Transgender Service Members: Serving in Silence

As someone who is transgender, let me just say that it goes much deeper than that. I can tell you that being forced to use a men's room is far more awkward than you realize. And that's only one thing... imagine if you went out in public and people called you sir instead of ma'am? Or when people ask you for id and you have to pull out an id with the opposite gender on it? These are the types of things that transgender people face. It's much more complex and a deeper issue... just "dressing up" isn't what it's all about. Just thought I'd put that out there for you. :)

You know I do really do get it. Yet, like stated else where, growing up with father who was cross-dress, the mental damage that he caused to his three sons, none of us really dated. Even when I got to Bragg I never really dated, and when I sent to womack to the mental ward my buddy brought up his gf with him, and for the next few day I talked with the people up there why and how I interacted with them. They wonder why I didn't have gf. My brother after he got out of school brought home a gf, and my dad gave her ideas on make-up and clothing. That was one reason I never dated, or when I did, I didn't bring them home to meet the parents, or worried he would be wearing women clothing. Since I have been with my 2nd wife, he hasn't been around my kid in women clothing per say. He does wear women shoe and sock, both kids at one point or another have asked why, we have politely answer the question by not answering it. They are too young to understand it. So yeah I do get how hard it is for you with your issues. I can see why some of the old timers are having such a hard time openly accepting this hot potato. I can see those who are into their religion to a point where it closes their mind to think openly about anything that goes contrary to is taught to them on Sunday. We all have to bear with the facts that we have different points views on the subject. Right, wrong, indifferent on the subject, many of them will never change because they are so much inbreed into us. Hopefully SStg Biscoe you can get to point where you can have the surgery and move forward. Just understand that some people that are posting against are doing so for much the same deep rooted issues too. I am trying to keep an open mind on the subject and honest feel if you can do the duty, and not expecting DoD to pay for gender reassignment, then no problem. We have to many people who have to close minded. Which is too bad when you considered there are so many people who have served in the past who have issues today that will not allow to serve because they are being diagnose with. Same with Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender people they have always been in the military. Why do we think that suicide rates continue to be so high in the military, lot of people being forced to live a life style that wasn't them.

You're 100% right... that doesn't make you transgender, that makes you a crossdresser. Those of us who are transgender are women who were born in the wrong body. It's a much more complex issue. We can chat more if you want... I'm always open to help people understand it better.

The point is you lied to get in, so you were then considered a security risk. So what else could you have been lying about, or will lie about in the future. Enough said on the subject.

no sir it was admitted and security agent signed off on it and on top of that they gave me my tsc and i still have it they spent $500,000 on my training and kicked me out because i was publicly open about my past if it was security risk why did i get to keep my clearance had they revoked it i would say u were right but i brought your exact point up to them and it was made clear i wasnt viewed as security risk and was allowed to keep my status then the nsa started calling out of the blue wanting me if u ask me someone wanted me there but thats a story for another time

CPT Michael Barden , I would say no to all the above Tricare questions and medical considerations. I would further state, that they sleep in a bay/shower in a bay that matches them biologically. And, do the same with PT standards.

No. I would not say a version of DADT. Just, no special treatment. As far as a tiny FOB is concerned. I would treat it like any other medical condition that precludes serving in an austere environment. As far as leave is concerned... I am not as sure.

MSG Mitch Dowler, Kristen Beck was born TG and didn't begin living as a woman until she retired from the military. I believe that the VA will actually cover the cost of hormones for retirees too, they just don't cover the surgery. I know a few retirees who are receiving benefits. I would also recommend reading Kristen Beck's book... it's called Warrior Princess and it may help you to understand this complex issue a bit more. She really explains it very well in her book and she also has a documentary called Lady Valor... I went to the showing in NYC a few months back and was fortunate enough to get to meet her too. She is an admiration to me! :)

Yeah well my dad served in the navy and he was cross-dresser. Mother claims she didn't know anything about it until after they were married.

MSgt Sieczka, I'm voting you down... not because you disagree with the topic but because of your rude and unprofessional comment. I can't believe you were ever a MSgt in the Air Force... absolutely pathetic!

SSgt Nicole Biscoe, how very tolerant of you. Please provide the scientific Facts about being born anything other than human. According to the latest studies, sexuality is decided sometime around the age of 5. Gender is decided by DNA and Chromosomes. not feelings. Your brain and your feeling do not decide your gender, You DNA decides your gender. Those FEW individuals that are born with both genital or without it are exceptions, but just because you don't like your gender does not mean you can change it. What do the bones tell you, the bones never lie. Male skeletons are different from female. Bones can tell us Age, Gender and race. So what do the bones tell us.

The military currently ships medication for plenty of other conditions overseas. The UK ships hormones to their transgender troops serving in Afghanistan and around the world. Why can't we do that too? If its still a problem, give the medications to the Brits and have them ship them along with their own to the troops.

Transgender service members are not "unemployable" as you say. There could be as many as 15,000 currently employed. In fact, statistically, there are probably a few transgender people in your command, maybe even close to you. Your best friend could be transgender, yet you wouldn't even know it due to the harassment, discrimination and hate they could risk facing if they were to come out.

I wont disagree as that is a very good response. I will say that my use of the term unemployable was not to say or mean useless but rather should not be considered in general for military service, it is only an opinion, one of many of mine that are fluid and I hope I am wrong. I would rather be wrong and have ANY patroit that wants to serve in any and all capacities serve. Unfortunately I believe that for transgender individuals currently serving or wanting to serve there is generally a greater risk of discrimination and undue harm from discrimination due to misinformed troops. What the exent of that risk is can only be evaluated on a case by case. There is also a fundamental change that will need to occur to minimize this risk. Any Marine that served with me was only ever evaluated by me in terms of the standards of physical capabilities (PFT, Rifle range, CFT) and required knowledge to perform their MOS and in keeping with their rank. As I stated above and to be absolutely clear I want all Americans, including Transgender individuals, to serve if it is their choice to and furthermore I believe that there NEEDS to be a concerted effort to make this happen and I want those individuals safety to be gauranteed and respected from the Private to the General Officer.

You are a taxpayer and a mature adult. Your opinion as a someone with experience and wisdom ought to kick in that dumping money into this doesn't add a thing to accomplish the mission and there are other people who can do the job without us paying to do elective surgery on someone who may have mental issues rather then physical ones.

I dont think gentlemen the issue would be standards or even mental health. I believe that there would be a serious lack of enlistees that would fall into this category and to fundamentally change the ENTIRE military for a few would be frivilous, to say the least. There is also people with genetic disorders that have a hard time keeping weight off and we have not changed our standards for them even if they can run a good PFT. I believe this is a change that would affect 100% of SM for the cause of like 20 people nationwide.

MAJ,

Nearly all transgender people who join the military do so as their gender they were assigned at birth. Therefore when they go through MEPS, they would be processed as anyone else. Many transwomen (MTF) join the military to try to get rid of or hide the fact that they are trans, and they would be processed along with males. Many transmen (FTM) join the military to be in a hyper-masculine environment where it is okay for them to be more masculine than the girls they grew up as, and they would be processed along with females. Yes, some transition or attempt to transition before joining, but they would most likely be rejected during MEPS unless they could hide their entire past.

The estimated 15,000+ service members who are transgender serve completely hidden. Some of the men you served with very possibly were transgender. They may have put on a masculine front and pretended to be one of the guys, but just like Kristen Beck, they knew inside who they really were.

Thanks for your perspective. If I understand you correctly then the service members you reference are still living as the gender they were born as and have not transistioned to the gender they feel they identify with.
Thanks for your input and I wish you the best of luck as you begin your military journey.