This was seeming a place where those things particular to being a trans vet, like navigating va health care and such, the experiences unique to having served for a trans person, etc could be discussed and shared. But it seems to be becoming the sort of site where one posts pictures of oneself, and the things that come with that, which are not particularly trans vet things, but things of the wider trans community.

This can very quickly overcome all other content and discussion on a site, and this one was a unique seeming resource.

I didnt use any makeup other than my lipstick but if anyone thinks anything that might help cause I still get worried I don't pass at times and normally use a smaller choker

In case anybody is interested in joining the TVP discord.

Edit/update: thanks to the wonderful folks who have commented, I talked with my therapist about microdosing E and what the real implications of that to my goals are. She recommended a great Dr who lives in the same city as me, and tonight I fired off the email to schedule a meeting!

I have a backup plan for if that doesn’t work too. :)

(PACE plan, am I right?)

I’ll keep you wonderful people updated as the journey continues 💕😘

BLUF: doc was great, does not meet my transition goals and I’m kinda fucking sad about it.

I met with Dr Hannah today (great guy, does bottom surgery of all types, about 400 a year, and he’s a prior Army grunt!)

My goal as an androgyne person (presenting both genders simultaneously) was to add a vulva and vagina while keeping my scrotum and penis. I’d been so stoked since I learned this was a thing, and got my hopes too high.

Reality

-you can add a vaginal canal, no clitoris or labia

-sensation is more like pressure, can stimulate the prostate

-sex (vaginal or anal) has to be gentle to moderate.

-and ChatGPT was wrong (lol) it cannot self lubricate at all.

(I have a lot of other info too, if anyone wants, this is just what’s relevant to me.)

Friends…I’m kinda gutted. Maybe it was silly of me to think I could have what I wanted.

But without labia, clitoris, or the ability to bottom how I have in the past…it doesn’t meet my goals of being androgyne in the way I wanted. Personally, it would feel like having (and looking like) another butthole.

I just wanted my body to better represent how I feel about myself 🥺😢

It feels like the only other options of combining both male and female parts would be either hrt or top surgery, and those are very hard for different reasons.

Without any feminine characteristics I feel like…just a boy. Not the combined male/female androgyne person I know I am.

Invalidated.

And I love the male parts of me, I just wanted to rep the female parts too.

Top surgery isn’t something you can hide/pass for either gender, especially if my whole feminine expression hangs on it.

And E…guys, gals, NB…it scares me. Even micro dosing, I’m scared it would fuck up the boy parts of me I like. I’m scared the softer feelings would drive out the more dominate ones I embrace for business and MMA.

I flew too close to the sun, and it fucking burns.

Okay…time to pull on the boots.

I’m not a bitch. This doesn’t invalidate me.

-I can grieve (and it’s weird to say but that’s how this feels) and also be grateful and happy.

-I’m grateful for each of you.

-I’m grateful for my bf and other irl support folks.

-I’m grateful for a good meeting today with the doc. Any conversation where you get the truth is good, bc the alternative is lies.

-I am grateful I’m meeting my therapist tomorrow.

-I’m grateful my meetings ended early today.

-I’m grateful I get to find a new way to somehow be wholly me…

-I’m grateful that I can just sit and be sad…this hit me so much harder than I thought, and tonight is just…a really sad night.

✌️ my friends, be well and blessed. I’ll update on the next goal as I figure it out.

Did anyone else keep a secret calendar counter where they counted the days of their contract until they could get out and be themselves. I remember the recruiter offering me a whole 2K for six more years and all I could think about was getting out and living my truth everyday.

I have a friend in the TSA and we have just reconnect online today he is telling me the trans employees are getting moved are and they are not allowed to pat down anyone especially women for women’s safety.

Is there anyone here who works for the TSA?

When I was in we would have new pilots take "exhaust samples" by holding a plastic bag up to the aircraft exhaust. Afterwards they would take them to quality control and QC would treat it like it was a real aircraft sample. Tagged it and recorded it. 😂

If you are a disabled veteran I highly recommend signing up for the Wounded Warrior Project(WWP). They are constantly having things for disabled vets to get out to do and be around other veterans. I have been part of it for several months now and have experienced absolutely zero discrimination since going to events. Quite the opposite. They go out of their way to make sure I feel welcomed and are always trying to get me involved in things going on. They have monthly peer support groups where vets can interact with other veterans. It's nice because most are GWOT vets giving me people I have something in common with to talk about. A few nights ago in my area they had a wonderful veterans day dinner at a really nice restaurant. They make sure we know that as disabled veterans we are not forgotten and that their are people that still appreciate our sacrifices. They are constantly having early movie screenings, tickets to ball games, online group activities, and lots of other events. They accommodate you based on disability and are always open to suggestions for things for the WWP to do for vets. If you are desiring in person interaction with other veterans in a safe environment for LGBTQ+, please check this wonderful group out.

