Staff Sergeant Logan Ireland loves serving in the dangerous Kandahar province in Afghanistan. When the film opens, his fellow troops don’t know he’s trans. As he says, “What I like about the deployment is I can be my authentic self,” including growing a wispy mustache. His scratchy mustache is an issue for his girlfriend Laila, an Army Corporal. Her family had a difficult time accepting her transition, but she was more devastated when she realized that the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” did not apply to the T in LGBT. Captain Jennifer Peace escaped a troubled family life by joining the military. She says “I love being military. It gave me a home.” And finally, El Cook is an Army First Lieutenant. He wears his hair in a long ponytail, just in case he is required to present himself as a woman. All four are members of SPART*A, (spartapride.org), an organization for current or former trans members of the military and they manage to get a meeting with top officials in Pentagon. From there, the movie tracks the elation of the four service members when the military trans ban is repealed by President Obama, their despair when President Trump attempts to reinstate the ban and the current state of limbo they live in as the issue works its way through the court system.
The opening title reads: “Despite the ban, there are an estimated 15,500 transgender people currently serving in the military. This makes the U.S. military the largest employer of transgender people in America.” The makers highlight the importance of the military’s heavily gendered rules and regulations for appearance and the impact these codes have on trans service members. As the ban on open transgender service continues its battle in the courtroom, the film builds empathy, increases validation, and breaks down stereotypes. Without preaching, "TransMilitary" paints a vivid portrait of the everyday struggle for acceptance faced by transgender people. By focusing on individual stories, the film makes the argument for the rights of trans people with heart, soul and compassion. Expertly edited, the documentary interweaves the four subjects’ lives complete with statistics & research to paint a wholistic and engaging picture. Personal, familial, and professional hardships are explored, but it's TransMilitary’s stories of the brave transgender military service members and veterans that ultimately elevates the documentary from mere analysis to a compelling and emotionally moving portrait. (6.5/10)
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