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>> Sreenivasan: YESTERDAY,

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DURING A CLOSED DOOR SESSION,

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THE SUPREME COURT DID NOT ACT ON

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THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S

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REQUEST TO INTERVENE IN THE

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LEGAL FIGHT OVER THE PROPOSED

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BAN ON MOST TRANSGENDER PEOPLE

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SERVING IN THE U.S. MILITARY.

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SO, THE YEAR-AND-A-HALF-LONG

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COURT BATTLE OVER THE BAN LIFTED

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DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION

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WILL CONTINUE IN LOWER COURTS.

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SINCE PRESIDENT TRUMP ATTEMPTED

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TO REINSTATE THE BAN IN 2017,

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THOUSANDS OF TRANSGENDER TROOPS

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HAVE SERVED WHILE UNSURE OF

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THEIR RIGHTS OR THE FUTURE OF

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THEIR MILITARY CAREERS.

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THE DOCUMENTARY,

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"TRANSMILITARY," RELEASED ON

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iTUNES THIS WEEK, SHOWS WHAT

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LIFE IS LIKE FOR THESE SOLDIERS.

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MEGAN THOMPSON RECENTLY SAT DOWN

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WITH A FORMER SOLDIER AS WELL AS

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THE FILM'’’S DIRECTOR.

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>> Reporter: WHEN LAILA IRELAND

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WAS 17 YEARS OLD, SHE JOINED THE

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ARMY.

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SHE WAS ASSIGNED TO BE AN

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INTERROGATOR AND DEPLOYED TWICE

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TO IRAQ.

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IRELAND EVENTUALLY BECAME A

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CORPORAL, CONTINUING A LONG

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TRADITION OF MILITARY SERVICE IN

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HER FAMILY.

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>> MY FATHER WAS IN THE

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MILITARY, AND MY GRANDFATHER WAS

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IN THE MILITARY.

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MY GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS IN THE

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MILITARY.

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AND I WANTED TO BE PART OF THAT

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LEGACY, PART OF THAT TRADITION,

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BUT I ALSO UNDERSTOOD THAT BEING

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A PART OF THE TRADITION DID NOT

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ALLOW ME TO REALLY BE MYSELF.

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>> Reporter: THAT'S BECAUSE

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IRELAND IS TRANSGENDER.

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WHEN SHE ENLISTED IN 2003, THERE

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WAS A BAN ON TRANSGENDER PEOPLE

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SERVING.

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THE U.S. MILITARY HAD LONG

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CONSIDERED ISSUES RELATED TO

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BEING TRANSGENDER AS

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DISQUALIFYING PHYSICAL AND

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MENTAL CONDITIONS.

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SO, DURING HER 12 YEARS IN THE

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ARMY, IRELAND OFTEN COULDN'T

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IDENTIFY OPENLY AS A WOMAN.

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>> IT WAS DIFFICULT, HAVING TO

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LIVE BY THE CORE VALUES OF THE

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MILITARY WHERE I WOULD... ONE OF

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THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES TO ME IS

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INTEGRITY.

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AND I VIOLATED THAT ON A DAILY

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BASIS BY NOT BEING TRUE TO WHO I

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AM OR NOT BEING ABLE TO SHARE

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THAT.

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>> Reporter: IRELAND'S STORY

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UNFOLDS IN THE DOCUMENTARY,

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"TRANSMILITARY," WHICH TELLS THE

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STORIES OF FOUR TRANSGENDER

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TROOPS.

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ONE RAND CORPORATION STUDY

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ESTIMATED AMERICAN FORCES COULD

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INCLUDE AS MANY AS 10,790

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TRANSGENDER PEOPLE.

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A STUDY BY U.C.L.A. ESTIMATES

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THERE COULD BE AS MANY AS

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15,500.

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GABRIEL SILVERMAN CO-DIRECTED

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THE FILM.

