremendous
amounts of happiness.
But when I decided
to sue my employer
because they had
discriminated against me,
the car stuff came almost
to a screeching halt.
It took years,
it took 2 1/2 years
to get to that point,
but those 2 1/2 years
were me fighting on my own
and writing letters to...
the agencies, like I said,
not only the EEOC,
but the State Department
of Labor.
The federal appeals court
gave us the win that was
gonna allow us to go to trial,
but when the Security
and Exchange Commission
seized the employer's assets,
it pulled the rug
out from under us,
and there was no more
employer to deal with.
Financially, I'm ruined.
My credit history's
been ruined.
My health has been ruined.
Um...
Loss of my son,
loss of family and friends.
Not to mention just
the stress emotionally.
And I'm just not sure what's
going to happen moving forward.
Looks like Cody's car,
but I know it isn't.
Did I tell you that Cody
bought a house in Villa Rica?
- No, really?
- And Laura's pregnant, so...
- Oh, damn.
- Baby's on the way.
Gonna come next May.
- Glad them, not me.
- [laughs]
- Been there, done that.
Just me and Mama now.
- Yeah, but you're--
you've got grandbabies, so...
How many you got?
- A whole herd.
- [laughs]
- Got ten of them.
- Wow, ten!
- I mean, the first one
was like, you know,
damn, I'm a grandpa already?
- [laughs] Yeah, 'cause you're
younger than I am.
- I'm 58.
- I'm 60.
- Goddamn, you're old.
- Tell me about it.
I feel like it too some days.
Well, I know you're probably
an outstanding grandpa.
Is that what they call you,
grandpa?
- Uh-uh.
- That's pretty special.
[gentle music]
My son Cody and I have had
trials and tribulations
through this
transition process.
He obviously didn't like it
in the beginning
and made the choice
in the beginning
to not see me
for almost two years.
I was so devoted to my son,
and I had tried so hard
to be the perfect dad to him.
My love for him is so great
and we had such
a close relationship
that I managed
to pull him back.
I had to have
a whole lot of jobs
trying to survive.
I was trying to have income,
and when these jobs
would tell you,
"Oh, you can make this money
and you can do this
and you can do that,"
and it didn't pan out,
I would move to the next job.
Well, he didn't like that.
He pointed that out to me.
Nothing I did to him.
It's just he is holding me
accountable for that.
[gentle music]
Think I'll be okay.
Trying to keep these gutters
clean is a full-time job.
I do this all the time.
I was extremely fortunate
to recently get hired
with an automotive repair shop.
I am very hopeful,
but I don't want to be
too outwardly hopeful
because I'll jinx myself.
It may allow me
to hopefully keep my house
and my car
and move forward in life.
[gentle music]
Recently, I saw that
my case is being used
as an example
to help other people.
That gives me a lot
of satisfaction.
That's the good part
about this.
Because it doesn't even apply
to just trans persons.
It applies to everyone,
everybody who's different
and everybody
who is treated differently,
and it's made it better
hopefully for others.
[gentle music]
