Trans Service Members Have Always Been Part of U.S. History

"The first time Commander Emily "Hawking" Shilling climbed into the cockpit of a Navy fighter jet after her transition, she knew eyes were on her. Some doubted she would ever be cleared to fly tactical jets again. Others assumed transitioning would ground her permanently. Instead, Shilling slipped her helmet on, throttled forward, and proved that competence, not gender identity, should decide who belongs in the sky."

"A language and understanding of gender identity has evolved since Shilling first enlisted. But people outside rigid gender categories have been part of U.S. military history since the beginning, with examples that reach as far back as the Revolutionary War. In fact, transgender people are twice as likely to have served as their cisgender peers, according to the Williams Institute."

Commander Emily "Hawking" Shilling returned to the cockpit after transitioning and maintained a decades-long Navy career that includes more than 60 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, three Air Medals, and test pilot work. She leads SPARTA Pride and is the lead plaintiff in Shilling v. United States, challenging the 2025 transgender military ban. She says that allowing a dozen aviators to remain saved the Navy a quarter-billion dollars and emphasizes that competence, not gender identity, should determine who serves. Historical examples show gender-expansive people have served since the Revolutionary War.

Read at Advocate.com