Posted on Oct 28, 2015
Transgender officer who spent $50,000 to become a woman slams US Army rules that force soldiers to keep calling her 'sir'
27.8K
119
100
4
4
0
From Daily Mail:
A transgender soldier in the U.S. Army has hit out at military rules which mean her subordinates still have to refer to her as 'sir'.
Captain Jennifer Peace, an intelligence specialist, started transitioning into a woman in early 2014 after a decade of military service that saw her fight in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But, despite the 30-year-old undergoing surgeries to make her look more feminine and being recognized as a woman by the federal government, military officials insist on treating her as a man.
Captain Peace, from Spanaway, Washington, revealed her new identity to her commanders after having surgery between deployments, the Tacoma News-Tribune reported. In total she has spent some $50,000 on the transition.
And though she says they began being supportive, high-ranking officers later put her through psychiatric tests and medical evaluations, with one even suggesting she leave the military altogether.
Before she returned to duty with her new identity, commanders even issued orders to troops she was in charge of, insisting they continue to refer to her as a man, because the Army does not officially recognise the possibility that soldiers can change gender.
An official statement from her unit said: 'The current policy on the service of transgender individuals has not changed.
'Current Army policy is that the Army will only recognize soldiers by the gender they held when they entered the Army'.
The policy is under review, and a revamped set of rules for the U.S. military's estimated 15,000 transgender members is due to be announced within months.
But waiting for the changes, Captain Peace said, is 'excruciating'. In the mean time, so far as the army is concerned, she is a man named Jennifer, whose official military photograph shows a male.
Captain Peace, who married at the age of 19, is still with her wife, who now considers herself a lesbian. She and Deborah Peace have two sons, aged seven and nine, and a young daughter.
Though the transition was difficult, Captain Peace said, her family has been accepting - and it is only the Army who continue to present her with difficulties, which she believes impoverishes the army as a whole.
She said: 'I really believe this is my Army as much as anyone else’s. I deserve to be here, to serve in the organization and make it better.
'I think that everyone now recognizes we need this diversity, and the discrimination that's currently taking place is baseless. And we're losing qualified soldiers because of it.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3263746/Transgender-officer-spent-50-000-woman-slams-U-S-Army-rules-force-soldiers-calling-sir.html
A transgender soldier in the U.S. Army has hit out at military rules which mean her subordinates still have to refer to her as 'sir'.
Captain Jennifer Peace, an intelligence specialist, started transitioning into a woman in early 2014 after a decade of military service that saw her fight in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But, despite the 30-year-old undergoing surgeries to make her look more feminine and being recognized as a woman by the federal government, military officials insist on treating her as a man.
Captain Peace, from Spanaway, Washington, revealed her new identity to her commanders after having surgery between deployments, the Tacoma News-Tribune reported. In total she has spent some $50,000 on the transition.
And though she says they began being supportive, high-ranking officers later put her through psychiatric tests and medical evaluations, with one even suggesting she leave the military altogether.
Before she returned to duty with her new identity, commanders even issued orders to troops she was in charge of, insisting they continue to refer to her as a man, because the Army does not officially recognise the possibility that soldiers can change gender.
An official statement from her unit said: 'The current policy on the service of transgender individuals has not changed.
'Current Army policy is that the Army will only recognize soldiers by the gender they held when they entered the Army'.
The policy is under review, and a revamped set of rules for the U.S. military's estimated 15,000 transgender members is due to be announced within months.
But waiting for the changes, Captain Peace said, is 'excruciating'. In the mean time, so far as the army is concerned, she is a man named Jennifer, whose official military photograph shows a male.
Captain Peace, who married at the age of 19, is still with her wife, who now considers herself a lesbian. She and Deborah Peace have two sons, aged seven and nine, and a young daughter.
Though the transition was difficult, Captain Peace said, her family has been accepting - and it is only the Army who continue to present her with difficulties, which she believes impoverishes the army as a whole.
She said: 'I really believe this is my Army as much as anyone else’s. I deserve to be here, to serve in the organization and make it better.
'I think that everyone now recognizes we need this diversity, and the discrimination that's currently taking place is baseless. And we're losing qualified soldiers because of it.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3263746/Transgender-officer-spent-50-000-woman-slams-U-S-Army-rules-force-soldiers-calling-sir.html
Women in the Military
Army
Transgender
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 43
0
0
0
Change is a very difficult thing but, contrary to popular belief, military members have led the way in accepting change throughout history. It is difficult for the common Soldier to see the overarching policies and how to implement/enforce those policies above their immediate chain of command. I commanded a company when the DADT policy was repealed and the thought, training, and policy implementation that went into that transition was intentional to keep Soldiers safe from individual Soldiers who are slow to accept change or ignorant to how to treat their fellow Soldiers.