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HE SAYS THE PROJECT BEGAN AS A

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SHORT DOCUMENTARY FOR THE "NEW

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YORK TIMES," PUBLISHED IN 2015.

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>> THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY

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PROBLEM FOR US TO SERVE OPENLY.

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>> Reporter: AT THE TIME, DEBATE

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HAD BEGUN ABOUT LIFTING THE

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TRANSGENDER BAN, BUT SILVERMAN

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SAYS STORIES LIKE IRELAND'S

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WEREN'’’T WELL KNOWN.

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HE POINTS TO A 2015 POLL SHOWING

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THAT ONLY 16% OF THOSE SURVEYED

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REPORTED WORKING OR EVEN KNOWING

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A TRANS PERSON.

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>> SO, HERE WE ARE, HAVING THIS

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INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT

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CONVERSATION AROUND GENDER

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IDENTITY, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY

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OF AMERICANS HADN'’’T MET ANYBODY.

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AND WE REALIZED THAT, LOOK, THE

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BAN WAS STILL IN PLACE; WE HAVE

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THIS INCREDIBLE STORY, WE HAVE

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THIS INCREDIBLE GROUP OF PEOPLE

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THAT WE GET TO FOLLOW; AND LET'S

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SEE WHERE THIS GOES.

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AND, WE DID.

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>> Reporter: OVER THE NEXT THREE

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YEARS, SILVERMAN AND HIS TEAM

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CONTINUED TO FOLLOW IRELAND AND

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THREE OTHER TRANS TROOPS:

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CAPTAIN JENNIFER PEACE; FIRST

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LIEUTENANT EL COOK; AND LOGAN

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IRELAND, LAILA'S HUSBAND AND A

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STAFF SERGEANT IN THE AIR FORCE

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WHO'D SERVED IN AFGHANISTAN FROM

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2014 TO 15.

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>> EVERY DAY, IN KANDAHAR, OUR

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JOB ITSELF WHEN WE GO OUTSIDE

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THE WIRE IS INHERENTLY

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DANGEROUS.

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>> Reporter: BESIDES SHOWING

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WHAT LIFE IS LIKE FOR

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TRANSGENDER TROOPS, THE FILM

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SHOWS SOME OF THE SERVICE

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MEMBERS LOBBYING HIGH-LEVEL

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OFFICIALS AT THE PENTAGON TO

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ELIMINATE THE TRANSGENDER BAN.

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BUT COMING OUT AS TRANS TO

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LEADERSHIP CARRIED HUGE RISKS,

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INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF

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GETTING KICKED OUT.

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AFTER ONE OF CAPTAIN JENNIFER

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PEACE'S FIRST MEETINGS, WORD GOT

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BACK TO HER COMMAND IN

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WASHINGTON STATE THAT SHE WAS

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TRANS.

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>> I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS GOING

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TO IMMEDIATELY GO BACK TO MALE

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REGULATIONS, TO HAVE MY HAIR CUT

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WITHIN MALE REGULATIONS, THAT I

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WAS GOING TO CORRECT PEOPLE TO

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MALE PRONOUNS.

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>> Reporter: LAILA IRELAND SAYS

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BEING ASKED TO SPEAK OUT IN THE

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FILM PUT THE SERVICE MEMBERS AT

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RISK, TOO.

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>> MY REACTION WAS, "YOU'RE

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CRAZY."

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LIKE, "I CAN'’’T DO THIS."

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LIKE, "I'M PUTTING EVERYTHING ON

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THE LINE."

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AND UNDERSTANDING THAT, IF NOT

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US, WHO WAS GOING TO DO THIS FOR

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US?

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>> Reporter: THE RISKS ALSO

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PRESENTED CHALLENGES TO THE

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FILMMAKERS.

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HOW DO YOU FILM THIS FILM

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WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, OUTING

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PEOPLE, ESSENTIALLY?

