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WATCH: Fallen fireman’s trans widow speaks out
In the comments to our post below, GlindaG points us to the above video of a full-length interview with Nikki Araguz, the transgender widow of fallen Texas firefighter Thomas Araguz III.
In the 16-minute interview, during which she chokes up repeatedly, Araguz explains that she has neither male nor female reproductive organs. She says she was born with male genitalia that progressed to the point of a 2-year-old’s.
“I had the operation two months after our marriage, and my husband was fully aware, and the birth defect that I had essentially was not a problem to my husband,” she says. “He was proud to be my husband as much as I was proud to be his wife.”
Pressed by the reporter about whether she was born male, Araguz responds: “I do not and have not ever considered myself in that way, but I understand that some people are explaining it like that. And what I’d like to say is that essentially I had a disorder much like anyone else who was born with a birth defect of any kind — no arm, six toes, no vision, OK? There was an anatomical birth defect that was underdeveloped beyond the age of 2 years old.”
At the end of the interview, Araguz vows to continue fighting her husband’s family’s effort to deny her death benefits, because she says that’s what he would have wanted.
“I’m deeply, deeply devastated by the loss of my husband,” she says. “I have not even had the opportunity to grieve, and I’m having to deal with this awful, awful situation. I love you, my sweet husband, may you rest in peace.”
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Did he/she ever get to the point? Why did he leave him/her if there was so much love?
Dear JulieR: Wow, and that’s all you took out of that interview… calling Nikki he/she? What’s YOUR ignorant point honey? Nikki’s point was her husband knew her trans history before they were married. If you listened instead of worrying about how you label people you’d have known that.
Nikki’s story about this has been validated by other people who’ve known her before, during and after she met Thomas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtfNzQUeidM&feature=player_embedded
Btw, ironically, her admission how they were married before she had SRS is the one fact which will legally invalidate their marriage, What a horrible nightmare to have to deal with when she’s still mourning the loss of her husband.
Gina, I disagree that the timing of the occurrence of the correction of the external genitalia necessarily invalidates the marriage. She states in the interview that she obtained a court ordered gender change and got a new birth certificate issued. Texas law was amended in 2009 to allow such a court order to establish the identity of the individual. She purportedly has a sonogram dated before the surgery showing she had neither male nor female organs, presumably from birth. She adhered to the letter of the law, and it seems that she can substantiate that her classification at birth as male may have been in error. Based on those facts, I think a court is going to have a hard time saying that she is not female for purposes of marriage, even though the surgery took place after the marriage occurred. Then again, this is Texas we’re talking about. We’ll see. I hope she has good representation.
that poor woman. my heart goes out to her and her stepchildren.
gender isnt black and white, and even if it is, she is as she identifies, a woman. what has the world come to that would hound this poor woman and deny her human rights as a mother/parent/wife? there is more morphology than a penis and a clitoris, testes, and ovaries. and none of it is wrong and none of it is right. it just is. what does it matter?
like the runner Semenya, the trauma and discomfort comes not from the family and people concerned with their lives, but the curious and fearful, cruel, uneducated public. learn about the multitude of variations of physical sex variations, transgender people, and the people unfortunately[because society today isnt capeable of comprehending] having not born with the giant penis or shapely vagina.
this poor woman lost her husband. and people care more about whats between her legs than whats in her heart. WTF.
This reporter who interviewed her is absolutely terrible. Completely transphobic, and has the absolute worst way of asking these questions. Someone at the dallas voice needs to get this guy some sensitivity training. She’s not on the stand.
This absolutely poor woman.
JulieR shut up. Shut up shut up shut up.
That’s all.
F*** THE GOVERNMENT.
It seems to me that from this interview, she was born as a hermaphrodite instead of simply may or female. Though I don’t know the whole story behind her gender (nor is it necessary,) it’s horrible what this family is doing to this woman and to the children involved in her life.
She held herself very well in this interview, despite the immense pressure put on her by both the reporter and her situation.
My thoughts go out to you, Nikki.
This reporter is an idiot! Does he just not understand that people are born without gender or malformed and non functional genitals? How much more plain can she make it without warranting FCC censorship!
I feel bad for her having to share such personal information with the world (via internet etc). I think the ex wife of the firefighter should be sued for making her go through so much emotional distress and when she is already suffering.