>> Sreenivasan: YESTERDAY,
DURING A CLOSED DOOR SESSION,
THE SUPREME COURT DID NOT ACT ON
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S
REQUEST TO INTERVENE IN THE
LEGAL FIGHT OVER THE PROPOSED
BAN ON MOST TRANSGENDER PEOPLE
SERVING IN THE U.S. MILITARY.
SO, THE YEAR-AND-A-HALF-LONG
COURT BATTLE OVER THE BAN LIFTED
DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
WILL CONTINUE IN LOWER COURTS.
SINCE PRESIDENT TRUMP ATTEMPTED
TO REINSTATE THE BAN IN 2017,
THOUSANDS OF TRANSGENDER TROOPS
HAVE SERVED WHILE UNSURE OF
THEIR RIGHTS OR THE FUTURE OF
THEIR MILITARY CAREERS.
THE DOCUMENTARY,
"TRANSMILITARY," RELEASED ON
iTUNES THIS WEEK, SHOWS WHAT
LIFE IS LIKE FOR THESE SOLDIERS.
MEGAN THOMPSON RECENTLY SAT DOWN
WITH A FORMER SOLDIER AS WELL AS
THE FILM'’’S DIRECTOR.
>> Reporter: WHEN LAILA IRELAND
WAS 17 YEARS OLD, SHE JOINED THE
ARMY.
SHE WAS ASSIGNED TO BE AN
INTERROGATOR AND DEPLOYED TWICE
TO IRAQ.
IRELAND EVENTUALLY BECAME A
CORPORAL, CONTINUING A LONG
TRADITION OF MILITARY SERVICE IN
HER FAMILY.
>> MY FATHER WAS IN THE
MILITARY, AND MY GRANDFATHER WAS
IN THE MILITARY.
MY GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS IN THE
MILITARY.
AND I WANTED TO BE PART OF THAT
LEGACY, PART OF THAT TRADITION,
BUT I ALSO UNDERSTOOD THAT BEING
A PART OF THE TRADITION DID NOT
ALLOW ME TO REALLY BE MYSELF.
>> Reporter: THAT'S BECAUSE
IRELAND IS TRANSGENDER.
WHEN SHE ENLISTED IN 2003, THERE
WAS A BAN ON TRANSGENDER PEOPLE
SERVING.
THE U.S. MILITARY HAD LONG
CONSIDERED ISSUES RELATED TO
BEING TRANSGENDER AS
DISQUALIFYING PHYSICAL AND
MENTAL CONDITIONS.
SO, DURING HER 12 YEARS IN THE
ARMY, IRELAND OFTEN COULDN'T
IDENTIFY OPENLY AS A WOMAN.
>> IT WAS DIFFICULT, HAVING TO
LIVE BY THE CORE VALUES OF THE
MILITARY WHERE I WOULD... ONE OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES TO ME IS
INTEGRITY.
AND I VIOLATED THAT ON A DAILY
BASIS BY NOT BEING TRUE TO WHO I
AM OR NOT BEING ABLE TO SHARE
THAT.
>> Reporter: IRELAND'S STORY
UNFOLDS IN THE DOCUMENTARY,
"TRANSMILITARY," WHICH TELLS THE
STORIES OF FOUR TRANSGENDER
TROOPS.
ONE RAND CORPORATION STUDY
ESTIMATED AMERICAN FORCES COULD
INCLUDE AS MANY AS 10,790
TRANSGENDER PEOPLE.
A STUDY BY U.C.L.A. ESTIMATES
THERE COULD BE AS MANY AS
15,500.
GABRIEL SILVERMAN CO-DIRECTED
THE FILM.
HE SAYS THE PROJECT BEGAN AS A
SHORT DOCUMENTARY FOR THE "NEW
YORK TIMES," PUBLISHED IN 2015.
>> THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY
PROBLEM FOR US TO SERVE OPENLY.
