| 00:00:04 | PAULA, WILL YOU SHARE YOUR STORY? |
| 00:00:09 | >> I AM KIND OF HUMBLED TO BE HERE WITH MY FRIENDS ON THE PANEL AND WENT TO AGAIN THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING. |
| 00:00:21 | NICE STORY, AND AS YOU CAN HEAR THE LITTLE QUIVER IN MY VOICE GOES TO SOME OF THE NAMES THAT REALLY GET TOUCHED ON ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO ADVOCATE THE MILITARY IS WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE MILITARY IS A DISTINCT CULTURE. |
| 00:00:42 | AND AS WE STARTED, WHEN DRU ASKED THE VETERANS AND THOSE SERVING TO STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE THE MILITARY. |
| 00:00:55 | THE MILITARY IS NOT SOME INSTITUTION THAT'S THE ENEMY. |
| 00:01:02 | AND BRIDGET WAS TOUCHING ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF THE MILITARY, DOES NEVER SERVED LOOK AT SOME OF THE MILITARY CRIMINAL LAW AND SAY HOW THE HECK CAN THIS BE. |
| 00:01:12 | AND WE CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THAT SIMILAR LAWS IN A CIVILIAN CONTEXT WOULD BE FOUND UNCONSTITUTIONAL. |
| 00:01:21 | THE MILITARY IS DISTINCT. |
| 00:01:24 | THE JOKE AMONGST US WHO ARE PART OF THAT FAMILY IS WE DEFEND DEMOCRACY. |
| 00:01:33 | WE DON'T PRACTICE IT. |
| 00:01:35 | AND IT'S TRUE. |
| 00:01:37 | AND WHEN I LOOKED BACK ON MY OWN SERVICE, IS THE MILITARY FOR ME WAS THAT CALLING. |
| 00:01:54 | AND I HAD TO SACRIFICE THAT CALLING TO ACCEPT WHO I WAS. |
| 00:01:59 | IN NO COUNTRY CAN DO BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES WE ARE FOUNDED ON HAVE EVER ASKED THAT OF SOMEONE. |
| 00:02:06 | AND WHY I AM HERE TODAY, WHY I DO WHAT I DO THE SERVICEMEMBERS LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK REALLY FLOWS FROM THE OUT OF OFFICE I TIP ON JULY 7, 1981, WHEN I WAS INDUCTED INTO THE NAVAL ACADEMY. |
| 00:02:22 | I SWORE THAT I WOULD SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION. |
| 00:02:29 | AND NO ONE HAS EVER RELIEVED ME OF THAT OATH. |
| 00:02:32 | SO I SIT HERE TODAY AS A NAVAL OFFICER WHO'S ON THE BEACH. |
| 00:02:37 | IT'S BEEN OVER 20 YEARS SINCE I'VE HAD ON THE UNIFORM. |
| 00:02:45 | BUT AS YOU CAN TELL, I'VE NEVER LEFT THE NAVY. |
| 00:02:49 | AND IN CALPERNIA'S TALKING AND TO NICE TALKING, THE DESIRE TO SERVE DOESN'T KNOW ANY GENDER. |
| 00:02:59 | IT DOESN'T KNOW ANY RACE, DOESN'T KNOW ANY ORIENTATION. |
| 00:03:06 | AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO EDUCATE THE MILITARY ABOUT. |
| 00:03:11 | YOU KNOW, THE LAST DAY TODAY SAID IT WAS A CIVILIAN WAS THE DAY I WAS INDUCTED INTO THE MILITARY. |
| 00:03:18 | THEY'VE EITHER BEEN A REGULAR OFFICER, RESERVE OFFICER OR A VETERAN. |
| 00:03:25 | AND WHEN WE APPROACHED THE MILITARY TO TRY TO SAY YOU NEED TO CHANGE AS WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT CULTURE AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE THAT CULTURE ON ITS TERMS. |
| 00:03:38 | WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE NEED FOR THIS CHANGE. |
| 00:03:43 | JUST BECAUSE IT'S A SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUE, YES IT'S A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT MAKES THE MILITARY BETTER TO RECOGNIZE THAT SOME OF THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST ARE GOING TO BE INDIVIDUALS AND THAT THEY ADD SOMETHING TO THE FORCE. |
| 00:04:01 | DENISE WAS TALKING ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE AT HER REUNION AND THAT IS A UNIT COHESION IS ABOUT. |