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>> ALL OF OUR SERVICE MEMBERS

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FOR THE DOCUMENTARY UNDERSTOOD

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THAT THIS IS EITHER GOING TO

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COME OUT AT A TIME WHERE THE,

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YOU KNOW, BAN IS STILL IN PLACE

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AND THEIR CAREER IS GOING TO BE

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IN JEOPARDY ANYWAYS; OR THE BAN

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IS GOING TO BE LIFTED AND WE ARE

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ABLE TO RELEASE THIS WITHOUT

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JEOPARDIZING THEIR CAREERS.

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SO, I THINK THAT THAT WAS THE

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CALCULATION THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE

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ENDED UP MAKING.

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THE PERNICIOUS ASPECT OF THIS IS

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THAT WE CAN'T GO TO A PUBLIC

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AFFAIRS OFFICER IN THE MILITARY

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AND SAY, "I WANT TO FOLLOW THIS

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RANDOM, YOU KNOW, SENIOR AIRMAN

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IN AFGHANISTAN."

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"WHY?"

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"OH, BECAUSE HE'S TRANSGENDER."

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BECAUSE YOU'RE IMMEDIATELY

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RAISING THE RED FLAG.

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SO, FORTUNATELY, LOGAN HAD SOME

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FRIENDS IN AFGHANISTAN WHO HAD

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PROSUMER D.S.L.R. FOOTAGE AND

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SOME GOPROS AND WAS ABLE TO

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CAPTURE SOME OF THE FOOTAGE THAT

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GIVES YOU A SENSE OF HIS DAY-TO-

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DAY ROUTINE.

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>> Reporter: AS THE FILM SHOWS,

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A TRANS SOLDIER'S EXPERIENCE

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DEPENDS LARGELY ON WHO'S IN

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DIRECT COMMAND.

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IN AFGHANISTAN, LOGAN IRELAND

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HAD A DANGEROUS JOB AS THE LEAD

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DRIVER OF A CONVOY.

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HIS COMMANDER ACCEPTED HIS

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IDENTITY, AND IRELAND SAYS HE

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FIT RIGHT IN WITH HIS MALE

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PEERS.

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>> WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS

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DEPLOYMENT IS, I CAN BE MY

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AUTHENTIC SELF.

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>> Reporter: IRELAND EVEN CAME

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OUT IN 2015 TO PRESIDENT OBAMA'S

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SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, ASHTON

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CARTER, WHO VISITED IRELAND'S

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BASE IN AFGHANISTAN.

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THE VISIT MADE HEADLINES WHEN

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CARTER COMMENTED HE'’’D BE

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RECEPTIVE TO LETTING TRANSGENDER

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PEOPLE SERVE OPENLY.

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>> LITERALLY AT THE LAST SPLIT

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SECOND, I DECIDED TO INTRODUCE

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MYSELF.

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00:05:41,407 --> 00:05:42,642
"SIR, I'M SENIOR AIRMAN LOGAN

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IRELAND.

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I AM REPRESENTING ONE OF THE

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00:05:46,479 --> 00:05:48,281
15,000 ACTIVELY SERVING

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TRANSGENDER MEMBERS OF THE

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MILITARY."

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HIS EYES BUGGED OUT, AND HE IS

225
00:05:53,786 --> 00:05:55,021
THE SWEETEST GUY.

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HE'S LIKE, "WOW, THIS IS... THIS

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00:05:56,823 --> 00:05:57,590
IS INCREDIBLE.

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00:05:57,590 --> 00:05:58,558
THANK YOU SO MUCH.

229
00:05:58,558 --> 00:05:59,225
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR

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SERVICE AND HAVING THE INTEGRITY

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TO COME UP HERE AND TELL ME

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THAT."

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>> Reporter: WHILE LOGAN WAS

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ABLE TO BE HIS TRUE SELF IN

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AFGHANISTAN, BACK IN THE STATES,

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LAILA IRELAND WASN'’’T SO LUCKY.