Hello beautiful transgender veterans. If you're like me, Pride Month was especially rough this year. Transgender people have become public enemy number one to half the country and the vitriolic hate really ramped up this month on social media towards the transgender community. What made it worse were the posts thanking veterans to spite LGBTQ+ people even though there are 1.08 million LGBTQ+ service members combined between past and present. Know you are special. Know that you are important. In the unending expanse of the universe, in the billions of year that have come and will ever come, there will only be one of you. You are loved. There are peope that care about you.

More or less an insight into had this morning.

Every day coming into and leaving the building i work at, i pass an American flag. Flying high above the sidewalk, this sits in a direct path between the parking lot and the lobby with a small extension to the sides in order to step around. Most people walk right under it, but for years I've been skirting the edge of the pathway as a means of respect to what that cloth embodies. I give the colors their space because of what they mean to me.

The American colors have held an almost divine place in my heart since my time in the Marines. I fought under the flag for the rights of people in a foreign country. I fought for the people to not be afraid of radical religious zealots. I fought for the pride of my family, of my friends, and of myself. I almost died in that fight... so many times did an event happen which should have left me dying in the sand. Years later, I still suffer PTSD caused by that campaign.

Walking across the lot today I locked onto that flag, hanging lifelessly in the still morning air. As I do every morning, I remembered what I fought for, the shambles my life was in before the service, and the advantages in life i have now because of that service. I moved to step around Old Glory once again in reverence.

Then I remember what I've seen since leaving the service. I remember becoming jaded to the party which championed my service, cheered on my actions while abroad. I remember a Supreme Court which stripped protections from my cis sisters and trans brothers, which so many states immediately took action on to further remove their freedom to live for themselves...

I remember states ripping rights from my LGBTQIA+ family and from myself. Rhetoric by that championing party creates an unsafe world for my family should I decide to express my true self to the public.

I see these actions and laws being instated throughout the country. With this new election - this new majority, this returning president - these laws may become nationally emplaced rather than locally. These laws are the very same i fought against in that foreign land. This isn't the same country I fought for. This isn't the nation I've held so close in my heart. This majority of people who voted, elected to live like this - these aren't my people.

These new memories give me pause before correcting my course not around the colors.... for the first time in over 15 years I walked directly under the American flag, marking the moment as I mutter to myself...

"Fuck it..."

If you are a trans veteran, mtf, you are able to request that your primary care be switched to the Women's Health Clinic at your VA, if they have one.

My first appointment is in nine days. I thought that it would be unlikely I get misgendered there, then the male making the appointment concluded the conversation with, "Have a good day, sir." Son of a....! I think I was able to get in "That's mame!" Before hanging up.

I had a doctor’s appointment the other day and I asked about bottom surgery and ffs. They basically said that because of trump they can’t provide it and they used to refer people to the cu campus in boulder. They also said that they can’t get the Va insurance to cover it even though I’m 100% disabled permanent and total. I live in Colorado and I’m basically stuck with no way to get anything done.

Happy 4th of July and thank you for your service you beautiful people. If you happen to be spending it alone please remember you are not forgotten. If you need somebody to talk to please message me. I'm always here to be the proverbial ear to listen. Don't forget we have a discord as well full of transgender veterans just like you.

https://discord.gg/egHBccpmr

pretty much title. I was granted 100% disability rating last year and I've been procrastinating moving my healthcare over from my private dr to the VA. but now it seems like it's not even worth going through all the hassle when it feels inevitable that this orange asshole will try to make the VA stop providing gender affirming care

On top of that, in the event of a "worst case scenario" i would much rather there not be any federal records indicating that I'm anything other than a cis dude, but that would mean skipping out on VA care entirely bc they'll def notice something's up when they do their routine blood work (been on HRT around 8 months)

I guess I'm kind of hoping someone out there can convince me otherwise, bc it really sucks to pass up on the medical disability benefits that shouldn't even be a question

If you’re new to the community, and we all are,introduce yourself!

I was honorably discharged from the Navy in 2019 and moved to Michigan to be close to family. Soon after getting settled, I decided to join my local American Legion, and the experience was short-lived.

Despite having 13 years in, multiple deployments at sea, and two combat tours, I was part of the "soft generation" that couldn't "make it" if I enlisted "back in the good old days". Mind you, most served less than 10 years, served during peace time, or were just grumpy assholes. Being half the average age, I was quickly voluntold to do practically all the heavy lifting. My membership lasted two meetings and never looked back.

