Allyson Robinson Ousted As OutServe/SLDN Exec Director

Back in October I was happy to trumpet the news of Allyson Robinson's groundbreaking hiring as the executive director of the merged OutServe/SLDN.   Allyson also became at that time the first trans person ever to be hired as the head of a national Gay, Inc org whose primary focus is not centered on trans human rights issues. 

Today the trans community and our allies are stunned to hear the news via the Bilerico Project that after only nine months on the job Allyson Robinson has been ousted as the head of OutServe/SLDN after a board coup.  

A new executive director for an organization is usually given a year to immerse themselves in the culture of the organization and implement their policy and procedural direction, so this unexpected firing of Robinson triggered the resignations of OutServe/SLDN senior staff, several board members and growing outrage in the trans community. 

I've been wary of OutServe/SLDN based on how military transfolks got thrown under the Humvee in the runup to the 2010 DADT repeal and questions about their cultural competency to articulate the issues facing trans military personnel and veterans.  

It also revived the perception in the trans community that OutServe/SLDN only cares about GL military people and isn't on board with helping the trans community end the ban on trans military service so that we can openly serve in our country's military.

It also put a renewed spotlight on TAVA, the Transgender American Veterans Association and the status of the ten year old organization in the wake of founding president Monica Helms' recent retirement.

It also plays into the larger problem that Gay, Inc orgs are cricket chirping silent about in terms of the glaring lack of visible trans feminine leadership in their ranks and the suspicion of trans people that GL transphobia is playing a major role in that invisibility. 

Don't even get me started about the lack of trans women of color in Gay, Inc organizational ranks.

That perception is only going to ossify with this highly public dismissal of a groundbreaking trans leader and the ongoing turmoil and drama it has unleashed in its wake.

Robinson said at the time she was hired as the OutServe/SLDN executive director, "We cannot stop until we reach the day when all qualified Americans who wish to wear the uniform of our armed forces have the opportunity to do so with honor and integrity – and without fear of discrimination or harassment – whether they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.”

Their ouster of Robinson after only nine months on the job leads the trans community to legitimately ask if there is rampant transphobia in the organization.   It also leads us to ask the more pertinent policy question of just how committed OutServe/SLDN is to the mission of ensuring that like GLB Americans, transgender Americans can serve their country with honor and distinction.

TransGriot Update:  Denise Brogan Kator was the first transperson to ever be hired as the ED for a Gay, Inc org not focused on trans human rights issues when she became the head of Equality Michigan. 

Petition: Lift The US Ban On Trans Military Service

The dirty secret about the 2010 DADT repeal is it only applied to the GLB portion of the community.

Trans people were not included and were thrown under the civil rights bus (surprise, surprise) in the rush to get that passed during the 2010 Congressional lame duck session. 

Trans people not only have to still hide who they are if they are in the military already, if they transition they are banned from joining the United States armed forces.

Transpeople who wish to do so should have the same option to join the military as cispeople do. 

There are ten nations, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, Spain, Norway, the Netherlands, Thailand and Israel that allow transpeople to serve in some capacity their armed forces and it's past time the United States joined that list.

Here is a Change.org petition attempting to gather 50,000 signatures that seeks to get the ban on trans military service lifted.   Not only should that bad disappear, by allowing transpeople to join the military it would help make a dent in our unacceptably high unemployment numbers and give us access to benefits we are locked out of by not being able to serve.

Some of our trans leaders and trans icons like Christine Jorgensen spent time in the military.  The leadership lessons they learned in those various branches were translated in trans civilian life to help us organize and provide leadership to all the communities those veterans interacted and intersected with.

And as the coming out former SEAL Team 6 member Kristin Beck points out, transpeople have been part of our military for years, fought for our country and are part of it right now.

We shouldn't have to hide who we are to serve our country.

Trans Inclusion In The Military Panel Discussion

As I, the Transgender American Veterans Association, and a host of other people and organizations continue to point out, the 2011 repeal of DADT doesn't include the trans portion of the community.  

Trans people still have to hide who they are if they want to remain in the military, and for those of us who already transitioned, we can pay taxes, but are not allowed to sign up at the armed forces recruiting centers to serve our country. 

That's fundamentally unfair, insulting and cuts off to patriotic trans people an employment avenue many cis people use to get a paycheck, skills, education and training for the civilian workforce when they leave the service.

On March 20 a panel discussion on the topic of transgender inclusion in the military. was held at Pennsylvania's Gettysburg Collge in which TAVA's founding president Monica Helms took part. 

here's the video from that panel discussion.




