New York Times Documentary Features Trans Military Couple
A scene from “Transgender, at War and in Love.”
Two very brave trans folks, Logan Ireland and Laila Villanueva, took a huge risk: They publicly “came out,” so to speak, via a video documentary featured on The New York Times. But unlike, say, Caitlyn Jenner, Ireland and Villanueva serve in the United States military, which can, and does, openly discriminate against transgender people. In short, they could both be discharged and lose their jobs.
Fiona Dawson, creator of “TransMilitary,” recently released the gorgeous mini-documentary via the New York Times that chronicles the love story between Ireland and Villanueva, and the harsh reality that both face serving in the armed forces. Dawson explains the conundrum that both Ireland and Villanueva face:
“Their dreams of serving in the military until retirement, having a home, and creating a family are all on the line simply because of how society and United States military policy discriminate against transgender people. Logan and Laila are aware that by coming out publicly in this film, they could be discharged. The ban on transgender people in the military is not a law: It is based on outdated medical regulations that consider transgender people to be psychologically impaired. If the military updated its policies to reflect current research standards, transgender people would not be considered unfit.”
You can watch the film below, and you might want to have a box of tissues handy:
