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Captain Bridget’s story
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Shannon, its a shame you feel that way, but I understand your view.
I think that for myself and people like Bridget and other before her, as I dare say will happen to myself that once we have an organisation such as the ADF send you a termination notice because of your change in status, why should we loose our jobs because of it. As you say we didn’t choose this so why would we subject ourselvesto all the possible negative feedback.
Like Bridgit, I am out there within my dept and if anyone wants to ask & listen I will educate them, we are normal productive people and sometimes it takes media stories like this to highlight that there is more behind the scenes. I have been fortunate that the dept has accepted and working towards a policy so I have just about done my job in getting it through. This will also show other girls / guys that no you won’t loose your job and it is ok to be you.
Take care
Stef
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You have a good point here Stefanie in what you have said about work. Something to remember Shannon is this…Somewhere along the line your past will be noticed/come out, whether it is in a big or small way it won’t matter and then it will be up to you to explain yourself in a manner that others can understand. Until society does “loosen up” we are going to have issues with people not accepting and if people such as Bridget, Stefanie, Melody and myself as well as others are standing up to be counted then things will slowly improve.
It would have taken Bridget so much of her courage (not mention her family) to speak up on national television as they have and that is to be applauded, nothing more and nothing less. In the same light as Jazz Jennings who was on tv. approx. twelve months ago and the others who were in those same segments with her, these people are slowly educating the world that yes, transexual people are not “bad” and that it is something that we don’t have a control over in regard to how our brain is wired. This sort of exposure is good for people in our situation all over the world, not just here in Oz too by the way.
There are many different terms that are in use within the media and that is probably the biggest hassle here right now. Think of it this way, Gender Identity Disorder, Gender Dysphoria and Transexuallism to name three are all meaning the same thing, one reason that society (not just ourselves) is confused.
We don’t have to show off but we have to stand up for ourselves however, being prepared to explain and prove to people that we are “ok” is what we MUST do, that’s it.
Good on Bridget, she’s standing up for herself AND us.
Peta A.
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Comments on Bridget’s definition as a “condition”
While I am attempting to speak on behalf of the transgendered I accept that there are a host of contributing/mitigating factors to anyone’s/everyones’ ‘story’.
As a substantial part of this topic has teetered between one definition or another and while not wanting to put too fine a point upon it, may I observe that all the operative terms have been coined and applied by a ‘society of the orthodox’ including many member views. A society that sees, invests in and defends their beliefs (using science/technology/politics etc.) to establish and maintain a sense of order based on a rigid male/female dichotomy through reference to ‘selected’ physical traits. The closer you are to an ideal type the more ‘male’ or the more ‘female’ you become. Perhaps the too banal suggestion here is having a female (or male) orientation based upon differences in brain development- that is an innate propensity to think or feel as…a gender grouping is a trait or characteristic not a ‘condition’. (Here, for the sake of the argument and simplicity we won’t complicate matters with individual issues of socialisation- which may also play a distinctive role.) It is a trait or characteristic in so far as you are ‘born with it’. It is one of an extraordinarily broad spectrum of other traits such as being tall/short/blue/eyed/browneyed etc. etc. that makes us in combination of these ‘individuals’ in one sense and part of a numerical minority in another. All tall people, all short people could be classed as a group but is it meaningful… is it in any way useful to an understanding/appreciation of their humanity and /or a reference point for society? A ‘condition’on the other hand, at least for me, suggests a short coming, deviance or disability or in other words outside a standard or norm. A condition is a socially constructed term while a trait is a scientific description.
To limit or subordinate the wonderful realm of possibilities of being human to a social ideal is to deny normal variation and the first and arbitrary step towards discrimination on the basis of a definable minority characteristic /trait such as race or in this case gender (as opposed to sex). There are no ideals or intended outcomes within a species. I would then argue that Bridget doesn’t have a condition or “dys-anything” other than not being part of or in tune with a socially defined orthodoxy.
