THISWEEK,IRECEIVEDAMESSAGEVIAFACEBOOKFROMSOMEONEIVEONLY

METINPERSONONCE.HERECENTLYRETIREDFROMTHEU.S.ARMY.

IDONTKNOWIFYOURECALL,BUTWEHADACONVERSATIONITHINKIN
2008OR2009ABOUTALLOWINGGAYSINTHEMILITARY.IALWAYSHELDA
POSITIONTHATIDIDNTPERSONALLYGIVEASHIT,BUTIUNDERSTOODWHY
OTHERPEOPLEMIGHTANDTHATALLOWINGSOMEONETOOPENLYSERVEWOULD
BRINGDOWNTHEORGANIZATIONANDRUINTHESERVICES.YOURCOMMENTSGAVE
MEMUCHTOCONSIDERTHATNIGHT,ANDYOUWEREULTIMATELYPROVENRIGHT.
NOTSUREIFIEVERMENTIONEDTHATWHENTHEBANWASLIFTED,BUTWITH
ALLTHESTUFFINTHENEWSLATELYIJUSTTHOUGHTIDLETYOUKNOWI
NEVERFORGOTTHATCONVERSATIONANDIMGLADWEHADIT.

ONEOFTHETHINGSTHATSTRUCKMESOMUCHWASWHILEITWASOBVIOUSLY
PERSONALFORYOU,ALLYOURCOMMENTSWEREVERYRATIONALANDLOGICAL.I
REMEMBERWALKINGAWAYRESPECTINGYOUBECAUSEOFYOURREASONSFOR
LEAVINGTHESERVICEINTHEFIRSTPLACE.IREALIZEHOWTOUGHTHATMUST
HAVEBEENFORYOU.

HESRIGHT.LEAVINGWASONEOFTHEHARDESTDECISIONSIVEEVERMADE,
BUTITWASABSOLUTELYTHERIGHTTHINGTODO.

COMPLEXPOSTTRAUMATICSTRESSDISORDERISNOTLISTEDINTHENEWEST
DIAGNOSTICANDSTATISTICALMANUALOFMENTALDISORDERSTHEDSMFIVE.
INSTEAD,AFTERREVIEW,ITWASDECIDEDTHATTHEPRIMARYSYMPTOMSSTILL
LARGELYFALLUNDERTHEBROADERDIAGNOSISOFPTSD.

HOWEVERTHEVETERANSADMINISTRATIONDOESRECOGNIZEITTHROUGHTHE
NATIONAL CENTER FORPTSD.COMPLEXPTSDDIFFERSFROMTHEBROADER
DIAGNOSIS.COMPLEXPOSTTRAUMATICSTRESSDISORDERISAPSYCHOLOGICAL
INJURY THAT RESULTS FROM PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO SOCIAL OR
INTERPERSONALTRAUMA,DISEMPOWERMENT,CAPTIVITYORENTRAPMENT,WITH
LACKORLOSSOFAVIABLEESCAPEROUTEFORTHEVICTIM.

CPTSDISACONDITIONTHATRESULTSFROMCHRONICORLONGTERMEXPOSURE
TOEMOTIONALTRAUMAOVERWHICHAVICTIMHASLITTLEORNOCONTROLAND
FROMWHICHTHEREISLITTLEORNOHOPEOFESCAPE.

THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVEDDURINGTHEMILITARYSVARYINGAND

CONTINUOUSBANSONOPENSERVICEFORGAYANDLESBIANSERVICEMEMBERS,
EXPERIENCEDSOMETHINGUNIQUELYCRUELANDUNUSUALINITSEXECUTION.
TOTHISDAY,DONTASK,DONTTELLREMAINSTHEONLYFEDERALLAW
PASSEDWITHANIMUS,EXPRESSLY
TARGETINGANDPUNISHINGGAY,LESBIAN
ANDBISEXUALEMPLOYEES.

ITWASATAUNTANDITWASANULTIMATUM.
SERVE
,BUTNEVERSPEAKOFIT.
SERVE
,BUTNEVEREXPRESSYOURFEELINGS.
SERVE
,BUTNEVERFALLIN
LOVE.
SERVE
,BUTNEVEREXPERIENCEHAVINGAPARTNERYOUTRULYCONNECT
WITH.

