Just Say No?

It still amazes me how many "civilians" think being transgender or LGBT at all is a personal choice.

When I look back at over a half a century fighting a part of me that refused to go away, I have always said I wish I had never been born with this gender dysphoria. Life would have been so much easier. Even though I struggled mightily to do it, I was always fairly successful at being a guy. I played sports, dated regularly. did my time in the Army and fathered a child.

None of it did me any good, I could never shake the feeling deep inside that something was really wrong.  In fact (as I have written many times) I am a survivor of one very active and many very passive suicide attempts.

Through it all, I also had the deep feeling I was destined to live on until I solved the problem.

When I did, it was like a huge weight was taken from my shoulders. No longer did I have to think of myself as a transvestite or cross dresser. I was a transgender woman and had been one forever.

Of course, once I arrived at that point, I had to convince the world too. Life became at once exciting and scary. No longer could I conveniently stash my feminine belongings away and re-enter the male world. I was going on HRT and there would be no turning back, even though I told myself I could.

All of a sudden, my life as a trans woman became more natural and I knew I had made the right decision.

Now I am blessed with a partner and friends who accept me for who I am. I just want to let the others know I never had a choice...I had to be this way.

Good News? Really?

I shouldn't have been surprised by the back-lash over Mattis's decision on the future of transgender troops in the military. Many wanted more (including me) but under the current administration, I figured any move in the right direction was a good one.

At the least, the decision to do yet another study buys time to let the court cases involving trans troops work their way through the system and even gives time for a more organized fight in Congress to materialize.

I am a cup half full type of person.

Here is Connie's take: "Well, it's not bad news. I am a bit skeptical, myself. Should a draft be implemented, I guess trans women would still be eligible. But would the government recognize them as women? From the Selective Service website: "Individuals who are born female and changed their gender to male are not required to register. U.S. citizens or immigrants who are born male and changed their gender to female are still required to register." I guess it matters on how badly they need troops."

Since I got drafted during the Vietnam days, I have felt a universal draft should be utilized. Men, women and transgender...no matter. Not everyone would have to serve in the military, but everyone should have to do something to help our country. I am not a fan of our current entitled generations!

Jeni added her displeasure with my post: "

It's definitely pending Bad News, and definitely NOT 'Good News'.
That Mattis is wanting to come up with a way to enforce number 45's ban shows his true opinion on transgender military personnel."

It's very negative to say/think Mattis is automatically trying to find a way to enforce "45's" ban. You seemingly have chosen to ignore the honorable service put in by current/past and future transgender troops.

Thanks for the comments!

  

Good News!

From my Yahoo News Feed:

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday current policy regarding transgender personnel serving in the military would remain in place until he advises President Donald Trump on how to implement his directive on a transgender ban.

Mattis said in a statement he would set up a panel of experts serving in the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to provide recommendations on implementing the ban.

He said he would advise the president after the panel reports it recommendations, and "in the interim, current policy with respect to currently serving members will remain in place."

Trump signed a memorandum on Friday directing the U.S. military not to accept transgender men and women as recruits and halting the use of government funds for sex-reassignment surgeries for active personnel unless the process is already under way."

Hopefully, 45's attempt to throw the transgender troops under the bus to cover up his own shortcomings as a president will fail. The last I noticed, the American military needed all the competent troops it can recruit...transgender or not.

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