If science is to contribute to our well being it cannot be a tool for group selection but rather a resource, a reservoir for social enlightenment to broaden our understanding of humanity. From a positive social perspective how each individual manages or works within their allotted traits is the art of being human..hopefully with spirit, conviction and imagination to delight others. But here science /medicine can contribute to an individual’s well being- like fixing a broken leg or taking hormones- and this is the mandate, the responsibility of a just society. This will not happen if any group becomes a dominating orthodoxy. Everyone must invest in a plural society based on reality (science/fact) not just appearance- equality (and diversity) is good for everyone.
cheers,
Sonya -
Bringing this thread back to the original topic….
The SMH has published an article on Bridget.
Text & Picture from http://www.smh.com.au/national/my-bodys-a-war-zone-and-i-will-not-retreat-20101204-18krq.html
A MALE army officer, who lives as a woman with his wife and two children, has been locked in a battle to keep his job – as a female army officer.
Captain Matthew – now Bridget – Clinch, 31, plans to have a sex change operation next year after living as a woman for 12 months.
The East Timor veteran’s battle with the army has already forced it to abolish its policy of discharging personnel ”undergoing or contemplating gender reassignment”.
Advertisement: Story continues below
In combat as Matthew Clinch.In combat as Matthew Clinch. Photo: Heather Faulkner
The infantry officer and Duntroon graduate who met his wife Tammy at the Royal Military College is now determined to keep his job after he changes his sex to female next year.
Captain Clinch and Tammy, who live in Queensland with their daughters, aged 5 and 16 months, will have to divorce before the operation because it’s illegal for married couples to be of the same sex.
When Captain Clinch, who has been on hormone treatment in readiness for womanhood, told superior officers his sex-change plan, they said there was no place for him in the military.
”I’m in uniform, with clippered hair, just thinking, ‘What the hell?’ This shouldn’t be that big a deal,” Captain Clinch said. ”It’s 2010, this is Australia. We don’t do this to our people – or we shouldn’t. It’s not equitable. It’s not fair.”
As a teenager, joining the military was one of his dreams – the other was becoming a girl.
At the age of 30, he finally decided he could no longer ignore it.
The army told Captain Clinch he could reapply for his job when he had an F on his birth certificate but there were no guarantees.
The Australian Army policy was: ”Consistent with the current ADF medical and recruiting policy, a person undergoing or contemplating gender reassignment cannot be considered suitable for service in the ADF because of the need for ongoing treatment and/or the presence of a psychiatric disorder.”
A year later Captain Clinch is still in the army and the transgender policy has gone. Some of his earliest memories are of blowing out birthday candles and wishing he was a girl. ”I didn’t want to be a different person. I wanted to be me – but a girl me.”
Captain Clinch’s teenage years at Melbourne High School were awkward: ”I didn’t want the body I had. I wanted a girl’s body. That was just the way it had always been. But society and parents and all sorts of influences tell you that’s crazy – you can’t be thinking like that. You can’t be acting on those thoughts. You can’t resolve that thing that eats you up.”
He joined the reserves straight out of school and the army two years later, burying himself in the all-male infantry, pumping iron at the gym and fathering two daughters with Tammy. ”But your head and your heart are how they are and you can’t get away from yourself.”
The legacy of the past is still there in the bulging biceps and 90-
kilogram frame but the hormone treatment has kicked in and there are now breasts where once there were pecs. When Captain Clinch told his wife of eight years that he needed to live as a woman, Tammy said ”the Earth stopped spinning”.
After the shock, came the grief. She mourned her husband and the body he would lose. But she ”realised that the person I loved and built my life with is still there. All the good things I loved are still there. I just have to adjust to what’s on the outside now.”
Captain Clinch has the support of Transgender Victoria spokeswoman Sally Goldner, who says his success in challenging the policy and having it abolished will help others.
Ms Goldner said the policy practically, if not explicitly, gave Defence the right to sack employees who were undergoing sex change treatments.
After being told last December he could not dress as a woman at work, Captain Clinch went on leave to begin the transition.