>> Reporter: AT THE TIME, DEBATE
HAD BEGUN ABOUT LIFTING THE
TRANSGENDER BAN, BUT SILVERMAN
SAYS STORIES LIKE IRELAND'S
WEREN'’’T WELL KNOWN.
HE POINTS TO A 2015 POLL SHOWING
THAT ONLY 16% OF THOSE SURVEYED
REPORTED WORKING OR EVEN KNOWING
A TRANS PERSON.
>> SO, HERE WE ARE, HAVING THIS
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT
CONVERSATION AROUND GENDER
IDENTITY, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY
OF AMERICANS HADN'’’T MET ANYBODY.
AND WE REALIZED THAT, LOOK, THE
BAN WAS STILL IN PLACE; WE HAVE
THIS INCREDIBLE STORY, WE HAVE
THIS INCREDIBLE GROUP OF PEOPLE
THAT WE GET TO FOLLOW; AND LET'S
SEE WHERE THIS GOES.
AND, WE DID.
>> Reporter: OVER THE NEXT THREE
YEARS, SILVERMAN AND HIS TEAM
CONTINUED TO FOLLOW IRELAND AND
THREE OTHER TRANS TROOPS:
CAPTAIN JENNIFER PEACE; FIRST
LIEUTENANT EL COOK; AND LOGAN
IRELAND, LAILA'S HUSBAND AND A
STAFF SERGEANT IN THE AIR FORCE
WHO'D SERVED IN AFGHANISTAN FROM
2014 TO 15.
>> EVERY DAY, IN KANDAHAR, OUR
JOB ITSELF WHEN WE GO OUTSIDE
THE WIRE IS INHERENTLY
DANGEROUS.
>> Reporter: BESIDES SHOWING
WHAT LIFE IS LIKE FOR
TRANSGENDER TROOPS, THE FILM
SHOWS SOME OF THE SERVICE
MEMBERS LOBBYING HIGH-LEVEL
OFFICIALS AT THE PENTAGON TO
ELIMINATE THE TRANSGENDER BAN.
BUT COMING OUT AS TRANS TO
LEADERSHIP CARRIED HUGE RISKS,
INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF
GETTING KICKED OUT.
AFTER ONE OF CAPTAIN JENNIFER
PEACE'S FIRST MEETINGS, WORD GOT
BACK TO HER COMMAND IN
WASHINGTON STATE THAT SHE WAS
TRANS.
>> I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS GOING
TO IMMEDIATELY GO BACK TO MALE
REGULATIONS, TO HAVE MY HAIR CUT
WITHIN MALE REGULATIONS, THAT I
WAS GOING TO CORRECT PEOPLE TO
MALE PRONOUNS.
>> Reporter: LAILA IRELAND SAYS
BEING ASKED TO SPEAK OUT IN THE
FILM PUT THE SERVICE MEMBERS AT
RISK, TOO.
>> MY REACTION WAS, "YOU'RE
CRAZY."
LIKE, "I CAN'’’T DO THIS."
LIKE, "I'M PUTTING EVERYTHING ON
THE LINE."
AND UNDERSTANDING THAT, IF NOT
US, WHO WAS GOING TO DO THIS FOR
US?
>> Reporter: THE RISKS ALSO
PRESENTED CHALLENGES TO THE
FILMMAKERS.
HOW DO YOU FILM THIS FILM
WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, OUTING
PEOPLE, ESSENTIALLY?
>> ALL OF OUR SERVICE MEMBERS
FOR THE DOCUMENTARY UNDERSTOOD
THAT THIS IS EITHER GOING TO
COME OUT AT A TIME WHERE THE,
YOU KNOW, BAN IS STILL IN PLACE
AND THEIR CAREER IS GOING TO BE
IN JEOPARDY ANYWAYS; OR THE BAN
IS GOING TO BE LIFTED AND WE ARE
ABLE TO RELEASE THIS WITHOUT
JEOPARDIZING THEIR CAREERS.
