Army Capt. Alivia Stehlik said she was grinning Monday as President Joe Biden reversed his predecessor鈥檚 ban of most transgender people from the military.
鈥淭his just feels like the culmination of years鈥� worth of work to get here,鈥� Stehlik said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty overwhelming.鈥�
Stehlik is a physical therapist at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs. She鈥檚 also among many transgender people around the country to praise Biden for an executive order allowing 鈥渁ll Americans鈥� who are qualified to serve in the military to do so.
For years, Stehlik has watched policies for transgender service members shift. She decided to transition from male to female after Ash Carter, the defense secretary under former President Obama, lifted the military鈥檚 ban on transgender troops.
"I left work on a Friday and then I showed up on Monday with a different name and different pronouns and some makeup because I didn't have long hair at the time and folks were remarkably gracious and lovely and kind and it was wonderful,鈥� Stehlik said.
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Carter said that the military should open its doors to the best talent and that transgender troops are part of the equation. Not long after Stehlik transitioned, a new administration took over and former President Trump decided to change policy.
Trump tweeted on July 26, 2017 that the "United States Government will not accept or allow ... Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military."
The tweet created confusion in the military, leading Stehlik to say at the time, "I would love to stay. I think that I have a lot to offer."
The Trump administration鈥檚 transgender policy ended up being more nuanced, affecting roughly 9,000 or so troops who identified at one point in a defense survey as transgender in different ways. For instance, because Stehlik transitioned under the policy announced by Ash Carter, she and others like her were allowed to stay.
But transgender people who had transitioned were barred from enlisting and those already in the military were not allowed to transition unless they were granted a waiver. Advocates for transgender service members said the waiver policy was convoluted and said they only knew of one case that was granted: a Navy officer who settled a lawsuit.
The nonpartisan Palm Center, which promotes the study of LGBTQ issues, dubbed the Trump policy as an 鈥渋nsidious鈥� ban, likening it to the 鈥渄on鈥檛 ask, don鈥檛 tell鈥� policy that silenced gay and lesbian troops a generation ago.
"Transgender service members will no longer be subject to the possibility of discharge or separation on the basis of gender identity,鈥� a White House fact sheet on Biden鈥檚 executive order said. 鈥淭ransgender service members can serve in their gender when transition is complete. Transgender service members should know that they are accepted throughout the U.S. military."
The order, effective yesterday, stops discharges based on gender identity and requires top commanders to locate any troops who were kicked out for that reason. It also allows troops to transition genders and provides medical support.
Stehlik said that for months, she鈥檚 been talking to a handful of troops asking her about transition, but she wasn鈥檛 sure what to tell them. Biden鈥檚 order, she said, changes that.
鈥淣ow I can tell soldiers, 鈥楬ey, I know how to help you and I know how to help your command help you,鈥欌€� Stehlik said. 鈥溾€榊ou can do this. There is a way. Here are the forms that are required. Here鈥檚 who needs to sign that. Here鈥檚 how we get you through this process.鈥欌€�
There was opposition from conservative groups, including the Heritage Foundation, which supported the Trump administration鈥檚 policy. The foundation argued that a reversal will hurt military readiness because some transgender troops have gender dysphoria, which can increase the risk of suicide. Groups who advocate for transgender people argue that there is an increased risk of suicide among troops who feel that their identity is not accepted in the military.
Both sides pointed to studies and Biden addressed the debate over them by stating that he saw 鈥渟ubstantial evidence鈥� that allowing transgender troops to serve has no 鈥渘egative impact鈥� on the military. The White House also said it thinks the policy change is the right thing to do and in the national interest.
Stehlik said in the almost two years of uncertainty she鈥檚 faced up until Monday, her peers in the military have been supportive. She said they haven鈥檛 made her transition an issue. What鈥檚 important to them, she said, is the quality of her work.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 the same with all of the command teams I run into here,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e like, as long as you can do your job, that鈥檚 what matters to us.鈥�
As debate has swirled over the policy in political circles, Capt. Stehlik just kept doing her job. She learned recently that she will soon be promoted to major.