| 00:04:06 | IN A DAZE. |
| 00:04:07 | HAVING SERVED IN COMBAT UNITS, HAVING BEEN ALSO LIKE WHAT CALPERNIA AND THE GULF WAR IS WHEN YOU ARE IN A COMBAT UNIT, WHEN YOU ARE IN A COMBAT ENVIRONMENT, ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS THE MISSION. |
| 00:04:26 | AND YOU CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU DOING THEIR JOBS, LOOKING OUT FOR YOU AND YOU LOOKING OUT FOR THEM. |
| 00:04:33 | ALL OF THE OTHER DIFFERENCES GO BY THE WAYSIDE. |
| 00:04:37 | YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE IS OUT THERE TRYING TO KILL YOU, YOU DON'T CARE WHO YOUR BUDDY IS SLEEPING WITH. |
| 00:04:41 | YOU DON'T CARE WHAT GENDER THE PERSON WHO IS COVERING YOU IS. |
| 00:04:49 | YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THEIR COLOR, YOU'LL CARE ABOUT THEIR CREED. |
| 00:04:52 | YOU JUST CARE IF THEY CAN DO THEIR JOB. |
| 00:04:56 | AND THAT IT WHAT IT REALLY IS ABOUT AT THE END OF THE DAY. |
| 00:04:59 | I WENT TO THE NAVAL ACADEMY NOT BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO PROVE THAT I WAS A MALE. |
| 00:05:05 | I WAS LOOKING AT IT AS XENON DUAL TRACKS. |
| 00:05:09 | I'VE REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS OFF FROM THE TIME I WAS LITTLE. |
| 00:05:12 | BUT AT THE SAME TIME I ALSO WANTED TO SERVE MY COUNTRY. |
| 00:05:17 | AND I DIDN'T COME TO THE ACCEPTANCE OF WHO I WAS, BUT I WAS REALLY FEMALE UNTIL AFTER I WAS ALREADY IN THE SERVICE. |
| 00:05:28 | AND I REALIZED THAT I LOVED THE NAVY, BUT HE ALSO CAME TO THE POINT WHERE I REALIZED THAT CONTINUING TO SERVE IN ACCEPTING WHO I WAS AND BEING WHO I WAS WERE AT LOGGERHEADS. |
| 00:05:45 | SO, I WAS A SURFACE WARFARE FOR THE OFFICERS TO DRIVE THE SHIP'S AND I GOT PICKED UP FOR NAVAL AVIATION TRAINING AS A LIEUTENANT. |
| 00:05:55 | I'VE BEEN IN THE NAVY SHORT OF FIVE YEARS AND I GOT SELECTED TO LEARN HOW TO FLY, LEARN HOW TO BE A NAVAL AVIATOR. |
| 00:06:03 | I GOT TO PENSACOLA AND I REALIZED THAT THE MAVERICK IN CLIENT FOR TEAMS WAS NOT GOING TO SOLVE ANY CONFUSION I HAD ABOUT WHAT GENDER I WAS. |
| 00:06:15 | AND FOR SOME OTHER REASONS, I WOUND UP LEAVING PLAYSKOOL IN GOING INTO THE RESERVES. |
| 00:06:20 | 90 DAYS AFTER ASSURING THE RESERVES, KUWAIT GOT INVADED. |
| 00:06:25 | ONE OF THE PLACES I CHOSE TO LIVE AS A RESERVIST AS I WENT TO NEW ENGLAND. |
| 00:06:31 | I LIVED IN CONNECTICUT BECAUSE I KNEW I COULD GET SOME SUPPORT SERVICE AND I COULD MY GENDER AND I CAN START SEEKING MEDICAL CARE THAT I NEEDED TO TRANSITION. |
| 00:06:42 | TO SHOW YOU THE PERVASIVENESS OF DON'T ASK DON'T OUTCOME OF A SUPPORT GROUP USED TO BE AT THE GAY MEN'S IN THE CITY AND HAS RESERVIST I WAS WORRIED SOMEONE WOULD SEE ME GOING INTO THE HEALTH CENTER AND TURN ME INTO THE NAVY FOR BEING THE GAY, LET ALONE BUT IT WAS THEREFORE A TRANSGENDER SUPPORT GROUP. |
| 00:07:05 | I WAS AGAIN DEALING WITH THESE TWO ISSUES COME INTO VERY CORE PARTS OF WHO I AM AND THEN KUWAIT GOT INVADED. |
| 00:07:14 | AND I REALIZED THAT THIS IS MY TRAINING. |
| 00:07:19 | I HAD A DUTY TO VOLUNTEER. |
| 00:07:23 | I COULD'VE STAYED HOME. |
| 00:07:24 | I ACTUALLY WENT OUTSIDE THE CHAIN OF COMMAND PULLED SOME STRINGS, CONTACTING PEOPLE AND SURGERY TO SAY HEY, I'M WILLING TO GO. |
| 00:07:32 | I'VE GOT EXPERIENCE, USE IT. |
| 00:07:38 | SO I WENT WHEN EVERYONE ELSE IS COMING HOME, I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE PERSIAN GULF. |