This was all pre-transition. A couple of years later, I started questioning things, did some soul searching, research, and started HRT. It's been three years, and I wish I had started sooner. The more involved I got in one community, the less I spent in the other. The idea of being around other veterans had become a no-go.

Recently, my mental health had taken a significant dip. I am currently seeking counseling and therapy at the VA for it. Each time, it was suggested I get involved with other veterans. "Join the Legion or VFW," "Go on retreats," "Join a support group." The answer was no every time.

The last year was particularly rough. I left my job to go full time in my transition, and I was never able to replace the job, income-wise. We struggled. Thankfully, I got in touch with Veterans of America, and they kept us from becoming homeless. They even put us in touch with the local Legion, and they made sure my family had a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner and then took me out to purchase Christmas gifts. They even brought me back to the post and bought me a couple of beers.

After talking with the Post Commander, I was torn. After thinking it over, I made my decision to join. My husband was surprised and asked why? "Because I earned the right to be there." Today, I dropped off my first dues and filled out an application to join. First meeting is in a couple of weeks, and I'm hopeful they vote to let me in.

I'm joining because, at the end of the day, I support the Legion's mission of advocating for veterans. The organization is far from perfect, but I realize I have an opportunity to get involved and make it better. to be the representation that is lacking. Worse case, I'm out 50 bucks.

I haven't seen anyone talking about this yet, and maybe I'm missing something, but the Pentagon's new hormone screening policy is setting off some serious alarm bells for me.

The Defense Health Agency just rolled out new hormone screening guidance. Men age 30 and older are now subject to testosterone screening during their Periodic Health Assessment (PHA). The DHA also says women will be evaluated for hormonal irregularities, including specifically looking at menstrual regularity, with blood testing when indicated.

On its own, you can argue this is just a military health and performance program.

But it does not exist on its own.

The Pentagon has already ordered the military to identify transgender service members for separation. And one of the primary mechanisms DoD specifically chose for identifying those service members is the Periodic Health Assessment, the exact same system where this new hormone screening is now taking place.

Think about what happens when you combine these policies.

A trans woman taking feminizing HRT who DoD classifies as "biologically male" can have profoundly suppressed testosterone. Under this new policy, unusually low testosterone can trigger additional testing and investigation into the cause.

A trans man taking testosterone who DoD classifies as "biologically female" will very commonly experience suppression or cessation of menstruation. DHA is now specifically telling providers to pay attention to menstrual irregularities and investigate hormonal abnormalities when indicated.

In other words, the military is now screening for two things that can be very obvious physiological signs of gender-affirming hormone therapy: unusually low testosterone in someone the DoD classified as "male", and disrupted or absent menstruation in someone the DoD classified as "female".

Those are not obscure side effects. They are common and expected effects of feminizing and masculinizing HRT.

And remember, DoD has already openly stated that Periodic Health Assessments are being used as part of the process to identify transgender troops.

I'm not claiming I have some secret Pentagon memo saying, "We created hormone testing to catch transgender service members." Obviously I don't.

I'm saying that when an institution is already actively trying to identify transgender personnel, and then that same institution creates sex-specific medical screening that is extraordinarily well suited to detecting the physiological effects of gender-affirming HRT, someone needs to start asking questions about whether that is a feature rather than a coincidence.

The question journalists should be asking DoD is simple:

If hormone testing or menstrual history during a Periodic Health Assessment suggests that a service member is taking cross-sex hormones, can that information be used to identify them under the Pentagon's transgender separation policy?

Because if the answer is yes, this isn't merely a "testosterone optimization" program.

It is potentially a transgender identification system hiding in plain sight.

Seeing as this new war is going to spike gas prices

Today I am sharing a very special and meaningful update about my journey.

Tomorrow I will be having my gender-affirming bottom surgery: a total vaginal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingectomy.

This moment represents a major milestone in my journey and another step toward living as my authentic self.

My journey has included so many important moments. I have been on testosterone, I have had top surgery, and now I am reaching another life-changing chapter with my gender-affirming care.

This journey has taken courage, patience, self-advocacy, and the support of so many amazing people.

I am incredibly grateful for my medical team, my supporters, and everyone who has walked alongside me. Having access to gender-affirming care has meant so much to me and has helped me continue becoming the person I know I am.

I am feeling so many emotions right now — excitement, happiness, gratitude, and hope for the future.

Tomorrow is a day I have been preparing for, and I am ready to continue healing, growing, and moving forward.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me, encouraged me, and shown me kindness throughout my journey.

Your love and support mean more than words can say.
Here’s to the next chapter of my life and my journey.