His termination notice was signed in February, weeks after Defence joined the Pride in Diversity employer program, which a Defence newsletter says aims ”to make workplaces more responsive to the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people”.
After lodging a Human Rights Commission complaint in March, which is yet to be heard, and appealing against the sacking through Defence’s own channels, the termination was suspended in May.
Defence cancelled its transgender policy in June and withdrew Captain Clinch’s termination a month later.
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Hi Amanda,
Thank you for posting that.
The original (and somewhat longer) article appears in The Age today
http://www.theage.com.au/national/sexchange-soldier-forces-army-to-scrap-transgender-policy-20101204-18ks9.html
and made the front page!
http://www.theage.com.au/frontpage/2010/12/05/frontpage.pdfOverall, Tammy is very happy with the article;
Quote:We made the front page of the Sunday Age today and the reporter did a pretty good job of covering the issues. Her original story was better, but the editor has obviously cut it down and modified it a bit (like changing all of her use of ‘gender reassignment’ like we asked to ‘sex change’ and stuffing up some pronouns) but you have to have a thick skin to deal with the media….It is interesting to note that (unlike The Age) the SMH also didn’t include the link to Tammy and Bridget’s website http://justlikeyou.com.au/
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it’s good to see this story featured in mainstream media (one of the leading stories on the smh website on saturnday morning) – all props to fairfax (despite the slightly inappropriate use of pronoun). if you search any of fox media (the daily telegraph, the australian, news.com.au) – you get nothing – nada – not a syllable, even. the abc is no better.
it seems that fairfax has taken a very conservative view of brigitte’s transition and if they follow the associated press/new york times style guide, not adopted the use of the “she” pronoun where a person is presenting as transgender. small gripe, but hey, it’s a lot better than the fox coverage!
associated press style guide:
Quote:Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical
characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not
correspond with their sex at birth.
If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way
the individuals live publicly.new york times style guide:
Quote:Unless a former name is newsworthy or pertinent, use
the name and pronouns (he, his, she, her, hers) preferred by the transgender
person. If no preference is known, use the pronouns consistent with the way
the subject lives publicly.i’m sure this is not the last we hear of this – the outcome of the human rights commission complaint will be interesting, and if it is favourable to brigitte, what the adf will do to comply with such an outcome.
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Hi Virginia,
It is promising to see that these two very prominent new agencies (AP and NYT) are aware of the non gender binary reality.
I’ve passed your comment on to Tammy.
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I’ve had a look at both articles and at bridget and Tammys’ website too. It’s a shame first up that the SMH changed the pronouns and edited other parts too but at least The Age got it right. I found some support info. links on the website too which I then told my Dad and Stepmum about and then I contacted Bridget and Tammy as well to thank them. The site is a good little read and yeah, I really hope that things go well for them.
Peta A.
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Like many of the other comments here, language is one of challenges. My personal view is that I have had Sex Reassignment recently. I also had my medical certificate redrafted to use Sex Reassignment rather than Gender Reassignment as this misrepresented the surgeries that I had had completely. In fact I do not consider that I have ever had a gender change or reassignment and never will. In my head I have always been female. What i have changed is my Gender Role.
I think it is the confusion between brain gender (and for most Transsexuals this does not change rather it is a process of recognising and accepting one’s trueself) and gender role, ie the way we present in society which for most of us we do change.
So I tend to agree with the Age’s subeditor!
JadePS It is good to being out, about and active again.
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and here’s how it is treated in canada –
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Dress+rules+established+transsexuals+military/3942334/story.html
Quote:Dress rules established for transsexuals in military
The Canadian Forces have established rules around uniforms worn by transsexual soldiers.Brian J. Gavriloff/Postmedia News
The Canadian Forces have established rules around uniforms worn by transsexual soldiers.
Tom Blackwell, National Post · Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010
As U.S. politicians continue to debate whether to let gays serve openly in the American military, the Canadian Forces have issued a new policy detailing how the organization should accommodate transsexual and transvestite troops specifically. Soldiers, sailors and air force personnel who change their sex or sexual identity have a right to privacy and respect around that decision, but must conform to the dress code of their “target” gender, says the supplementary chapter of a military administration manual.