Let us American transpeople openly serve our country like the transpeople of six nations can do in theirs.

TAVA Turns 10

This year also marks the 10th birthday of the Transgender American Veterans Association  which was founded in January 2003 by Monica Helms and Angela Brightfeather out of growing concerns for the fair and equal treatment of transgender veterans and active duty service members.

When the June 2010 VA directive came out, TAVA was in the position of seeing their major policy objective achieved.  Even more gratifying to the board members, the feedback they received from their constituents is that it worked.  

Now they are at a critical crossroads as to whether to build on that success or fold the organization.  

As TAVA founding president Monica Helms stated on her Facebook page:

Yesterday was TAVA's 10 year anniversary. Sadly, it may be our last. We did accomplish our primary mission when in June 2010, the VA initiated a directive that shows how to treat trans veterans properly. Two days after that came out, we received E-mails and calls from transgender veterans who said it worked. You don't know how wonderful that felt.

But, all the board members (the ones who are left) are all over 60 and we are tired. Other organizations, such as OutServe and NCTE are taking up the slack. TAVA's board is in the process of deciding how we need to "fade out," and there is some contention on how it should be done. All we ask of our friends is to understand and support our decision, whichever direction it goes. We appreciate all your support over the years. YOU are the ones who helped us fulfill our primary mission. We love you for that.

And thank you Monica and TAVA for your past and continuing service to this nation and the trans community.   But I would submit to you that TAVA's mission isn't done in terms of advocacy for fair and equal treatment of transgender veterans and active duty service members, especially since patriotic transpeople cannot join our military.

Don't Ask Don't Tell still exists for us.

Yes SLDN-OutServe has now added the issues of trans vets to their mission.  They have a transwoman in Allyson Robinson running it that I have much respect for.   But compared to TAVA, the merged SLDN-OutServe are newbies at advocating for trans veterans, understanding our issues and it's still marriage-centric in terms of its advocacy.  We are still dealing with the fallout of DADT not ending for us so GLB peeps could openly serve.  

I haven't forgotten how that organization refused to consider lifting transpeople as they climbed and made excuses for not advocating for transpeople to also be able to openly serve when Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal was being worked on during the Democratically controlled lame duck Congress in 2010 and eventually became a reality for the GLB community in September 2011.

So yes, I'm wary of SLDN-Outserve based on how military transfolks got thrown under the Humvee in the runup to DADT repeal.

I know you TAVA board members are tired after fighting this battle for so long and you want to move on to your well deserved rest and retire.  If you need to recruit younger peeps and train them to handle those issues, fine. 

But I submit TAVA needs to survive.  An organization of, by and for trans veterans is needed, especially when we have returning vets that will be coming home from service in Iraq and Afghanistan.  They will need an org that understands their needs, has the expertise to deal with trans veterans and the unique issues that crop up for them.
But thank you all for what you've done to help advance trans human rights in this arena for the last 10 years..

Allyson Robinson To Helm OutServe-SLDN

This weekend two organizations that have fought hard for the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and the rights of LGBT servicemembers , the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) and OutServe are finalizing a merger.  

The new combined 6000 member OutServe-SLDN that will emerge has pledged to continue to fight for the rights of rainbow community service personnel.

As I and many trans people have pointed out, the 2011 repeal of  DADT left trans servicemembers behind, puts us at risk of being tossed out of the military if our trans status is discovered and still does not allow any trans person to openly serve our nation as transpeople in six countries can now do.. 

The merged organization recently announced its new executive director and the person tapped to lead  OutServe-SLDN is someone I know and have run across a few times in my travels around the country in Allyson Robinson.

She's definitely qualified to become the new executive director of this merged organization.  She is a 1994 graduate of West Point, commanded Patriot missile units in Europe and the Middle East on multiple deployments, was recently the deputy director of HRC's Workplace Project and has a Texas connection.  

After Robinson resigned her commission in 1999 to pursue her ministerial calling and focus on social justice issues, she earned her Masters of Divinity in theology at Baylor University in 2007.

Robinson stated “I am honored to lead the new OutServe-SLDN into this next phase of advocacy and action on behalf of our brave LGBT service members, veterans, and their families. Until they are guaranteed equal opportunity, recognition, support, and benefits, our mission is incomplete. We cannot and will not leave them behind.”

In addition to becoming the first trans person to head a major TBLG organization, Robinson has promised to advocate for the gender nonconforming service members left behind by DADT repeal as well. 

