Crossdressers-Haven.com

http://jezebel.com/5928883/transgenderi ... n-military" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Biologically male U.S. veterans are twice as likely as civilian men to identify as female and often decide to enlist to reassert their masculinity, according to a new, soon-to-be published study authored by former military psychologist George Brown, an Air Force vet who has been analyzing transgender military rates for decades.

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Makes perfect sense to me.

I joined up right after high school, even though I'd spent most summers working with various pacifist groups such as the American Friends Service Committee. Learned first hand all about what violence does to individuals and groups. But I had no academic vocation or calling, and had been a C student - A's in music balanced out my disdain for every other subject - so it was the Marine Corps.

The clincher, of course, was that they promised to make a "man" out of me. All they made of me was an even more dedicated pacifist because the training was based on fear and hatred of women and all things feminine, and love of blind discipline and extreme violence.

If you want to have your life completely controlled and ordered, the military is for you. If you're afraid of your urges toward CD, the USMC (and all the other branches) will certainly help to suppress that behavior. For a while.

What's left out of the article (which I only just now read) is that, at least in boot camp, punishment and harsh criticism is always based on some negative characterization of and comparison to women. Weak new recruits are "pussies" and "cunts." One's girlfriend, or any female, is "Suzy Rottencrotch." Behavior that isn't up to expectations gets the group referred to as "girls." Et cetera.

Somehow I recognized all this immediately, and while it didn't completely corrupt me, it took almost a year after my discharge for me to stop littering my speech with "bubbles" and "motherfucker" -- very much like "like" and "you know" is used to fill out most people's and almost all teenager's speech.

It's a civilized discussion in the 'comments' section, and that's refreshing. I don't know what kind of readership Jezebel attracts, but they seem to be a cut above the usual.

It's kind of surprising to look inside and see that I joined the military because part of me liked being a masculine "team player." It wasn't compensation for my gentler side; I still wanted to go on being artistic and sensitive, too. They weren't mutually exclusive, although I knew I'd have to put a 'cap' on that in the army. But I was used to putting a cap on those qualities most of the time, anyway. The army had to let me go because of my wool allergy, so I never got to do the boot camp experience. I got of a taste of the anti-female propaganda in sports programs, though.

I was in as well, and wonder if, in USA, JROTC in High School may be a predisposing factor. I think we tend to drift there to avoid the PE locker room and get the benefit of having an instant clique. The apparent order of military life is probably also an attractor. I have little else to add to the previous comments.

I had something to prove but never thought of it as "reasserting my masculinity", more like adding a layer of camouflage (pi ).

Paulette.... I joined the Corps in 1960. Training was tough and as you say the treatment is demeaning. However, it didn't affect my CDing. I didn't join to prove anything. I was a service brat and knew the benefits of staying in and retiring. I did 2 tours in Vietnam and actually didn't start CDing seriously until after my first tour in Nam. I would imagine that in any male dominated sport you will find the same terminology used pertaining to GGs, Gays, and those percieved as sissies. I'm sorry that it was a bad experience for you but you survived and are a member of a very select brotherhood.(sisterhood )

Wendae

Edited for color of text. LZ http://crossdressers-haven.com/forums/v ... 31&t=10059" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I can't say that JROTC was a factor as it wasn't offered in my school.

I would have probably gone out for sports, but my Mom wouldn't sign the papers so I was a student manager for 2 1/2 years then a student trainer for 2 years. (I started in Jr High School). One of my early experiences with CD was using football knee pads as breasts. (30 minutes after practice I had the locker room to myself to finish up the stuff I had to do.)

I did join Civil Air Patrol as a cadet, but that did not take me out of PT class.

I would imagine that in any male dominated sport you will find the same terminology used pertaining to GGs, Gays, and those percieved as sissies.

I heard the same terminology used in the sports that I was associated with. Being a manager and trainer I was at all the practices and games and heard the coaches use the terms often, probably most often in football.

Leeza

I heard stories about the training Women Marines went through and it seemed as though they received as much verbal abuse. I was wondering if any GGs have experienced this kind of verbal abuse?

Wendae


*** Post edited by SL to remove color text. See: http://www.crossdressers-haven.com/foru ... 31&t=10059" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ***

Lavender Law Begins Conversation on Trans Military Service

http://www.bilerico.com/2012/08/lavende ... =Top_Story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A video here: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/GBT" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Excellent video. (I started at 43 minutes.)

I was very glad that the need to serve not just the military, but to serve their country, was recognized as a very strong element in many people.