I don't have to agree with any of these policies, but i believe that change, if it is going to happen, will come through individual Soldiers providing well thought out, consistent feedback to their chain of command that will allow the policymakers to formulate the best plan to bring about the change. Slamming the military because they want to see change today is not constructive and will, typically, make their career take a difficult pass, which may be a sacrifice he/she is willing to make for the cause.
I don't have to agree with any of these policies, but i believe that change, if it is going to happen, will come through individual Soldiers providing well thought out, consistent feedback to their chain of command that will allow the policymakers to formulate the best plan to bring about the change. Slamming the military because they want to see change today is not constructive and will, typically, make their career take a difficult pass, which may be a sacrifice he/she is willing to make for the cause.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
To me, a male, married and two children, would hesitate to even think of joining the military. I served in the USMC, 1966-1970. Served in Vietnam, Purple Heart recipient. With gays being allowed to do what eve3r they do, and now transgender, I would not want to join. We are destroying the military from the inside out.. I also would not want a woman on the front lines. If you have a penis, your a man, and vice versa.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
How about this. The day a Male (XY chromosome human being) SH*Ts a baby, I will consider him a her (Human containing XX chromosomes)......Until then, let's all be honest. Fake T*TS and long hair doesn't a woman make......Right now we are experiencing a flat out revolt against Science, and intelligence. It's insulting to my intelligence that someone would try to convince me that he is a she. While public education is completely failing Americans, it isn't failing that much.
(0)
(0)
LTJG (Join to see)
So the only thing that makes a woman actually a woman is if she "sh*ts" out a baby? What if I told you that babies do not come out from that part of a woman's body? Well, I'm not sure about you, but I didn't. Also, what about all the women who can't have children, are they actually men then?
(1)
(0)
Cpl Robert Masi
It's an expression....What If I told you that no matter how many cosmetic surgeries you have, you'll never be able to change your genetics, which is what decides your gender?
If you're a man and cosmetically become a woman, you'll never be genetically a woman (which is all that matters), you'll never have a functioning vagina, or a womb, or SO MANY other things that make a woman different from a man.
And if you are a Woman and look Cosmetically like a man, you'll never have male genetics, and you'll never be able to produce sperm, or posses the the characteristics that make a man.
........I accept the fact that Science isn't a forte of Americans, I've seen the statistics. The Education system is failing us all. But it's not so bad that people honestly believe that cosmetically changing yourself will actually change your gender, I think. I have over estimated Human intelligence before, so there may be people that do believe it. What we are seeing is a revolt against SCIENCE, so that .3% of Americans can have warm and fuzzy feelings, and people are lying to themselves under peer pressure....And we are teaching that Feelings trump SCIENCE. And that's a serious problem, and unacceptable.
If you're a man and cosmetically become a woman, you'll never be genetically a woman (which is all that matters), you'll never have a functioning vagina, or a womb, or SO MANY other things that make a woman different from a man.
And if you are a Woman and look Cosmetically like a man, you'll never have male genetics, and you'll never be able to produce sperm, or posses the the characteristics that make a man.
........I accept the fact that Science isn't a forte of Americans, I've seen the statistics. The Education system is failing us all. But it's not so bad that people honestly believe that cosmetically changing yourself will actually change your gender, I think. I have over estimated Human intelligence before, so there may be people that do believe it. What we are seeing is a revolt against SCIENCE, so that .3% of Americans can have warm and fuzzy feelings, and people are lying to themselves under peer pressure....And we are teaching that Feelings trump SCIENCE. And that's a serious problem, and unacceptable.
(0)
(0)
Cpl Robert Masi
As far as the argument "But some women can't have children, are they women?"...That is an intellectually STUPID question. You know the answer. You just want to be stupid for the sake of it. OF COURSE the DNA can malfunction, some people are born with 6 fingers does that make them not human? Of course not....But it's all there. The difference between a man and a woman is their genetic make-up.
(0)
(0)
Cpl Robert Masi
Now, if you want to have the argument that "Transgender" people are a byproduct of a genetic malfunction, like MS, I'm willing to have that argument.
