This veteran’s selfie sends a pretty powerful message
A transgender US Air Force veteran’s sefie has gone viral, and all because of the t-shirt she chose to wear.
Carla Lewis, who was discharged from the Air Force in 2010 after being diagnosed with gender dysphoria posted the selfie on Facebook.
The photo, which has been shared over 14k times, shows Lewis, from Antioch, Tennessee, wearing a t-shirt which reads “Transgender veteran: I fought for your right to hate me.”
She has explained her reasons for posting the photo, which has been liked over 11,600 times, to the Huffington Post.
The 44-year-old said: “Here’s the message I want others to glean from this shirt: Whenever a citizen volunteers for the armed services they immediately make the conscious decision that they will sacrifice their life if it means securing freedom for their fellow citizens.
“Every right, every privilege enjoyed by an American citizen is paid with the currency of soldiers’ lives. Even if the rights and privileges secured enable others to lobby against me and my transgender brothers and sisters. Freedom matters to us.”
Despite Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the US Military’s now defunct ban on out gay, lesbian or bisexual people from serving openly, having been removed, trans people are still banned.
The Pentagon has pledged to lift the ban on trans military members in 2016.