“We cannot stop until we reach the day when all qualified Americans who wish to wear the uniform of our armed forces have the opportunity to do so with honor and integrity – and without fear of discrimination or harassment – whether they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.”

Congratulations Allyson on this historic appointment to head OS-SLDN.  May you have much success in executing your new human rights mission.

Secretly Serving-The Few The Proud, The Trans

While the LGB community was celebrating the first anniversary of DADT repeal, transgender people in the US military are still serving in secret. 

Marc Lamont Hill talks to trans veterans and a trans person still serving our country and having to hide to do so.   The trans veterans get to talk about their post service lives.    

Trans And Deployed-Keith's Story

While LGB people will be celebrating the first anniversary of the end of DADT, we trans people are not only barred from enlisting in our military, those of us who are currently enlisted have to hide who they are.

To give you folks an idea what that is like, OutServe will be publishing a column from Keith Thompson, a transman who is currently deployed in Afghanistan.  

The command climate in my unit during pre-deployment was harsh for me. The Soldiers in my unit think that I am a lesbian, serving openly and proudly. They do not know I am trans. I have never had an issue with any of my immediate colleagues about my sexual orientation. Just before we deployed, however, we received a new “butter bar” in our ranks. I started to feel that I was treated differently from the rest of the crew, chosen for the jobs nobody really wanted. Most of all, I could tell that this officer had a huge issue with me. Whenever I attempted conversation with her, she would ignore me.

Here's the rest of Keith's column.

 

DADT Still Hasn't Died For Trans People

Couldn't let today pass while I'm up here inside I-495 'Owning My Power' to remind you readers as I will our legislators while I'm chitchatting with them on Capitol Hill today marks the one year anniversary of the day that Don't Ask Don't Tell died.  

While our SGL and bi brothers and sisters will be celebrating this first anniversary of DADT repeal, it'll be another painful reminder that DADT is still not dead for trans people,.but it's still an ugly reality that we can't serve openly. 

Discrimination by the US military of transpeople still exists for us as documented in this Kristen Schilt report for the Palm Center.  Unlike the trans citizens of six nations, the big bad US military still will not allow patriotic trans people to enlist who are willing to fight for and defend our country.  

If you're in the military and it's discovered you're trans, you get discharged or worse.

We love our country and want to have the option to serve in its military as well.   To make an economic argument for it, trans people being able to openly serve our nation not only helps the ones already enlisted and helps you retain those personnel you spent time and tax dollars training, it would also make a dent in that 26% trans unemployment number if trans people who desire to do so have the option of military service as a career option.

So let's see if you 'come back for us' on this issue, LGB community.  .As you raise your appletini glasses and toast the demise of DADT, I'm reminding you about the trans people you threw under the Humvee when you pushed for passage of DADT repeal in the 2010 congressional lame duck session and trans activists told you repeatedly it didn't cover us. 

While DADT died for you, it still hasn't died for the trans community.


     
 

Remember Why We Celebrate Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day, in which we celebrate all of our fellow Americans who served in the armed forces to defend this nation and protect the freedoms we enjoy, and memorialize those who gave their lives in doing so.

I also need to point out as the Transgender American Veterans Association does on a regular basis that some of those Americans who proudly served our country in its various military branches are trans.

Christine Jorgenson, one of our pioneering trans women was a World War II vet who served in the Army. 

During my time in this community I have had the pleasure to meet trans people who served in the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines and the Coast Guard.   I've met people who fought in the Korean War,  Vietnam and the first Gulf War, and have no doubts that during my future community travels and conversations I will eventually run into Iraq and Afghanistan vets.

Some of the people I met were people who did specialized duty such as Tunnel Rats, Navy Seals, aviators,   submariners, guarded nuke weapons depots, and some who can't even talk at length about what they did in their service days because it's still classified.   But the point is they served this nation proudly and to the best of their ability.

The repeal of DADT only worked for the GLB segment of the community.   It doesn't allow trans people to serve openly and be their true selves while wearing our country's uniform unlike what transpeople can do in six nations on this planet.  We can still be kicked out of the US military for being trans.

That's bull feces and it's why TAVA and myself are still pushing for the military to end the restrictions on transgender people openly serving in our country's military.  We have just as much right as any other American to fight and potentially die for our country.

But on this Memorial Day, let's once again take time to honor and contemplate all who have served, all who have died in service to our country and join the rest of our nation in observing a moment of silence at 12:01 PM EDT in honor of our fallen heroes and sheroes.