If you want to have the discussion that there is a psychological disorder, I'm willing to have that conversation too.
.........Either way, in the eyes of nature, it's an undesirable trait. And that's why it occurs so infrequently....Can these people live a happy life being themselves, yes. More power to them. But I won't lie. and trying to tell me that a Man can become a Woman through cosmetic surgery is like pissing on my head and telling me it's raining. I will not entertain that fallacy.
If you want to have the discussion that there is a psychological disorder, I'm willing to have that conversation too.
.........Either way, in the eyes of nature, it's an undesirable trait. And that's why it occurs so infrequently....Can these people live a happy life being themselves, yes. More power to them. But I won't lie. and trying to tell me that a Man can become a Woman through cosmetic surgery is like pissing on my head and telling me it's raining. I will not entertain that fallacy.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
I'm all for letting everyone in the military. There should be no limitations. In fact, we should do away with every single barrier. No sexual distinction at all. No sir/ma'am, no differential bathrooms or showers, everything is equal. Heck, why are there even have uniform regulations? Or grooming standards? Why is the military trying to make everyone drones in their big machine? We should be free to be who we want to be! Democracy for EVERYONE! I say let the units VOTE on how they want to be representin' the Army.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
No disrespect intended to my transgendered brothers/sisters in arms (SSG Patricia King and others), but one thing I never understood since I am not transgendered and heterosexual, maybe you can explain this to me. People like CAPT Peace don't make sense to me. Sure they've made the transition, but now identify themselves as gay/lesbian, being attracted to the same gender as when they were heterosexual males/females? What's up with that?
(0)
(0)
SSG Patricia King
I would hate to put a box around us in either direction. Your question is a really good one but it probably requires study. What I do know is that you can't assume you know someone's orientation simply because they are trans.
(1)
(0)
PO1 John Miller
SSG Patricia King
Very true. I remember watching a video about Senior Airman Ireland, a trans female to male active duty Airman a few months ago and his fiancee is a male to female active duty Soldier. Ireland's Mother described him as her once lesbian daughter now straight son.
Very true. I remember watching a video about Senior Airman Ireland, a trans female to male active duty Airman a few months ago and his fiancee is a male to female active duty Soldier. Ireland's Mother described him as her once lesbian daughter now straight son.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
No "sexual gender"disrespect intended, but I've read this twice now, and I don't see "Duffleblog" attached to it... Is this really an "issue" in the Army, or are leaders just being @$$holes?
(0)
(0)
MSgt Curtis Ellis
CPT Pedro Meza - Not my initial area of thought, but still a very interesting point of view I hadn't considered... But I do know many women who can evenly match or are better intel collectors than a lot of men I know...
(BTW, I train HUMINT Collectors) :)
(BTW, I train HUMINT Collectors) :)
(1)
(0)
CPT Pedro Meza
MSgt Curtis Ellis - In my past 1974-2015 trained in 85, I have made use of every ones potential, that is why I am alive and how I supported missions in Afghanistan and Latin America. I plead the 5th for everything else.
(0)
(0)
CPT Pedro Meza
MSgt Curtis Ellis - What ever accomplish the mission you mean, from a Team perspective.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
Well instead of trying to change the Army, maybe they should just get out. "He" is lucky that he didn't get boarded for mental issues. I'm not going to be PC and say he has rights to be blah blah blah. There is something wrong in his head. Lobbing your penis off does not change your DNA, genetically he is still a man.
(0)
(0)
SSG (Join to see)
while what he did wasn't illegal, however I wonder if his military record were changed to show that he is "SHE" now, if that was done she has a legitimate claim but if not I think she should accept what she is not worry about being called Sir...in my opinion otherwise she should address those soldier to address her as ma'am.
(0)
(0)
CPT Pedro Meza
How about seeing the potential of a woman that thinks like a man and get in where the enemies women and girls are and collects intel as well as plants seed to undermine their men. See the potential and use it.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
...or we can just call the person by their rank and last name. Keeps it safe and neutral.
(0)
(0)
MSgt Curtis Ellis
SrA Edward Vong In a conversation:
I would rather say your name and rank 1 time, then refer to you as Sir or Ma'am for the next 49 times, then to have to say your name and rank 50 times... ;)
I would rather say your name and rank 1 time, then refer to you as Sir or Ma'am for the next 49 times, then to have to say your name and rank 50 times... ;)
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google