A former senior constable with the Estevan detachment of the RCMP gained some accolades for his sensitive and responsible response to a unique situation in Regina, where he currently serves as an Inspector and manager of Court Security for Regina and Moose Jaw.
Insp. Ben Prystay was featured recently in a Regina Leader-Post article authored by reporter Heather Polischuk, who outlined the additional efforts made by Prystay to ease a transgender deputy’s re-entry into the workplace.
The transition went so smoothly, thanks to Prystay’s tending to the details surrounding the re-entry, that deputy Diane Maquire’s return to the workforce after a two-week absence, was met with positive feedback. There was absolutely no issue or “pushback,” as Polischuk described it.
The details even included washroom and locker-room use and acceptance by female co-workers as Maquire made her return.
The issue was handled so adroitly and sensibly by Prystay, that he was cited by Ralph Martin, the director of court security, to receive the Justice Ministry’s Employee Recognition Award.
When contacted by the Mercury, Prystay first issued a healthy hello to Estevan friends he could recall from his days working with the local detachment from 1990 to 2005 while his wife Sandy carried out administrative duties as a vice-principal at the Estevan Comprehensive School.
“The other deputies at the courthouse were most accepting of the transition, right away,” he said. “In fact, some even wondered out loud why anyone would even consider it a potential problem.”
Prystay added that perhaps the hardest part of welcoming Maquire back into the fold, was “remembering to use the proper pronoun after the gender change, but really, in all honesty, it quickly became a non-issue.”
Prystay said other court workers and deputies are familiar with, and some are a part of, the gay and lesbian communities, so acceptance of the transgender situation was quick and positive.
“Maybe someday, sooner than later, we’ll no longer have the need to hold gay pride parades and things like that. It’s all just a part of living together in a healthy and safe environment,” he added.
Prystay said he had never been required to arrange for a transgender move within the ranks of the 38 employees he oversees, so it was an interesting experience for him, as well as the others.
“We had 30 days to prepare the staff for the change and Diane took a two-week leave of absence in case there were issues, but really, it did become a non-event in the end,” said Prystay.
He said he was sincerely moved when he spoke with Maquire after and she told him, that for the first time in her life, she was able to wake up and feel good about coming to work.
“She told me the weight was off, and I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for her for those past 10 years.”
Prystay retired from the RCMP after leaving the Estevan detachment and almost immediately transferred into a new job as a deputy for the court system’s security detail, and then was promoted to the Inspector’s position, as manager of court security, a little over a year ago.
