Writer and transgender activist Hannah Simpson thinks that Donald Trump’s recent transgender military ban isn’t really about the army. She thinks that Trump is watching his administration crumble and must pander to his right-wing base before they jump his sinking ship. Regardless, Hannah calls American Jews to hold a clear line on inclusion, especially for […]
The first transgender officer in the Israeli army, Captain Shachar Erez, in a personal testimony: “Let me be clear: barring transgender individuals from serving their country is not a policy based on credible professional opinion, it is simply pure transphobic discrimination.” Captain Erez with Freedom to Marry Founder Evan Wolfson in Tel Aviv on the AWB […]
Following a tour of talks across the United States, Capt. Shachar Erez, an FTM transgender soldier, shares his experience in an op-ed, encouraging other governments and militaries still struggling with the issue of transgenderism to look to Israel for guidance. Last week, four years after I graduated from the Israel Defense Forces officer course, I […]
Lt. Shachar became the first enlisted Israeli solider to medically transition from female to male. Because Israeli law requires health insurance to cover transgender medical needs, his military insurance covered the costs of his hormone therapy and surgeries. When Israel’s first out transgender soldier was making plans to enlist in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) […]
Lt. Shachar Erez, the first (known) transgender officer in the Israeli military, is using his personal story to preach acceptance on a tour of the U.S. Coming out as transgender can be difficult to do even once — Shachar Erez did it twice. First, when he was 16 years old. But then he joined the […]
A transgender soldier serving openly in the Israel Defense Forces isn’t new, however, making the military a career choice is groundbreaking. Lieutenant Shachar Erez, 22, Israel’s first openly transgender commander in the IDF, knew he wanted a military career when he entered the mandatory service when he was 19 years old. He wanted to be […]