The military is stronger with its transgender service members and veterans

The men in my family tend to “Aim High” as the U.S. Air Force slogan goes. One grandfather was a Navigator on the F-4 Phantom fighter jet. The other, a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air National Guard. I’m pretty sure my uncle patched up every airframe the U.S. Air Force has to offer. So, as a 20-something, not-yet-out transgender woman searching for identity and direction, I joined up too.

I wanted to be part of something greater than myself. To expand my horizon, and to serve with purpose. But under the former U.S. military policy “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” I found a narrow definition of who could be an Airman — hard emphasis on “man.”

My service became a balancing act: the honor and responsibility of the uniform in one hand, and the quiet weight of navigating who I was allowed to be in the other. Rather than becoming all I was capable of, my energy had to be spent navigating invisible boundaries.

The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and the lifting of restrictions on transgender military service in 2016 by former President Barack Obama, gave queer and trans service members an opportunity to show up as their whole, best selves. Coming out has allowed me to connect more meaningfully, listen more deeply and lead with empathy. Because I know what it means to be overlooked, I strive to ensure others never feel unseen. I’m more passionate, think clearer, retain more, and make better decisions.

But under an executive order earlier this year from President Donald Trump ordering the removal of all transgender service members from the military, we are moving backwards. The costs will be high not only to those service members, but to the nation.

The introspection required to reflect inward and think critically, combined with the courage and self-assuredness it takes to speak up and out with your truth (even in the face of fierce opposition), uniquely equips trans people to make the hard, right choices. The unpopular but ethical decisions.

According to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, 21% of the trans community have served in the military. This powerful statistic underscores a simple truth: trans people show up, and the military is stronger because of it.

As we reflect on freedoms that so many military veterans have fought for, and all we’d hoped for, I find it painful to think of the 15,500 transgender airmen, sailors, and soldiers currently serving, who are being forced out of uniform for the egregious act of being who they’ve always been.

While their time serving in uniform may be coming to a close, our service to this country will continue.