The world is full of many wonderful people doing many extraordinary things for the LGBT community. However it’s unfortunate that some may never get the recognition that they deserve. However, SOULE is here to change that with our column entitled, Inspired By. Inspired By is a weekly tribute to an amazing soul that encompasses the true essence of SOULE, an individual who promotes Unity, Love & Equality. Each individual selected has inspired us by their various achievements but also their attitude and values. Today we celebrate the talented, Shane Ortega.
At first glance, Shane does not stand out any different from anyone else living serving in the military, where he currently has served as a helicopter crew chief. In his 10 years of service, Shane has served in three combat tours — two in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
Despite his solid performance, years of service and commitment to continue serving, there is one technicality that leaves SGT Shane Ortega at risk of getting kicked out of the Army. His official Army paperwork identifies him as a woman.
Ortega, who was assigned female at birth, is one of the military’s few openly trans-service members who underwent his transition roughly 5 years ago. However, under current military rules he still must be addressed as a female officer and wear the uniform for a female crew member. While there exists a large number of transgendered soldiers, almost all of them are forced to do so in secret, since the Department of Defense’s current policy forbids openly transgender individuals from serving.
In a combined effort to change these policies, along with the help from the American Civil Liberties Union, Ortega has met with senators, White House staffers and senior Pentagon officials. With his help the Pentagon responded.
On Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, announced plans to lift the ban as early as next year, calling the military’s current policy “outdated.” Over the next six months, a working group will study “the policy and readiness implications of welcoming transgender persons to serve openly.
We are truly inspired by SGT Shane Ortega and thank him for his dedication to truth and the pursuit of Unity, Love & Equality
Inspired by (ABC News & Huffington Post)