A gay-rights advocate hailed development of the guidelines as a progressive approach to people whose gender issues can trigger life-threatening psychological troubles.
Cherie MacLeod, executive director of PFLAG Canada, a sexual orientation-related support group, said she has helped a number of Forces members undergoing sex changes, surgery the military now funds.
“This is an important step towards recognizing a community that has always struggled for equal rights and basic human protection,” said Ms. MacLeod. “When government becomes more inclusive, over time, society will follow.”
Some within the Forces, though, were irked by the document’s appearance in e-mail boxes last week, just after a report by the military ombudsman that lambasted the National Defence Department for giving short shrift to the grieving families of fallen soldiers.
The armed services are still largely the domain of men who view themselves as “warriors,” believe headquarters staff are out of touch, and resent what they consider “politically correct” policies, said Scott Taylor, publisher of Esprit de Corps, a military-affairs magazine.
“You couldn’t get much worse timing on that internally,” he said, referring to the juxtaposition of the transsexual document and the ombudsman’s report. “It’s so removed from what the guys are facing over in Afghanistan … That doesn’t really relate to dress codes of the transgendered.”
The National Defence Department, which helps an average of one or two of its troops through sex changes a year, drew up the report in response to questions from administrative staff, said Rana Sioufi, a department spokeswoman.
“The CF is unique in that it must recruit, house, clothe, train and deploy its members,” she said. “This requires clear direction and standardized instructions to deal with individuals who may not fall into the generally accepted gender categories.”
Psychiatrists say true transsexual people essentially feel imprisoned in a body of the wrong sex, and are at high risk for anxiety, depression and suicide. Most provincial governments fund sexual-reassignment surgery under medicare for such patients.
Added as a chapter to a National Defence manual, the new document defines transsexual as someone with a psychological need to live as a member of the opposite sex, whether they have undergone sex-change surgery or not. Their unit must treat them with the “utmost privacy and respect,” meaning, for instance, that there is no need to explain why a person’s sex is being changed in computer records.
A transsexual service person must comply with the dress code and standards of deportment of the gender to which he or she is changing, the document says. It draws the line, though, at retroactively changing the name associated with any medals awarded to the individual before their change, saying “there is no legal authority for rewriting history.”
While a written policy document on transsexuals is new, the Forces have been dealing with the issue for over a decade, paying for the first sex change of a member in 1998.
Cpl. Natalie Murray, an IT technician at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in eastern Ontario who made the transition more recently, told the CBC Radio show Day 6 last week that many of her colleagues were supportive as she started the process. Some superiors, however, attempted to push her out of the army, she said.
“They try and turn things around and invent an excuse so they can get rid of you, and they almost succeeded, but fortunately cooler heads way up high prevailed,” Cpl. Murray told CBC. “There shouldn’t be any issue at all. We’re just regular people doing a regular job, the same job as everybody else.”
my only comment would be, c’mon adf, it’s not that difficult!
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Thank you for posting that Virginia. I agree, it really shouldn’t be that hard.
I’ve passed on the article to Tammy, in the hope that they can use that to help in their fight to have things improved here.
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Well. I happen to be in hospital with the Capt Bridget story came on my hospital TV.
The patent next to me had family visiting him at the time. The curtains were drawn and were casually listening to my TV.
First there were coments of laughter of Bridget being in a dress. There were many derogative coments made. There was some laughter as well
Second The conversation then turned to a truckie person they knew of wearing female clothing. One knew her by name. Neutral coments were made and a trend of understanding
Third The conversion then turned to the family of Bridget. Feeling sorry for Bridget’s SO and the kids.Just a little input
Jeorjette -
In conversation she is rather stealth, choosing not to be a member of groups like TR, not chasing ideas to present ones self or hrt tips. Not inquiring as to maintaining a family relationship.
Gord, ide be lonely with out you mob, Ha!