SO, I THINK THAT THAT WAS THE
CALCULATION THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
ENDED UP MAKING.
THE PERNICIOUS ASPECT OF THIS IS
THAT WE CAN'T GO TO A PUBLIC
AFFAIRS OFFICER IN THE MILITARY
AND SAY, "I WANT TO FOLLOW THIS
RANDOM, YOU KNOW, SENIOR AIRMAN
IN AFGHANISTAN."
"WHY?"
"OH, BECAUSE HE'S TRANSGENDER."
BECAUSE YOU'RE IMMEDIATELY
RAISING THE RED FLAG.
SO, FORTUNATELY, LOGAN HAD SOME
FRIENDS IN AFGHANISTAN WHO HAD
PROSUMER D.S.L.R. FOOTAGE AND
SOME GOPROS AND WAS ABLE TO
CAPTURE SOME OF THE FOOTAGE THAT
GIVES YOU A SENSE OF HIS DAY-TO-
DAY ROUTINE.
>> Reporter: AS THE FILM SHOWS,
A TRANS SOLDIER'S EXPERIENCE
DEPENDS LARGELY ON WHO'S IN
DIRECT COMMAND.
IN AFGHANISTAN, LOGAN IRELAND
HAD A DANGEROUS JOB AS THE LEAD
DRIVER OF A CONVOY.
HIS COMMANDER ACCEPTED HIS
IDENTITY, AND IRELAND SAYS HE
FIT RIGHT IN WITH HIS MALE
PEERS.
>> WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS
DEPLOYMENT IS, I CAN BE MY
AUTHENTIC SELF.
>> Reporter: IRELAND EVEN CAME
OUT IN 2015 TO PRESIDENT OBAMA'S
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, ASHTON
CARTER, WHO VISITED IRELAND'S
BASE IN AFGHANISTAN.
THE VISIT MADE HEADLINES WHEN
CARTER COMMENTED HE'’’D BE
RECEPTIVE TO LETTING TRANSGENDER
PEOPLE SERVE OPENLY.
>> LITERALLY AT THE LAST SPLIT
SECOND, I DECIDED TO INTRODUCE
MYSELF.
"SIR, I'M SENIOR AIRMAN LOGAN
IRELAND.
I AM REPRESENTING ONE OF THE
15,000 ACTIVELY SERVING
TRANSGENDER MEMBERS OF THE
MILITARY."
HIS EYES BUGGED OUT, AND HE IS
THE SWEETEST GUY.
HE'S LIKE, "WOW, THIS IS... THIS
IS INCREDIBLE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
SERVICE AND HAVING THE INTEGRITY
TO COME UP HERE AND TELL ME
THAT."
>> Reporter: WHILE LOGAN WAS
ABLE TO BE HIS TRUE SELF IN
AFGHANISTAN, BACK IN THE STATES,
LAILA IRELAND WASN'’’T SO LUCKY.
SHE WAS STATIONED AT THE TRIPLER
ARMY MEDICAL CENTER IN HONOLULU,
WHERE HER LEADERSHIP TOLD HER
SHE HAD TO CUT HER HAIR AND TELL
PEOPLE TO ADDRESS HER AS A MAN.
>> AND TELL THEM, "NO, YOU KNOW,
I'M NOT A FEMALE, I'M A MALE."
THAT WAS HARD.
IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT.
>> Reporter: CAN YOU JUST TALK
ABOUT WHY IT WAS THAT YOU KEPT
SERVING IN THAT ENVIRONMENT?
>> BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO REALLY
BE AND DO SOMETHING THAT WAS
GREATER THAN JUST MYSELF.
YOU JUST DEVELOP THIS SENSE OF
PRIDE THAT NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE
CAN UNDERSTAND.
