Male Incumbent Wins 23-13 Vote : Transsexual Loses Race for Legion Post

A transsexual lost her bid to become commander of her local American Legion post but said she was not disappointed because the election brought attention to the issue of sex changes.

Bridgette Poi lost Monday night’s election 23 to 13 to incumbent Joseph Ottaviano, who had predicted that he would win the election in a landslide. Another candidate, John Cable, received 10 votes.

Poi said she will run again next year.

“Next year, I’ll be out there fighting,” she said. “Anyone can run away from an issue, but I’m not going to.”

Besides, Poi said, she has received 362 letters of support, including two marriage proposals. Her own husband died in 1975.

Poi called those who did not support her “just a bunch of old men.”

“I’m going home to relax and drink wine. I’m not disappointed,” Poi said. “When the membership is 325, those (winning) numbers tell me nothing.”

Ottaviano, who had said Poi projected a wrong image for the Legion, attributed the low turnout to overconfidence by his supporters.

Poi, 50, grew up as a boy named Bobby and is a decorated Korean War veteran. She also is the post’s senior vice president. She had a sex-change operation in Mexico at the age of 38.

“I’m glad I’ve run because if nothing else it’s brought out the issue of the transsexual,” she said. “There’s a lot of misunderstanding about it and I do think people should know what it really means.”