Before I was arrested for trespassing for going into the women’s restroom on July 21, 2006, I was arrested earlier that year – on May 22 – by Officer Blake Marshall because my California records did not match up with the State of Iowa’s records. My California documents recognized name as “Alexandra” and “female”. The State of Iowa, however – where I’m originally from – still had me recorded as a male named Alexander.  Officials involved should have taken into consideration the fact that I am transgender and was undergoing medical treatment.  Although I informed them of this, Officer Marshall arrested me and wrote into his police report that I was a male, omitting this highly-relevant information and instead writing a series of false statements with regard to my conduct. 

I know I was arrested for this reason because when his partner, Officer Nathan Rivera, drove me to the jail in Nevada, IA, he told me that they never arrest people for playing music – that they were just going to ask me to leave.  He said that his partner decided to arrest me after he saw my records didn’t match up. Although Marshall wrote that I was refusing to leave after being asked, I don’t remember that happening at all – I just remember them approaching, and him asking me for my ID. This made sense to me, because Officer Marshall’s demeanor had changed after I told him I was transgender.

When I was being booked inside the Nevada (Iowa) jail, a woman jailer told me, “You need to do something about this.”  She accused Officer Marshall of “being a jerk” to anyone with an “alternative lifestyle”.  She also told me he was the women’s hockey coach.

The following morning, from jail, I plead NOT GUILTY and my trial was set for June 7 then rescheduled to July 21.  Although in the docket I signed my name as “Alexander”, this was because that was the only record the state was acknowledging.  I felt intimidated because of how I was being treated.