From Chris to Christine: First Openly Transgender San Diego Police Officer

San Diego, CA — For years, San Diego police Officer Christine Garcia was known to her fellow officers as Chris Garcia.

In a video published Friday, July 15 — the same day the three-day San Diego LGBT Pride Festival kicked off — Garcia talks about the process of revealing herself as Christine to her peers, a move that makes her the first openly transgender police officer in the city of San Diego.

The video marks one year since the 32-year-old traffic accident investigator came out to the department.

"I was having a really hard time with it," Garcia said. "I didn’t know of any other transgender officers, and I didn't know that you could be transgender and be a police officer."

It was harder telling her fellow officers than it was coming out to her family, she said. She feared losing all respect.

She went to Sgt. Dan Meyer, the LGBT liaison for the department. When it was announced, the overwhelming support she received was "inspiring."

"It showed me that I really can be a cop and I can be a transgender and it really is OK."