As we do so, let's also consider the fact there is a segment of the American family in the trans community who wish to like everyone else in this country want and need the opportunity to serve our country openly and proudly.
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Naw, It Ain't 'The New DADT'

A new OutServe article talks about an issue we loudly were trying to point out to you GLB peeps back in December 2010 when the DADT repeal was being blitzed through that lame duck session of Congress that trans military personnel couldn't openly serve either. .

While DADT didn't specifically mention trans people, it was still being used to out trans military personnel and kick us out of the US armed forces. We pointed out the DADT repeal bill needed language in it to cover trans military personnel and wouldn't do squat for us if it didn't , but you deliberately ignored that point.

Then when you loudly crowed about the DADT repeal being signed by President Obama and celebrated your win when it took effect September 20, 2011 about GLB peeps finally getting to serve openly and proudly after a 17 year fight, elements of you accused the trans community of 'sour grapes' for not being happy about being thrown under the bus by y'all once again as you stuffed yourselves at the human rights table and left us behind because you wanted a win after that 2009 Maine marriage referenda defeat. 

We are painfully aware that as long as one house of Congress is controlled by the Republifools, nothing is going to happen to fix this problem.   We are going to need the reelection of President Obama, the retaking of the House by the Democrats and the Democrats holding the Senate in the upcoming 2012 election before w get any congressional action to rectify this.

So where do the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and our 'fierce advocates' in the GLB community stand on the issue of pushing for their trans brothers and sisters to serve openly as GLB people do?  While SLDN includes this trans service page on their website, you'll have to go to a drop down menu to find it..

While SLDN talks about the need for trans people to openly serve, they haven't walked the walk.  They are more preoccupied with marriage and partner related issues than doing things to help speed up the day that trans people can openly serve their country.

So naw it ain't 'the New DADT' as this OutServe article mistakenly called it.   It's the same BS that transpeople in the United Sates who want to openly serve in our nation's military have had to contend with for years that could have been rectified in 2010 but wasn't.

2011 Carrier Classic

Caught the inaugural Carrier Classic Game in San Diego between Michigan State and number one ranked North Carolina that was played on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson and witnessed by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.  

Both teams wore camouflage patterned uniforms and the jerseys all had USA on the back instead of the players names on them.  It was paused for a moment for the lowering of the flag.   Honorary captains Magic Johnson for Michigan state and James Worthy for North Carolina were there along with several iconic Tar Heel players who were able to attend due to the NBA lockout.     

It was a nice way to spend Veterans Day and the Carrier Classic will happen again.  Arizona and UConn have already agreed to play in the 2012 game with a tentative date set of November 9.   

I also like the idea Dick Vitale suggested during the game of making it a doubleheader and having the service academy teams involved.




The USS Carl Vinson was the carrier from which the SEAL Team 6 mission to take out Osama bin Laden was launched back in May and they conducted his burial at sea from its flight deck.  It was interesting seeing a 7000 seat basketball court set up on the flight deck of this ship and the game that was played on it.

North Carolina justified that preseason number one ranking and won the game 67-55 to claim the trophy, but the real winners were all the personnel on the USS Carl Vinson who got to witness this.

It's also a nice way to kick off the college basketball season.   

POTUS Honors Veterans At Arlington National Cemetery

Before he and the FLOTUS hopped aboard Air Force One to start a nine day trip to Asia and the Pacific Rim, President Obama was at Arlington National Cemetery laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and thanking veterans for their service..

Remarks by the President on Veterans Day

11:40 A.M. EST
        THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Ric Shinseki, for your extraordinary service to our country and your tireless commitment to our veterans; to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta; to Chairman Dempsey and Mrs. Dempsey; to our wonderful veterans service organizations for the extraordinary work that you do for our nation’s heroes; to all who tend to and watch over this sacred cemetery; and above all, to every active duty member, Guardsman, Reservist, and veteran of the United States Armed Forces.

        There are many honors and responsibilities that come with this job.  But none are more humbling than serving as your Commander-in-Chief.  And I’m proud to be with so many of you here today.
  
     Here, where our heroes come to rest, we come to show our gratitude.  A few moments ago, I laid a wreath to pay tribute to all who have given their lives to our country.  For even though this is a day we rightly honor America’s veterans, we gather today in solemn respect -– mindful that we are guests here; mindful that we share this hallowed space with a family’s moment of quiet grief; mindful that many veterans not far from here are tracing their fingers over black granite for friends who never came home –- and expect us to do all we can to bring every missing American service member home to their families.