>> Reporter: DESPITE THAT PRIDE
AND ALL IT MEANT TO HER, AND HER
DESIRE TO SERVE AS LONG AS SHE
COULD, IRELAND EVENTUALLY
DECIDED SHE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO
LEAVE THE ARMY.
>> SO, I FELT THAT MY LEADERSHIP
WAS BASICALLY BUILDING A CASE
AGAINST ME.
>> Reporter: AN ON-THE-JOB
INJURY MADE HER ELIGIBLE FOR AN
HONORABLE DISCHARGE, SO SHE TOOK
IT RATHER THAN RISK A
DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE.
>> I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET A
JOB ON THE OUTSIDE.
AND SO, I CHOSE TO STICK WITH
THE HONORABLE DISCHARGE.
>> Reporter: LAILA LEFT HONOLULU
AND MOVED TO OKLAHOMA TO BE WITH
HER HUSBAND, LOGAN, AND IS NOW
AN ADVOCATE FOR TRANS RIGHTS.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> Reporter: IN JUNE 2016, SIX
MONTHS AFTER LAILA LEFT THE
ARMY, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
CARTER MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT SHE
AND THE OTHER SERVICE MEMBERS
HAD BEEN WORKING SO HARD FOR.
>> I'M ANNOUNCING TODAY THAT
WE'RE ENDING THE BAN ON
TRANSGENDER AMERICANS IN THE
UNITED STATES MILITARY.
>> YES!
YES!
YES!
IT WAS A RELIEF AND TERRIFYING
AT THE SAME TIME.
THE TERRIFYING PART WAS THAT NOW
HOW DO WE GET THIS POLICY TO
HAVE A SMOOTH IMPLEMENTATION
AMONGST FOLKS WHO DON'T
NECESSARILY BELIEVE THAT WE
SHOULD BE IN SERVICE OR EVEN BE
IN SOCIETY?
>> Reporter: AND HOW WAS THAT
FOR YOU, AS A STORYTELLER AND A
FILMMAKER?
>> YOU KNOW, WE'D BEEN FILMING
WITH LOGAN, LAILA, EL AND JEN
FOR SEVERAL YEARS AT THAT POINT.
AND SO, TO SEE THIS POLICY
CHANGE FOR THE BETTER, AND JUST
KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, I DON'T
KNOW, THERE WAS A CALMING
EFFECT.
FROM A FILMMAKING PERSPECTIVE,
WE ALSO SAID, "WE HAVE AN
ENDING."
OR SO WE THOUGHT.
>> Reporter: AND THAT'S BECAUSE,
JUST OVER A YEAR LATER, IN JULY
2017, PRESIDENT TRUMP ANNOUNCED
HIS INTENTION TO REINSTATE THE
BAN IN A SERIES OF TWEETS.
SO, WHILE THE ISSUE CONTINUES TO
MAKE ITS WAY THROUGH THE COURTS,
TRANS MILITARY MEMBERS LIKE
LOGAN IRELAND ARE SERVING IN A
LEGAL LIMBO.
>> WHAT IS THE FUTURE GOING TO
HOLD FOR ME IN THE MILITARY?
THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO.
THIS IS WHAT I'’’M FOCUSED ON.
>> Reporter: LAILA IRELAND SAYS
SHE HOPES THE FILM SHE CHOSE TO
SPEAK OUT IN WILL HELP INFORM
THE DEBATE AND HELP THE PUBLIC
UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT'S AT
STAKE.
>> WE ARE PART OF THAT 1% OF THE
AMERICAN POPULATION THAT RAISES
OUR RIGHT HAND AND SWEARS TO THE
OATH TO PROTECT THIS... TO
PROTECT AND DEFEND THIS GREAT
COUNTRY.
IT SHOULDN'T MATTER WHAT, YOU
KNOW, OUR... OUR GENDER IDENTITY
IS.
IT REALLY SHOULD MATTER IF WE
ARE CAPABLE AND WILLING TO DO
THE JOB.