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SHE WAS STATIONED AT THE TRIPLER

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ARMY MEDICAL CENTER IN HONOLULU,

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WHERE HER LEADERSHIP TOLD HER

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SHE HAD TO CUT HER HAIR AND TELL

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PEOPLE TO ADDRESS HER AS A MAN.

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>> AND TELL THEM, "NO, YOU KNOW,

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I'M NOT A FEMALE, I'M A MALE."

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THAT WAS HARD.

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IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT.

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>> Reporter: CAN YOU JUST TALK

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ABOUT WHY IT WAS THAT YOU KEPT

248
00:06:26,386 --> 00:06:28,087
SERVING IN THAT ENVIRONMENT?

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>> BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO REALLY

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00:06:31,224 --> 00:06:32,859
BE AND DO SOMETHING THAT WAS

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00:06:32,859 --> 00:06:34,360
GREATER THAN JUST MYSELF.

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YOU JUST DEVELOP THIS SENSE OF

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00:06:35,928 --> 00:06:38,264
PRIDE THAT NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE

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CAN UNDERSTAND.

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>> Reporter: DESPITE THAT PRIDE

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AND ALL IT MEANT TO HER, AND HER

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00:06:42,735 --> 00:06:44,003
DESIRE TO SERVE AS LONG AS SHE

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COULD, IRELAND EVENTUALLY

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DECIDED SHE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO

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LEAVE THE ARMY.

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>> SO, I FELT THAT MY LEADERSHIP

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WAS BASICALLY BUILDING A CASE

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AGAINST ME.

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>> Reporter: AN ON-THE-JOB

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INJURY MADE HER ELIGIBLE FOR AN

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HONORABLE DISCHARGE, SO SHE TOOK

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IT RATHER THAN RISK A

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00:06:59,786 --> 00:07:01,487
DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE.

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00:07:01,487 --> 00:07:02,288
>> I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET A

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00:07:02,288 --> 00:07:03,556
JOB ON THE OUTSIDE.

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00:07:03,556 --> 00:07:05,324
AND SO, I CHOSE TO STICK WITH

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THE HONORABLE DISCHARGE.

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>> Reporter: LAILA LEFT HONOLULU

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AND MOVED TO OKLAHOMA TO BE WITH

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HER HUSBAND, LOGAN, AND IS NOW

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AN ADVOCATE FOR TRANS RIGHTS.

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>> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.

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THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

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>> Reporter: IN JUNE 2016, SIX

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MONTHS AFTER LAILA LEFT THE

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00:07:19,272 --> 00:07:21,040
ARMY, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

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CARTER MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT SHE

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00:07:23,142 --> 00:07:24,177
AND THE OTHER SERVICE MEMBERS

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00:07:24,177 --> 00:07:26,746
HAD BEEN WORKING SO HARD FOR.

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00:07:26,746 --> 00:07:28,014
>> I'M ANNOUNCING TODAY THAT

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WE'RE ENDING THE BAN ON

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00:07:29,482 --> 00:07:30,883
TRANSGENDER AMERICANS IN THE

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UNITED STATES MILITARY.

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>> YES!

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YES!

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YES!

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IT WAS A RELIEF AND TERRIFYING

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AT THE SAME TIME.

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THE TERRIFYING PART WAS THAT NOW

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HOW DO WE GET THIS POLICY TO

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HAVE A SMOOTH IMPLEMENTATION

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AMONGST FOLKS WHO DON'T

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NECESSARILY BELIEVE THAT WE

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SHOULD BE IN SERVICE OR EVEN BE

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IN SOCIETY?

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>> Reporter: AND HOW WAS THAT

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FOR YOU, AS A STORYTELLER AND A

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FILMMAKER?