        To all our nation’s veterans:  Whether you fought in Salerno or Samarra, Khe Sanh or the Korengal, you are part of an unbroken chain of men and women who have served this country with honor and distinction.  On behalf of a proud and grateful nation, we thank you.

        When I spoke here on this day two years ago, I said there would be a day before long when this generation of servicemen and women would begin to step out of uniform.  And I made them a promise.  I said that when your tour ends, when you see our flag, when you touch our soil -– you will be home in an America that is forever here for you, just as you’ve been there for us.  (Applause.)

        For many, that day has come.  Over the past decade, more than 5 million Americans have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces.  Of these, 3 million stepped forward after the attacks of September 11th, knowing full well that they could be sent into harm’s way.  And in that time, they have served in some of the world’s most dangerous places.  Their service has been selfless.  Their accomplishments have been extraordinary.

        In Iraq, they have battled a brutal insurgency, trained new security forces and given the Iraqi people the opportunity to forge a better future.  In Afghanistan, they have pushed back the Taliban, decimated al Qaeda, and delivered the ultimate justice to Osama bin Laden.  In concert with our allies, they have helped end Qaddafi’s brutal dictatorship and returned Libya to its people.

        Because of their incredible efforts, we can stand here today and say with confidence -– the tide of war is receding.  In just a few weeks, the long war in Iraq will finally come to an end.  (Applause.)  Our transition in Afghanistan is moving forward.  My fellow Americans, our troops are coming home.  (Applause.)
        For many military families, this holiday season will be a season of homecomings.  And over the next five years, more than 1 million Americans in uniform will transition back to civilian life, joining the nearly 3 million who have done so over the past decade and embraced a proud new role, the role of veteran.
        This generation of service members -– this 9/11 Generation -– has borne the burden of our security during a hard decade of sacrifice.  Our servicemen and women make up less than 1 percent of Americans, but also more than 1 million military spouses and 2 million children and millions more parents and relatives -- all of whom have shared the strains of deployment and sacrificed on behalf of the country that we love.

        Only 27 years old on average, these young men and women have shattered the false myth of their generation’s apathy, for they came of age in an era when so many institutions failed to live up to their responsibilities.  But they chose to serve a cause greater than their selves.  They saw their country threatened.  But they signed up to confront that threat.  They felt some tug, they answered some call, and they said, Let’s go.  And they’ve earned their place among the greatest of generations.  (Applause.)

        That is something for America to be proud of.  That is the spirit America needs now -- a stronger, newer spirit of service and of sacrifice.  That spirit that says, What can I do to help?  What can I do to serve?  That spirit that says, When my country is challenged, I will do my part to meet that challenge.

        So on this Veterans Day, let us commit ourselves to keep making sure that our veterans receive the care and benefits that they have earned; the opportunity they defend and deserve; and above all, let us welcome them home as what they are -- an integral, essential part of our American family.  (Applause.)

        See, when our men and women sign up to become a soldier or a sailor, an airman, Marine, or Coast Guardsman, they don’t stop being a citizen.  When they take off that uniform, their service to this nation doesn’t stop, either.  Like so many of their predecessors, today’s veterans come home looking to continue serving America however they can.  At a time when America needs all hands on deck, they have the skills and the strength to help lead the way.

        Our government needs their patriotism and sense of duty.  And that’s why I’ve ordered the hiring of more veterans by the federal government.  (Applause.)  Our economy needs their tremendous talents and specialized skills.  So I challenged our business leaders to hire 100,000 post-9/11 veterans and their spouses over the next few years and yesterday, many of these leaders joined Michelle to announce that they will meet that challenge.  (Applause.)

        Our communities have always drawn strength from our veterans’ leadership.  Think of all who have come home and settled on in a quiet life of service -- as a doctor or a police officer, an engineer or an entrepreneur, as a mom or a dad -- and in the process, changed countless lives.  Other veterans seek new adventures from taking on a new business to building a team of globetrotting veterans who use skills learned in combat to help after a natural disaster.

        There are also so many in this young generation who still feel that tug to serve, but just don’t quite know where to turn.  So on this Veterans Day, I ask every American, recruit our veterans.  If you’re a business owner, hire them.  If you’re a community leader -- a mayor, a pastor or a preacher -- call on them to join your efforts.  Organize your community to make a sustained difference in the life of a veteran because that veteran can make an incredible difference in the life of your community.

        If you’re a veteran looking for new ways to serve, check out Serve.gov.  If you’re a civilian looking for new ways to support our veterans and our troops, join Michelle and Jill Biden at JoiningForces.gov.  Find out what you can do.  There is no such thing as too small a difference.  That effort you make may have the biggest impact.

