Transgender Military Pilot Forced To Wear Women’s Uniform And Be Addressed As Female Despite Living As Man

Transgender military pilot Sergeant Shane Ortega has been living as a man for the last five years. However, due to current military rules regarding transgender service members, Shane says he is forced to wear a women’s uniform and must be addressed as female. However, things may soon change for Shane as the Department of Defense is planning to lift a ban on transgender military members.

ABC News reports that Sergeant Shane Ortega has been living as an openly transgender man for the past five years, but under current military rules he still must be addressed as a female officer and wear the uniform for a female crew member. Ortega notes that this is a problem as he participates in bodybuilding contests and has exceptionally large biceps and a large neck. Therefore, he says he “looks ridiculous” in the female uniform with his arms and neck barely fitting inside.

“I look ridiculous. The biggest is a size 20. It only fits my arms.”

According to the Daily Mail, the US military currently bans transgender people from serving in the military. Despite the ban, it is estimated that roughly 15,000 transgender people are currently serving in the armed forces. Therefore, Sergeant Ortega has been an outspoken voice for those he says are keeping their gender a secret simply to fit in with their comrades.

Sergeant Ortega has been on the forefront of the issue and is excited about the Department of Defense’s plan to lift their ban on transgender military members. Sergeant Ortega says that he isn’t the only one facing problems in the military due to the ban. He discussed one particular instance in which a transgender woman confided in him that she was scared to fully transition to a woman as she was currently working in an all-male unit and under the current regulations would be required to stay in that unit even after her transition.

The defense secretary announced the plan to lift the transgender ban earlier this week noting that “we must ensure that everyone who’s able and willing to serve has the full and equal opportunity to do so.”

“We must ensure that everyone who’s able and willing to serve has the full and equal opportunity to do so. And we must treat all of our people with the dignity and respect they deserve. Going forward the Department of Defense must and will continue to improve how we do both.”

What do you think about the Department of Defense‘s decision to potentially lift the ban on transgender people from joining the military?

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