Two trans women, Alleria Stanley and Kinzie Maxfield, have been honorably discharged from the U.S. Army. Both women served for 20 years at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and retired after transitioning.
In a press release from PROMO, Missouri’s LGBTQ rights group, Alleria Stanley, one of the women retiring, says, “We were forced to ask ourselves whether we wanted to deny who we were and serve, in the hopes that one day it would change, or whether we should wait to serve entirely until it did change.”
She continues, “Being one’s authentic self is incredibly empowering and uplifting, affecting parts of your life that are unrelated to being transgender. One of the stronger memories I have since serving openly and living authentically is the scores of people who have come up to me to either come out themselves, to share a story of someone they know, or to ask for advice on how to approach a relationship they have with LGBTQ+ friends and family.”
In 2016, both women would begin serving openly as trans. Alleria Stanley served as a radiology technologist within the U.S. Army and was deployed to Afghanistan as a helicopter repairer in 2005. Kinzie Maxfield served as a military dog handler with and was deployed to Afghanistan four times, as well as being awarded the Purple Heart.
On her service and transitioning, Maxfield says, “I have had a great experience in my current unit, but before coming out, I was absolutely terrified that people would not treat me the same. I was an excellent dog trainer and did really high-speed deployments. I was afraid that was going to change. However, all of my commanders were very supportive, helping me with all the necessary paperwork while always treating me with respect and dignity.”
Stanley’s service ends February 28, 2023. Maxfield’s service ends December 31, 2022.