ANDWHILEYOUSERVE
WATCHYOURPEERSFALLINLOVE.
WATCHTHE
MILITARYPUTAHEAVYEMPHASISONTHEFAMILYASASUPPORTSTRUCTURE.
WATCH YOUR PEERSBRINGSPOUSESANDSIGNIFICANTOTHERSTOEVENTS
PRESUMABLYMEANTTOBUILDMORALE.

AND
WHILEYOUSERVEKNOWTHAT
WEAREWATCHING
.KNOWTHAT
EVERYONE
AROUND YOU IS A POTENTIAL INFORMANT
. KNOW THAT
ANYWHERE AND
EVERYWHEREYOUGO
,YOUWILLBEHELDTOTHISDEMAND.
DONTTELLYOUR
COWORKERS.
DONTTELLYOURFRIENDS.
DONTTELLYOURFAMILY.
DONT
TELLYOURUNIFORMEDHEALTHCAREPROVIDERS.
DONTTELLAMILITARY
CHAPLAIN.

ITWASAPOLICYOFISOLATION,ANDITWASALIFEDESIGNEDTOCREATE
PARANOIAINANYHOMOSEXUAL
WHOHADTHEAUDACITY
TOPUTONAUNIFORM.

AT VARYING POINTS IN ENFORCEMENT, ARMED FORCES LAW ENFORCEMENT

AGENCIES SUCH ASTHEOFFICEOFSPECIALINVESTIGATIONSANDNAVAL
CRIMINALINVESTIGATIVESERVICERESORTEDTOBLACKMAILTOHUNTDOWN
NAMESOFGAYSINUNIFORM.

TELLUSWHOYOUKNOW,ORWELLOUTYOUTOYOURFAMILY.

THIS
WASTHELIFECREATEDBYTHEBAN.

THEAVERAGERECRUITJOINSBETWEENTHEAGESOF1824.BIOLOGICALLY,WE
RECOGNIZETHISPERIODASTHELASTSTAGESOFADOLESCENCE.THEBRAINIS
STILLDEVELOPING.

WHATKINDOFIMPACT
MUSTIT
HAVEONAPERSONIFTHEIREARLIEST
EXPERIENCESASANADULTWEREUNDERTHESECONDITIONS?THELESSONTHEY
LEARNEDEARLYON:
TRUSTNOONE
.
YOUAREALONE
.
BEASHAMEDOFWHOYOU
ARE.BEPREPARED
FORHUMILIATIONANDAPUBLICANNOUNCEMENTWHENWE
FINDYOU.BEPREPARED
TOBEOUTEDONAFEDERALDOCUMENTONCEYOURE
DISCHARGEDFORBEINGWHOAREYOU.

THEBANWASAPOTENTIALLYTRAUMATICANDEXTENDEDEXPERIENCEFOREVERY
SINGLEAFFECTEDVETERAN,WHETHERTHEYSERVEDAFEWMONTHSORAFULL
CAREER.

THEFEAROFBEINGOUTEDHASHITVIRTUALLYEVERYONEOFUSWHODONNED
AMILITARYUNIFORM.INESSENCE,THEBANSTILLCONTINUESTODAY.THERE
ARESTILLTHOUSANDSOFVETERANSWHOAREASHAMEDANDTRAUMATIZED.THEY
WONTCOMEFORWARDBECAUSETHEYHAVEZEROEXPECTATIONSFROMTHEVA.

LETMEASSUREYOU.
THEY
AREWOUNDED,ANDTHEBATTLETOGETTHEMHELP
ISGOINGTOTAKEACONCERTEDEFFORTBETWEENMEDICALPRACTITIONERS,
PUBLICHEALTHPROFESSIONALS,ANDLEGALEXPERTS.

THEVAHEALTHCARESYSTEMABSOLUTELYRECOGNIZESTHENEEDSOFLGBT
PATIENTSANDTHEINJURYFROMTHEBANONOPENSERVICE.THEREARE
SUPPORTGROUPSFORPEOPLESUFFERINGFROMPTSDWHETHERTHEYSERVED
INCOMBATORNOT.TOGAINACCESSTOTHESEBENEFITS,HOWEVER,VETERANS
WHO WERE DISCHARGED UNFAIRLY UNDER A LESS THAN HONORABLE
CLASSIFICATIONMUSTHAVETHEIRRECORDSCORRECTED.