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00:08:00,646 --> 00:08:01,914
>> YOU KNOW, WE'D BEEN FILMING

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00:08:01,914 --> 00:08:04,050
WITH LOGAN, LAILA, EL AND JEN

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00:08:04,050 --> 00:08:05,818
FOR SEVERAL YEARS AT THAT POINT.

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00:08:05,818 --> 00:08:08,754
AND SO, TO SEE THIS POLICY

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00:08:08,754 --> 00:08:10,957
CHANGE FOR THE BETTER, AND JUST

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00:08:10,957 --> 00:08:12,458
KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, I DON'T

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KNOW, THERE WAS A CALMING

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00:08:13,392 --> 00:08:14,494
EFFECT.

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00:08:14,494 --> 00:08:15,628
FROM A FILMMAKING PERSPECTIVE,

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00:08:15,628 --> 00:08:17,530
WE ALSO SAID, "WE HAVE AN

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00:08:17,530 --> 00:08:18,498
ENDING."

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00:08:18,498 --> 00:08:19,732
OR SO WE THOUGHT.

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00:08:19,732 --> 00:08:20,766
>> Reporter: AND THAT'S BECAUSE,

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00:08:20,766 --> 00:08:22,468
JUST OVER A YEAR LATER, IN JULY

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00:08:22,468 --> 00:08:25,271
2017, PRESIDENT TRUMP ANNOUNCED

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00:08:25,271 --> 00:08:26,572
HIS INTENTION TO REINSTATE THE

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00:08:26,572 --> 00:08:28,608
BAN IN A SERIES OF TWEETS.

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00:08:28,608 --> 00:08:30,076
SO, WHILE THE ISSUE CONTINUES TO

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00:08:30,076 --> 00:08:32,044
MAKE ITS WAY THROUGH THE COURTS,

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00:08:32,044 --> 00:08:33,646
TRANS MILITARY MEMBERS LIKE

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LOGAN IRELAND ARE SERVING IN A

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00:08:35,515 --> 00:08:37,383
LEGAL LIMBO.

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00:08:37,383 --> 00:08:38,317
>> WHAT IS THE FUTURE GOING TO

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00:08:38,317 --> 00:08:39,552
HOLD FOR ME IN THE MILITARY?

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00:08:39,552 --> 00:08:40,386
THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO.

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00:08:40,386 --> 00:08:41,587
THIS IS WHAT I'’’M FOCUSED ON.

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00:08:41,587 --> 00:08:42,788
>> Reporter: LAILA IRELAND SAYS

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00:08:42,788 --> 00:08:44,257
SHE HOPES THE FILM SHE CHOSE TO

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00:08:44,257 --> 00:08:45,825
SPEAK OUT IN WILL HELP INFORM

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00:08:45,825 --> 00:08:47,493
THE DEBATE AND HELP THE PUBLIC

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00:08:47,493 --> 00:08:49,295
UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT'S AT

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STAKE.

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00:08:49,996 --> 00:08:51,097
>> WE ARE PART OF THAT 1% OF THE

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00:08:51,097 --> 00:08:53,766
AMERICAN POPULATION THAT RAISES

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00:08:53,766 --> 00:08:56,702
OUR RIGHT HAND AND SWEARS TO THE

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00:08:56,702 --> 00:08:58,504
OATH TO PROTECT THIS... TO

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00:08:58,504 --> 00:08:59,438
PROTECT AND DEFEND THIS GREAT

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00:08:59,438 --> 00:09:00,139
COUNTRY.

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00:09:00,139 --> 00:09:01,574
IT SHOULDN'T MATTER WHAT, YOU

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00:09:01,574 --> 00:09:02,808
KNOW, OUR... OUR GENDER IDENTITY

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00:09:02,808 --> 00:09:03,476
IS.

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00:09:03,476 --> 00:09:04,977
IT REALLY SHOULD MATTER IF WE

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00:09:04,977 --> 00:09:07,013
ARE CAPABLE AND WILLING TO DO

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00:09:06,045 --> 00:09:07,046
THE JOB.