| 00:07:43 | I SPENT THE SUMMER OF 1991 IN THE PERSIAN GULF. |
| 00:07:46 | AND WHILE IT IS VERY APPLIED FOR A PROGRAM TO GO BACK ON ACTIVE DUTY. |
| 00:07:52 | I THINK IT WAS THE FINAL POINT BEFORE I REALIZED IT YES, I NEED TO TRANSITION. |
| 00:08:00 | AND I WAS INVOLVED WITH MY WARFARE COMBAT WAS A STAFF OFFICER COME IN THE VOICE ON THE RADIO. |
| 00:08:06 | I ALWAYS SAY THAT MY PERSONAL COMBAT EXPERIENCES IN EPISODE FOR TWO SHORT OF THE KILTS MAY BECOME A BETTER SERVICE AND VERY HEROIC PEOPLE. |
| 00:08:16 | AND WHEN I CAME HOME, IN SEPTEMBER OF 1991, I REALIZED THAT I HAD TO LEAVE. |
| 00:08:23 | I HAD TO GO BECOME WHO I AM. |
| 00:08:26 | SO I RESIGNED MY COMMISSION IN ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM THE BUREAU PERSONNEL SAYING HEY WE'D LIKE TO TALK TO LIEUTENANT NEIRA. |
| 00:08:39 | AT THIS POINT I PIERCED MY EARS AND CHANGED MY NAME LEGALLY. |
| 00:08:41 | YEAH, THIS IS ME. |
| 00:08:43 | YOU GUYS DO REALIZE I RESIGNED. |
| 00:08:46 | THEY SAID WE CAN MAKE THAT GO AWAY. |
| 00:08:49 | WHEN YOU WANT TO COME BACK ON ACTIVE DUTY AND GO TO HAVE SCHOOL AND PROGRESS MY CAREER? |
| 00:08:57 | AND YOU KNOW, I SAID OKAY, WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW? |
| 00:09:00 | IS SUPPOSED TO BE SOME PAPERWORK TO MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS ON WHEN YOU GO TO SCHOOL. |
| 00:09:08 | DISSECTING THE PAPERWORK AND EVERY MORNING FOR A WEEK OR GET UP IN THE MORNING, DRIVE TO THE BEACH AND SIT IN THE SAND. |
| 00:09:17 | AND I WOULD LOOK AT SHIPS. |
| 00:09:19 | AND I WOULD GO HOME AT SOME SET IN GET OUT THE NEXT MORNING AND DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN FOR A WEEK. |
| 00:09:26 | AND AT THE END OF THAT WEEK, I DID THE HARDEST THING I'VE EVER DONE. |
| 00:09:34 | EXCEPTING MYSELF, HAVING SURGERY. |
| 00:09:35 | TOOK ME 20 YEARS TO GET THERE. |
| 00:09:36 | BUT THAT WAS EASY. |
| 00:09:41 | I TOLD THE NAVY, I CAN'T SERVE ANY WAR. |
| 00:09:45 | NOT BECAUSE I WANTED TO. |
| 00:09:47 | AND I NEVER SAY WAS A CHOICE. |
| 00:09:48 | I JUST SAY I MADE A DECISION. |
| 00:09:51 | SO I LEFT. |
| 00:09:52 | AND AS YOU CAN SEE IT'S STILL VERY, VERY RAW. |
| 00:10:00 | BUT HAVING THAT EXPERIENCE GETS NEAR TO THAT. |
| 00:10:06 | I WILL FAST FORWARD A LITTLE BIT TO SEPTEMBER 11. |
| 00:10:10 | BY THAT TIME I WAS AT SLB M. |
| 00:10:15 | I HAD BECOME A NURSE, GONE TO LAW SCHOOL AND HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK AS AN INTERN AND I KEPT SHOWING UP AFTER MY INTERNSHIP IS OVER UNTIL THEY DECIDED TO PUT ME ON THE PAYROLL. |
| 00:10:28 | I JUST WOULDN'T GO AWAY. |
| 00:10:30 | BUT ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 11th ORIGINATED FROM A COLLEAGUE, JEFF PLAY HORNE, A RETIRED ARMY MAJOR AND I DON'T HOLD THAT AGAINST HIM. |
| 00:10:41 | MY DAD WAS IN THE ARMY, BUT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT. |
| 00:10:46 | RAN INTO JAZZ AND WE GOT INTO THE OFFICE NEVER BEEN THE OFFICERS ARGUED THE CONFERENCE ROOM BECAUSE THE FIRST TOWER HAD DIRTY BEEN HIT. |
| 00:10:53 | AND WE SAW THE SECOND TOWER GET HIT AND EXCHANGED LOOKS WITH JUST THEM BEING THAT WE ARE BOTH MILITARY OFFICERS CAN WE BOTH REALIZED WE WERE UNDER DIRECT ATTACK. |
| 00:11:04 | WE SAW THE PENTAGON GET HIT AND WE WERE A PART OF THE GREAT BUG OUT FROM WASHINGTON. |
| 00:11:11 | AND I KNEW THAT MY COUNTRY DO NOT WANT ME. |