        I say this because recently, I received a letter from a Vietnam veteran.  She wasn’t writing to tell me about her own experience.  She just wanted to tell me about her son, Jeremy.  Now, Jeremy isn’t deployed, Jeremy’s not a veteran, or even in the military at all, as badly as he wants to follow in the footsteps of his family and enlist.  You see, Jeremy has Down Syndrome.

        So Jeremy chooses to serve where he can best -– with his local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter in Beaver, Pennsylvania.  He calls them “the soldiers”.  And one day last spring, Jeremy spent the day with several of these veterans cleaning up a local highway.

        “He worked tirelessly,” wrote his mother.  “He never asked to take a break.  He didn’t stop to talk about his beloved Steelers.  He didn’t even ask for anything to eat or drink.  He only asked for one thing, several times –- ‘Mom, will President Obama be proud of me for helping the soldiers?’”

        Well, Jeremy, I want you to know, yes, I am proud of you.  I could not be prouder of you, and your country is proud of you.  Thank you for serving our veterans by helping them to continue their service to America.

        And Jeremy’s example -- one young man’s example -- is one that we must all now follow.  Because after a decade of war, the nation we now need to build is our own.  And just as our Greatest Generation left a country recovering from Depression and returned home to build the largest middle class in history, so now will the 9/11 Generation play a pivotal role in rebuilding America’s opportunity and prosperity in the 21st century.

        We know it will be hard.  We have to overcome new threats to our security and prosperity, and we’ve got to overcome the cynical voices warning that America’s best days are behind us.  But if there is anything our veterans teach us, it’s that there is no threat we cannot meet; there is no challenge we cannot overcome.  America’s best days are still ahead.  And the reason for that is because we are a people who defy those voices that insist otherwise.  We are a country that does what is necessary for future generations to succeed.  (Applause.)

        You, our veterans, fight so our children won’t have to.  We build and we invent and we learn so that we will know greater opportunity.  America leads so that the next generation, here and around the world, will know a more hopeful life on this Earth.

        So today, I thank you all for making that possible.  God bless you.  God bless our veterans and our troops, and God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

When Will American Transpeople Be Able To Openly Serve?

Today is Veterans Day, when we take a moment to honor the people who have served in our nation's military during peacetime and in combat situations. In some cases, they have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

I wanted to take a moment to especially show some love to transgender vets today.  There are those who proudly served, and those who unlike their GLB brothers and sisters must stay in hiding because DADT repal didn't cover them.   

While the afterglow has faded from the celebrations of DADT being repealed back in September for our gay, lesbian and bisexual brothers and sisters in the military, we transpeople are now burdened with what they had to deal with in terms of living with the fear of being outed or not being able to openly serve our country.

GLB community, if you repeatedly told anyone who would listen that hiding who you were was an intolerable situation for you, how do you think transpeople feel about that?  . 

"For 17 years the US has made their gay lesbian and bisexual service members second class citizens and caused them to have to lie about who they are and who they love. No longer will that be the case. We now turn our attention to allowing transgender people to serve openly."   Monica Helms, TAVA President.

"It should be recognized that DADT has never included directives concerning Transgender people serving in the military."  "Therefore, there was no call from Transgender Americans to equally serve in the military of their country, without persecution and discrimination. However, Transgender people who have and still do serve under the same pre-DADT conditions, still find it necessary to lie and hide who they are, contrary to the best traditions of the military. We now press our GLB brothers and sisters to finish the job and help provide the means for Transgender people to be able to serve their country openly and equally as do all Americans."

Angela Brightfeather, TAVA Vice President.

The question is will they do so, or will they revert to their with all deliberate speed 'we'll come back for you' tendencies when it comes to pushing for the human rights of transpeople after they have engorged themselves at the civil rights table?

The fight for transpeople to openly serve continues, and don't forget (nor are we going to let you forget) one of the people who was chained to the White House fence in solidarity with you was transwoman Autumn Sandeen. 

She put her butt on the line to help you GLB peeps get DADT repealed, and now it's time for the GLB community to do the same.   Time for y'all to stand and deliver and help their transbrothers and transsisters who want the same thing you have achieved in having the ability to openly serve their country as well.

But based on what we're seeing now in terms of the 'all marriage all the time' mentality still permeating GL community organizing, I and other transpeople aren't holding our breath on that.

So when will American transpeople be able to like our counterparts can in six nations around the world openly serve our country?  How many Veterans Days will pass before we can?