LEGALSTUDENTSATSEVERALSCHOOLSAROUNDTHECOUNTRYARENOWWORKING
PROBONOPROJECTSTOASSISTATLEASTAFEWVETERANSWITHGETTINGTHAT
DONE.THEGOALISTOREMOVETHESTAMPOFSTIGMACAUSEDBYTHEBANAND
RESTOREACCESSTOBENEFITSTHEYLOSTWHENTHEYWEREDISCHARGED.

THERESNOREASONTODELAYRAMPINGUPTHEEFFORTANDREACHINGOUTBY
ANYMEANSPOSSIBLETOTHOSEAFFECTED.THEYSERVEDANDSACRIFICEDA
PARTOFWHOTHEYWERE.THEYWALKEDAWAYWITHINVISIBLESCARS.

ACONCERTEDALLOUTFIGHTTOENDTHEBANWASDELAYEDFORDECADESFOR
APLETHORAOFREASONS.WHILEITLAGGEDON,THEDAMAGEDCONTINUED.

LASTMONTH,EIGHTYEARSAFTERLEAVINGACTIVEDUTY
ANDFORTREATMENT
PURPOSESIWASDIAGNOSEDWITHCOMPLEXPTSD.IAMONEOFTHOSELUCKY
ENOUGHTOHAVEANHONORABLEDISCHARGE,BUTTHOUSANDSOFLGBTMEN
ANDWOMENDONOT.

WORSE,THEBANONSERVICEITSELFISNTOVER.TRANSGENDERMEMBERSARE
STILLMEDICALLYDISQUALIFIEDFROMSERVING.

ASTUDYDONESEVERALYEARSAGOESTIMATESTHEPERCENTAGEOFVETERANS
WITHINTHETRANSGENDERCOMMUNITYACTUALLYEXCEEDSTHATOFLESBIANAND
GAYCOMMUNITIES.

IHAVETHEPRIVILEGEOFKNOWINGTRANSSERVICEMEMBERSWHOHAVEBEEN
IN COMBAT, PILOTED AIRCRAFT, SERVED AS INFANTRY, WORKED IN
INTELLIGENCEANDSERVEDINMILITARYLAWENFORCEMENT.

THEIRSISABATTLEWORTHFIGHTING,BECAUSETHEYAREFIGHTINGBATTLES
FORUS
.TRANSGENDERPEOPLEAREACTIVELYSERVINGBUTDOINGSOINTHE
CLOSET.

THEYAREPROTECTINGNOTJUSTYOUANDI,BUTTHOSECONDUCTINGCRITICAL
OPERATIONS IN THE MILITARY. THEY SERVE WITHOUT SUPPORT, WHILE
SUPPORTINGTHOSEWHOSERVE.

TODAY,ICHALLENGE
YOU
.SOMEONEINTHISROOMHASTHESPARKNECESSARY
TOMOVETHEBALLFORWARD.ONEOFYOUHASTHEDRIVE.SOMEONEINHERE
HASTHERIGHTCONNECTIONS,THERIGHTQUESTIONS,ANDTHEENERGYTO
STARTACONVERSATIONAMONGLEGALMINDSABOUTWAYSTOMAKEACCESSTO
BENEFITS EASIER FOR LGBT VETERANS
AND TO HELP ELIMINATE
RESTRICTIONSONTRANSGENDERSERVICE.

ITSSOMEWHATIRONICTHATIMHERETODAY,BECAUSEIWASSOEXHAUSTED,
IFELTFORCEDTOGIVEUPACAREERILOVED.IWALKEDAWAYWITHSCARS
THAT STILL AFFECTHOWILIVEMYLIFE.IVETRIEDTOTURNTHAT
EXPERIENCEINTOSOMETHINGPOSITIVE.

IVESEENFARWORSEEFFECTSONMENANDWOMENIADMIREMANYOFWHOM
HAVESERVEDASHEROESINTHEBATTLEFOREQUALITY.EVERYLASTVETERAN
OFTHEBANNEEDSOURHELP.EVERYLASTTRANSGENDERSERVICEMEMBER
DESERVESSUPPORTFROMTHEIRNATION.

IMHONOREDTOBEHERE,
BUTTHEBATTLEISNTOVER
.

THANKYOUFORALLOWINGMETOSPEAKMYAPOLOGIESFORRUNNINGA
LITTLELONGIHOPEIVEJUSTIFIEDTHEEXTRATIME.THANKYOU.