| 00:11:18 | I AM A TRAUMA NURSE. |
| 00:11:19 | IF YOU ARE DYING, I AM SOMEBODY YOU WANT IN THE ROOM TO SAVE YOUR LIFE. |
| 00:11:26 | I AM TOLD I AM A HALFWAY DECENT LAWYER, BUT YOU DON'T WANT ME TO YOUR JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL FLOOR. |
| 00:11:31 | I COULD DRIVE A SHIP. |
| 00:11:35 | MY EGO IS STRONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT I CAN MAKE A DESTROYER DANCE TO MY COMMANDS AND YOU DIDN'T WANT ME TO DO THAT EITHER. |
| 00:11:42 | AND I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO EVER FEEL THE WAY THAT I FELT THAT DAY BECAUSE IT ISN'T BECAUSE OF MILITARY NECESSITY. |
| 00:11:53 | 10 OF OUR ALLIES HAVE HEARD A FIGURE THAT OUT. |
| 00:11:59 | AND THE CHURCH OF THE CHALLENGE TO US AS WE HAVE TO FIND A WINNING STRATEGY TO GET OUR COUNTRY TO CHANGE TO BECOME CLOSER TO THAT PERFECT UNION WE TALK ABOUT. |
| 00:12:09 | YOU KNOW, IT IS OUR RHETORIC AND OUR REALITY STILL HAVE A DISJOINT. |
| 00:12:17 | AND I THINK BECAUSE I SERVE, BECAUSE I TOOK A NOSE AS I HAVE A DUTY TO MAKE OUR REALITY A LOT CLOSER TO THAT RHETORIC BECAUSE IT'S REAL. |
| 00:12:26 | THEY'RE NOT JUST WORDS. |
| 00:12:30 | ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN IN COMING TO THE CONCLUSION OF "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" HAD TO GO AWAY REALIZED IT WAS A MATTER OF INTEGRITY. |
| 00:12:39 | IT'S THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE MEDICAL REGULATIONS IS AS A NURSE AND ADVANTAGE IS TO RECENTLY REVIEWED SOME OF THE MEDICAL RESEARCH. |
| 00:12:49 | THEY ARE NOT EVIDENCE BASED. |
| 00:12:51 | THEY ARE BASED ON THE SAME IGNORANCE AND PREJUDICE THAT ONCE KEPT AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND THEN WHEN MEN AND THEN GAY AND WE ARE JUST THE LATEST GROUP, OUT OF THE MILITARY. |
| 00:13:01 | AND IT'S TIME TO HAVE A CONVERSATION. |
| 00:13:05 | AND IT'S TIME TO LOOK AT THEM. |
| 00:13:07 | ARE THERE POSSIBLY SEMANTICAL ISSUES? |
| 00:13:08 | YEAH, THERE ARE. |
| 00:13:11 | ISSUES OF DEPLOYABILITY ARE THE REAL MEDICAL CONCERN. |
| 00:13:16 | BY THE INSURMOUNTABLE? NO, THEY'RE NOT. |
| 00:13:18 | SHE HAD TO HAVE THE POLITICAL WILL AND DESIRE TO FIND A SOLUTION THAT WORKS. |
| 00:13:23 | YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE COMMENT BE AN ATTORNEY AND EVEN NOW IN DEALING WITH TRYING TO GET BENEFITS THE QUALITY IS I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT I'VE ALWAYS HAD ANOTHER CALLING IS THE MILITARY HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY CLIENT. |
| 00:13:42 | AND IN MY CASE, MY NEED HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY CLIENT. |
| 00:13:53 | WE SHOULD BE BETTER THAN WE ARE. |
| 00:13:55 | AND HONOR, COURAGE AND COMMITMENT OF THE NAVY CORE VALUES MEANS SOMETHING, WE HAVE TO CHANGE. |
| 00:14:03 | AND THIS IS SO GREAT THAT WE ARE HERE TO BEGIN SOME OF THE CONVERSATION, TO BEGIN SOME OF THE EDUCATION TO MOVE THE INSTITUTIONS NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ENEMY, BUT MORE BECAUSE WE LOVE THEM AND THEY SHOULD BE BETTER AND WILL MAKE THEM BETTER. |
| 00:14:22 | AND I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN THROUGH THIS WITHOUT TEARING UP. |
| 00:14:26 | [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, PANELISTS. |
| 00:14:27 | THAT WAS SO MOVING. |
| 00:14:34 | [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE PERSONAL STORIES. |
| 00:14:38 | VERY |
Loading...