As You Were
IN 1987, BRIANNA MATTHEWS JOINED the military. Following her high school graduation, Matthews began her 10-year stint in the Air Force, where she controlled radio operations and information systems — but it wasn’t easy. Matthews is one of the estimated 134,000 transgender veterans in the United States.
Ryan Howe
Matthews knew from a very young age that she struggled with gender identity. Throughout her time in middle and high school, she knew that she was different from the boys that surrounded her. Of course, this didn’t change once she joined the ranks of the enlisted.
“Even as I served, I still didn’t know where I fit in,” Matthews said. “I didn’t know if I was just experimenting or what, but I knew the feelings weren’t going away. I was still hiding who I was, but I was becoming more liberal with the way I resented myself. Luckily, I was based in California where I could get away with it.”
During her time, Matthews started shaving her legs and stashing female wardrobe in a triple-padlocked duffle bag. She was hiding which, until recently, was true for nearly every transgender service member in the US military.
On July 13, Defense Secretary Ash Carter made the announcement that over the next six months, top military officials will hammer out the details of a new policy to allow active-duty troops to transition from one gender to another. This raised a whole slew of questions that remain unanswered.
“The Defense Department’s current regulations regarding transgender service members are outdated and are causing uncertainty that distracts commanders from our core missions,” Carter said in his statement. “Moreover, we have transgender soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines — real, patriotic Americans — who I know are being hurt by an outdated, confusing, inconsistent approach that’s contrary to our value of service and individual merit.”
But what does this mean? On the social side, it comes with relief. No one will have to hide a part of their life in a duffle bag with three padlocks. But that is only one factor going into this six-month period where officials will have to make decisions on healthcare, combat jobs, and protection.
For example, will a soldier who was born female but now lives as a man be permitted to hold one of more than 200,000 armor, infantry, artillery, and special operations positions that still prohibit women?
What will the Military Health System accommodate for trans people? Will it cover their hormones needed to transition, top and bottom surgery, or facial reconstructive surgery? Will there be protections put in place regarding harassment of these individuals?
These questions aren’t only on the weight of the individuals who are rewriting the policy, but on the shoulders of current transgender troops and advocates. For Matthews, who credits her career success to her time in Air Force, it’s an issue that everyone needs to pay close attention to.
“It’s going to be a very important six months, and even longer, for the military to really assess what needs to be done, and done right,” Matthews said. “It’s monumental, but if we are going to applaud them on the decision, we need to make sure they are heading in the right direction.”
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