Letter From the Board
| We all know that the transgender community in this country has been under attack for many years now. These attacks are one of the reasons why I joined the National Trans Bar Association four years ago. Last December, a number of the NTBA’s Board were in attendance at the Supreme Court arguments in the Gender Affirming Care (GAC) case U.S. v Skrmetti. Being in that courtroom with so many trans and nonbinary attorneys is an experience I will forever cherish and take inspiration from. I have been a prosecutor for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office for the last 37 years. I’ve had many amazing experiences over the years and I’ve gained valuable civil litigation experience. I have known that I would most likely retire after I turned 64, which occurs at the end of May this year. In preparation for retirement, I have been watching the attorney openings at the various organizations that are in the front lines of trans litigation, thinking maybe I could help there. Two years ago I returned to my home state of Nebraska to give testimony against bills targeting GAC and sports and bathroom bans. After the GAC law passed, I made a promise that I would come back to fight for trans rights. Shortly after that I bought a house in Omaha and began teleworking part time from Omaha. I considered running for office there and became politically active. I continued testifying at the legislature, mostly on matters unrelated to any trans issues. With the election of Trump, I knew things were going to get even worse for our community. I knew what was in Project 2025 and I knew that the Heritage Foundation had probably already drafted many executive orders. I also knew they would not be good for our community. Recently, I was approached by one of the civil rights groups whose job listings I have been watching. I have worked with them during my advocacy. I was very surprised that they wanted me to go to work for them. Having the opportunity to get directly involved in the fight for civil rights is an opportunity that I feel is right for me at this moment in history. Earlier this month I resubmitted my retirement application. I will be ending my 37 years in government service at the end of June. I have let my colleagues and our new DA of my decision. Now is not the time to let others do all the work. The phrase “If not me who, if not now when” has weighed heavily on me the last few months in thinking about our community. I realize that the time is now for me to utilize the education I received in Nebraska (high school, college and law school) to get into the fight on the front lines. So I will leave the relative safety of a public service job in a deeply blue state to work in the nonprofit civil rights world in a very red state. I hope that I can make a difference for our community in this new and different role. With solidarity, Jessie McGrath NTBA Board Member |
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