Commander Emily Shilling, a U.S. Naval aviator who is also an out transgender woman, is already serving in the military, already making our country safer and stronger, already well qualified.
“I have dedicated about 19.5 years of service. It was my dream to join and fly for the Navy since I was little,” Commander Shilling told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins last night.
“I did two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. 60 combat missions. Later, I went on to be a test pilot, and then the meritorious promotions. I have been at the pinnacle of naval aviation. I think I am proof that we are qualified to serve.”
Commander Shilling was responding to news about a Trump executive order issued directing newly-confirmed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to implement a ban on transgender Americans from serving in the military, the second such attempt President Trump has made to discriminate against trans military members and applicants.
The order is already being challenged in court by six transgender Americans, including active duty service members and those seeking to enlist. LGBTQ legal groups Lambda Legal and GLAD Law filed the brief, which noted extensive research showing open trans military service “would have no significant impact on unit readiness.”
Research from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Israel, all of which allow open service of trangender people, “found no evidence of any effect on operational effectiveness or readiness. In fact, the researchers heard from commanders that the increased diversity improved readiness by giving units the tools to address a wider variety of situations and challenges.”
Lambda Legal successfully sued Trump seven years ago to stop his 2017 attempt to ban service.
The current executive order includes no evidence to back up claims, and is filled with factual errors as well as inaccurate language and innuendo. It also conflicts with other orders rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion that demand “no discrimination on the basis of sex,” and with the new Defense Secretary’s own statements.
“The executive order actually just asked the SecDef to generate new policy,” Commander Shilling explained to CNN. “And if you read his most recent memo to the troops, the last line says that he supports all members, and all families, of the Armed Forces. I hope he stands by those words.”
Commander Shilling also debunked one of the largest lies in the Trump executive order about transition care and ability to serve.
“I’m one of the first naval aviators to regain my flight clearance post-transition. And what that means is the Navy was rightfully medically conservative. I’m going to go fly a $100 million aircraft, the f-18, like you saw in Top Gun Two. So they ran me through every psychological evaluation, every physical evaluation they could think of. And at the end of the day, there was no reason to keep me out of the cockpit,” Shilling explained.
Commander Shilling also serves as President of SPARTA Pride, a nonpartisan advocacy group for transgender service members. She noted how a ban would strip the military of not only of fighter pilots like her, but personnel around the world with expertise that keeps our military strong and our country safe.
“We see this with all of the troops that are deployed across the world today, already embedded in combat units,” Shilling said. “We have lawyers, doctors, special forces, rangers, and they’re all there today filling critical roles. If we yank them out, it will take decades to fill.”
Collins closed by asking if Shilling would want to meet with the new SecDef and talk with him about her service and the policy he is writing about service members like her.
“I would welcome a chance to meet him,” Shilling said.
“When people get to know somebody who is transgender, we’re able to change the narrative. There’s a lot of misconception about what it’s like to live in my shoes, or live in my boots, as it were.”
56 generals, admirals, and other leaders from every service branch criticized Trump’s previous attempt to bar open service, noting it would “degrade readiness even more than the failed ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy.”
Majorities of the American public and military personnel have long supported open transgender military service.
At least 30 countries allow open service for transgender military personnel, including the UK and Israel.
Health care for transgender people is supported by every major medical association. Many of the same treatments are also safely prescribed to cisgender people to affirm their gender. There is no evidence to support Trump claims that trans health care negatively impacts ability to serve.
Donald Trump’s record of targeting LGBTQ people is documented on the Trump Accountability Tracker.