Shane Ortega

Shane Ortega was an American soldier U.S. Army Staff Sergeant serving at Wheeler Airfield in Oahu, Hawaii as a helicopter crew chief in the Army's 25th Infantry Division.[1][2] He joined the Gay Men's Chorus of Honolulu and planned to compete for a professional bodybuilding title in fall 2015.[2]

Born in Patuxent River, Maryland to military parents and assigned female at birth, Ortega never considered any other career.[1][2] His father served in the U.S. Navy while his mom served in the Navy and Army.[2] Two of his uncles served in Vietnam.[2] He also knew he wasn't female when he was very young, "I’ve known since I was a child."[2] While still in Monacan High School outside Richmond he signed up for Marine boot camp and left for camp two days after graduating in 2005.[2]

Ortega has served three combat tours, two in Iraq, one in Afghanistan, "Two as a Marine and one in the Army. Two as a woman and one as a man."[2] Ortega states, "My commitment to serving this country runs deep, I have been a team and squad leader, a crew chief, and a machine gun section chief."[3] Though in all three tours, he was considered female by the Department of Defense and the Army.

Ortega has been on over 400 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, "and fought side-by-side in foxholes and remote operating bases."[1] Ortega quoted "I will continue to fight this fight for the 700,000 transgender veterans that have gone before me who were forced to choose between serving their country and being true to who they are."[4] Ortega notes that in a combat zone it made little difference of his gender identity as he was expected to carry his own equipment and do his job.[2] Military regulations used to deem "any proclamation of a transgender identity or gender-affirming clinical treatment to be evidence of a "psychosexual condition" or mental illness that makes one unfit to serve" according to The Advocate.[1] Voluntarily taking a psychological exam from an Army doctor Ortega tested negative for having gender dysphoria, and was deemed fit to serve.[1]

In 2011 the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban against gay and lesbian military people was lifted but still in place was a ban against transgender people from serving because according to CBS News "because it is based on military medical regulations put in place before the American Psychiatric Association declared, in 2013, that being transgender is not in itself a mental disorder."[5] In 2014 President Obama signed an order that federal contractors could no longer discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, but the order didn't apply to the military.[5]

In August 2014 the Pentagon asked each military branch to reassess rules regarding labelling transgender troops automatically medically unfit, although other troops with medical conditions are not automatically disqualified.[2] Echoing the removal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" for gay and lesbian military personnel, in February 2015 Senior defense Department officials confirmed a new plan for the U.S. Army was being considered to change the policy so the dismissal was only made by the assistant secretary of the Army for personnel, a senior official.[6] The old policy has since been changed, and military service members may now transition and be recognized by the DoD as their chosen gender.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Brydum, Sunnivie. "Meet the First Out Trans Soldier in the U.S. Military Army Sgt. Shane Ortega, a transgender man currently serving in Oahu, knows that 'administratively, I shouldn't exist.'". Advocate politics. The Advocate. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Eilperin, Juliet. "Transgender in the military: A Pentagon in transition weighs its policy". Washington Post Politics. Washington Post. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  3. ↑ April 10, 2015 | by Chris Johnson Army soldier becomes first openly trans person in U.S. military https://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/04/10/army-soldier-becomes-first-openly-trans-person-in-u-s-military/
  4. ↑ April 10, 2015 | by Chris Johnson Army soldier becomes first openly trans person in U.S. military http://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/04/10/army-soldier-becomes-first-openly-trans-person-in-u-s-military/
  5. 1 2 Lapook, Jonathan. "Transgender people push for acceptance in military -- and beyond". CBS News. CBS News. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  6. ↑ Vanden Brook, Tom. "Army considers easing policy on transgender soldiers". USA Today. USA Today. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
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