I really need some Help and advice

[Guest Krysti]

okies so as many of you know i was in the air force for 8 years and put on TDRL and rated at 30% from military. Well i changed my gender Name and all that stuffies while i was on TDRL and now out of the blue they are going to retire me now, however at third the original ratining even though things havent go better far as pain and etc. I have the chance to protect at a formal med board but being as im a female now i dont know if thats wise. Some one told me that the non stand in written appel is worse then going there. But Do i have to go back as a male after living as a female for almost 2 years and do i go in unifom? Female uniform? im so confused i dont even know who to tlak to about the answeres the closes base to me is 2 hour drive and iv been going to college full time I have to answer them by the 19 so means in the mail by the 10th ish. Any Advice ot help will do im so lost and crying form stress atm

[Guest LizMarie]

You really need to consult with legal authorities on this. Can you contact anyone in the nearest JAG office? I would guess that if you have a legal name change with the associated court order, then they'll have to accept that. If you have not yet had a gender marker change, that might complicate things. This is why I suggest contacting the nearest JAG office. Also consider contacting various GLBT legal resources. They likely can assist you as well. This hearing should not be about you as a transwoman but about your medical issues as a human being.

[Guest Carla_Davis]

Hi Krysti,

I have listed several links that may be helpful to you.

Outserve/ Servicemans Legal Defense Net http://www.outserve-sldn.org/

Civil Rights.org http://www.civilrights.org/lgbt/military.html

DADT Survival Guide http://www.sldn.org/pages/survival-guide

TAVA no longer exists. It is now part of Outserve.

Hopefully, this is of some help to you for a service member protecting our Country.

I am sure all of us here Support, Care and Love You and want to see that you get what you deserve.

Hugs,

Carla

[Guest SonadoraXVX]

Hi, just read this thread, these links may provide you some help Krysti, at least some further leads:

http://www.transgenderlegal.org/

Discrimination occurs in a variety of settings and TLDEF fights it wherever it arises. From reaching the first-ever settlement guaranteeing transgender people the right to use restrooms consistent with their gender identity and expression, to drafting New York City's first-ever guidelines on gender identity discrimination (en Español), we've been at the forefront of the fight for transgender equal rights.
If you believe that you've been discriminated against, contact us.

Another one I recently heard about, that recently broke away from outserve is:

SPARTA or Service Members, Partners, Allies for Respect and Tolerance for All.

They specifically also will help transgender veterans who are experiencing anti-tg bias, here is there press release from :

http://www.advocate.com/politics/military/2013/07/22/transgender-group-leaves-outserve-sldn-joins-startup-group-Sparta

The actually release is this one:

Transgender Group Leaves OutServe-SLDN, Joins Startup Group SPART*A

The transgender group of OutServe-Servicemembers Legal Defense Network announced Monday that it is cutting ties with the embattled organization, partnering with a new splinter group formed in the wake of a public controversy.

By Sunnivie Brydum

July 22 2013 2:11 PM ET

A group of transgender veterans and members currently serving in the armed forces announced today that they are leaving the embattled LGBT military advocacy group OutServe-Servicemembers Legal Defense Network to join a new startup group focused more explicitly on securing open military service for transgender individuals.

A press release today announced the formation of Service Members, Partners, Allies for Respect and Tolerance for All, or SPΛRT*A, a "group of LGBT people and allies who are currently serving or have served in the military, and our families," that is "especially committed to our Trans members… and to gaining full equality for them in the U.S. Armed Forces. SPART*A's Facebook page is currently active, while a website for the fledgling group is still under construction.

SPΛRT*A lists among its strategic priorities supporting LGBT service members with opportunities for professional development and networking, ensuring equal opportunity protections for all LGBT service members, creating a fully inclusive culture within the Department of Defense that is respectful of all military members regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, and providing connections to legal support for any service member who feels they've been a victim of anti-LGBT bias. SPΛRT*A's press release boasts members from military bases throughout the U.S., Afghanistan, Korea, Cuba, Guam, and Europe, with more expected to join soon. Members currently represent the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marines, according to the release.

A separate statement also issued Monday announced that OutServe-SLDN's Military Transgender Group is formally cutting ties with the organization in the wake of widely-reported upheaval that saw OutServe-SLDN's newly appointed executive director, transgender Army veteran Allyson Robinson, asked to resign, followed by a slew of high-profile resignations in protest of Robinson's treatment and communication breakdowns within the organization.

"Since the upheaval at OutServe-SLDN began on June 22, the transgender chapter of the organization has been working to determine where and how we can best fit within the movement," wrote Brynn Tannehill, the chapter spokeswoman for OutServe-SLDN's Military Transgender Group in a statement issued Monday. "This process has been painful, and strained personal and professional relationships that had previously been strong… The ultimate question we had to answer was where we need to be in order to most effectively move the issue of open service for transgender people forward. Unfortunately, it was the considered opinion of our members that OutServe-SLDN will not be able to represent our interests effectively for the foreseeable future."

Tannehill's statement notes that the 120-member group deliberated, "without animus," about its options moving forward. "Given information we have available, we believe that SPΛRT*A has the combination of leadership and mission focus on transgender service needed to allow all of us to serve openly as equals," she writes. "We harbor no illusions that this will be a quick or easy process. However, our transgender group believes the people in SPΛRT*A have the will, stamina, and ability to see this through to the end." Notably, Tannehill, a Navy veteran, is listed among SPΛRT*A's leaders.

This may help,

Semper Fidelis, 86-91, E4

Texan(ie.Brownsville), 78-86; Californian, 78-91-present