Regardless of what the former administration did to discourage transgender service in the military, several trans troops managed to survive the purge.
An example is Staff Sgt. Patricia King:
Staff Sgt. Patricia King did as many have done by trying to lose themselves in the masculinity of the infantry. The difference, in this case, is 16-year veteran SSG King is still on active duty making her the very first out transgender infantry sergeant. SSgt King recently said to "Planet Transgender"
"Everyone else I know who was on active duty like myself felt strongly compelled to wait until after we got out to come out. It wasn’t a choice. Even back in the 80’s it was ok to be perceived as gay, especially in a shortage MOS (job classification) like mine, no one would say anything unless you stood on the commanders desk and shouted it out."
King went on to say: " "I'm the first openly transgender infantryman in the Army," King said.The Army has accepted lesbians and gays into the ranks since 2011, but transgender life is a violation of regulations - a fireable offense. "These conditions render an individual administratively unfit rather than unfit because of physical illness or medical disability," Army regulations say."
Of course now as I write this, President Biden lifted the ban on service by transgender troops. Making Patricia Kings' service so much more remarkable.
