California's Alameda County elects nation's first transgender trial judge
By Mark Singer • Thursday, November 4, 2010
http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2010/11/californias-alameda-county-elects-nations-first-transgender-trial-judge/California's Alameda County has elected the nation's first transgender Superior Court trial judge. Victoria Kolakowski, 49, defeated her opponent, Deputy District Attorney John Creighton, in a narrow win in what had been a hotly contested race.
In an interview with student journalist Alexa Sasanow of The Tuft's Daily newspaper, Kolakowski said:
"The trans thing isn't the first thing I talk about.
"I talk about my experience, things I've done as a lawyer, things I want to do as a judge, and when there's time, I say something about being transgender.
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Victoria Kolakowski could be the first transgender trial court judge in American history
Kolakowki hopes to bring her unique perspective to the bench
By Alexa Sasanow
Published: Tuesday, November 2, 2010
http://www.tuftsdaily.com/victoria-kolakowski-could-be-the-first-transgender-trial-court-judge-in-american-history-1.2390811Victoria Kolakowski is a lawyer, a judge and a wife.She has a master's degree in biomedical engineering and one in divinity, alongside her law degree. If elected as judge of the Superior Court of Alameda County, Ca.,today, she will not only be one ofrelatively few women appointed to these courtsbut thefirst ever transgender trial court judge in the United States– but that's not why she's running.
"The trans thing isn't the first thing I talk about," Kolakowski told the Daily. "I talk about my experience, things I've done as a lawyer, things I want to do as a judge, and when there's time, I say something about being transgender. It's not what I lead with, and a lot of people don't know. I'm not hiding it, but it's one of the things that is difficult when you're running a race; how do you address this issue? You don't want to be hiding something about who you are, if you're out, but you also don't want to say, 'Vote for me. I'm wearing a rainbow flag.'"
