What Veterans Day means to this trans veteran

I had my Veterans Day column all written and ready to go, but after the events of the past 24 hours I decided to trash it because what I’d written no longer seemed relevant. The landscape of our country has suddenly undergone a seismic shift and my view of this country, and what Veterans Day means to me as a transgender veteran, has changed. First and foremost, I am proud to be a veteran and to have had the honor of serving my county, but right now I feel a bit betrayed by my country, and that is something I never thought I’d say.

The transgender community has always had a strong presence in the military; studies shown the rate of military service for transgender people is roughly twice that of the cis population. Our community has done more than its share in defending the rights and freedoms that so many people in this country take for granted, in spite of the long-standing policy that bans trans people from openly serving. Thanks to the efforts of many dedicated people such as retired Army Sergeant Shane Ortega, the first trans person to openly serve in the military, and retired Navy SEAL Kristin Beck, the Pentagon announced in July of 2015 that it would allow transgender members of the military to serve openly, putting an end to the long-standing ban. The policies are now being implemented to make this happen, but now we must ask ourselves if by this time next year, the ban will once again be back in place and transgender people will again be banned from serving. Future Vice President Mike Pence is on record as saying he supports the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, so that may also be in our future, again.

I’m old enough to know better than to give much credence to the naysayers of doom and gloom, and to avoid making knee-jerk reactions, especially when there is a lot of emotion involved. But I am scared. Donald Trump will be president and have a Republican controlled House and Senate, and I fear that he will have the power to make the changes he has promised, which include taking away the rights and protections that the LGBTQ community has worked so hard to get. Add to that the appointments Trump will make to the Supreme Court, and the conservatives will be fully in control of this country, which is a scary thought. I know that Trump should be given a fair opportunity to show what kind of a leader he will be for this country before we judge him. Time will tell. But to me the thing which alarms me the most is not so much who won and lost, but the message that the American people sent when they voted to elect Trump. And that message is that not everyone is deserving of the same rights, that discrimination and oppression are acceptable, that the rights of women, people of color, the LGBTQ community, and pretty much anyone who is not white don’t matter. I thought this country was better than that. Are those the ideals which our country was founded upon and that so many have fought to protect and given their lives for? I think not.

I have always been proud of being an American and proud of our country, but tonight I’m struggling with how I feel now that Trump has been elected. As a trans veteran, I served to help protect our nations rights and freedoms, and yet we have just elected a man who has promised to take away the rights and freedoms that have been enacted to protect the LGBTQ community. My community. I would have a very tough time voluntarily joining the military now when our supposed Commander-In-Chief has openly vowed to take away my rights. And that is a sad commentary on the state of this country.

Politics should not take away from the meaning of Veterans Day, which will always be a day that is very special to me and has deep meaning. My youngest son is a veteran and I could not be more proud of him for his service.

Thank you to all who serve or have served; you have my deepest respect and gratitude.