When retirement ceremonies are scheduled, especially military-related events, a crowded room is usually filled with joyful energy. Smiling people celebrating over champagne and stories of the “good old days” mark the moment when a military member decides it’s the right time to take a break from work. However, this retirement event felt more like a funeral than a major milestone in his life.
of Human Rights Campaign Foundation hosted an event in Washington, D.C., on January 8 to commemorate the forced retirement of transgender service members. This event is in accordance with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14183 of 2025.Prioritize military excellence and readiness” and directed the Department of Defense to adopt a policy that prohibits transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people from serving in the military.
In the heart of the nation’s capital, just a few blocks from where the president signed his executive order, the five service members followed the traditional pomp and circumstance expected of a retirement celebration. The flag was securely folded as the U.S. Army presented the sword to a non-commissioned officer, the U.S. Navy read “The Watch,” speeches from colleagues and the sound of bells rang out, and family members and superiors spoke of the pinnacles of their careers and the sacrifices they made to protect the Constitution. But the tears heard and seen were not bittersweet as they often were for millions of Americans before them. They were tears of sadness and fear, and ultimately, tears of acceptance, not consent, that they had been removed from their posts because of their gender identity.
After Executive Order 14183, thousands of transgender service members were forcibly removed from all six branches of the military; February memo Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said transgender and non-binary individuals are no longer eligible to serve in the military. The memo also directs that all currently serving transgender people be separated from military service because their gender identity likely violates the military’s enlistment requirements and collectively they “lack the selflessness and humility” required for military service.
For many transgender service members, their careers came to an abrupt end. Unlike the five who took to the stage on January 8, there was no ceremony, no goodbye to a job they didn’t want to quit, no room for a packed house of supporters to clap and cry together.
Col. Bree B. Frum of the U.S. Space Force, Commander Blake Dreman of the U.S. Navy, Lt. Col. Erin Krizek (retired) of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Chief Petty Officer Jada McGuire (retired) of the Coast Guard, and Staff Sergeant Johnson. Army Private First Class Kathryn Schmidt, a veteran, was given the opportunity to say goodbye to more than 100 years of joint service to her country.
“This ceremony is unprecedented, not because their careers were inadequate in any way, but because they shined so brightly in a military that was often cast aside as unworthy,” said Maj. Gen. Tammy Smith (retired), who served as master of ceremonies for the nearly five-hour event. “Like each of them, there are thousands of other transgender service members who were never even given the opportunity to reach the moment of retirement, despite a record that shows they are among the finest.”
Sean Skelly, a former assistant secretary of defense for readiness under President Joe Biden and a member of the HRC board, also spoke at the event. She emphasized that this is not a result of anything transgender service members did or did not do, but rather a country seeking to demonize them.
“Trans military members…are the canaries in the coal mine of our democracy, on the front lines of who is considered not just an American, but one of the best that America has to offer,” Skelly said.
Two members of Congress who are central figures in the fight to secure LGBTQ rights for Americans also addressed the audience and outgoing officials. They are Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), the first openly gay non-white member of Congress, and Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Delaware), the first openly transgender member of Congress.
“First of all, I would like to apologize to us. [trans] “To our military members, we reiterate that your service and dedication to our country has not gone unnoticed. We are disappointed that this administration has chosen to target you for no other reason than cruelty,” Takano said.
“Each of you answered the call to serve. You met the standards. And you served and led with integrity, professionalism and courage,” McBride said. “You are all brave, honorable, and dedicated patriots who have the courage to speak out and say that you are transgender.”
Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall also spoke, pointing out that there is no reason for thousands of transgender service members to lose their jobs and for the nation to lose the valuable talent that makes it the best military in the world.
“Today, as I was reading the biographies of each of the retirees, something came to mind,” the former Kendall said. “We see how similar these are to all other veterans and veterans who are still on active duty. … This is a huge injustice and a huge loss to our country.” [they] …We are not allowed to continue serving our country in military uniform. ”
Each service member had their introducer highlight their accomplishments before giving a heartfelt and to-the-point speech. All of which can be viewed in full on the website. HRC’s YouTube page.
“I joined the military to be a part of the solution…I found that living authentically is much more true and beneficial not only to myself but to my unit than pretending to be someone else,” McGuire told an audience of family, friends, LGBTQ rights activists and former military members. “Being transgender has never prevented me from being hired, and I have never shied away from my duties.”
Despite the circumstances, McGuire said he will use this moment as an opportunity to continue serving.
“Even if it is imposed upon us without choice or discussion, [retirement] “This is still a new chapter…I will continue to advocate for the rights and freedoms we all hold dear,” McGuire said.
Schmidt, an Army officer, said he accepted the feeling of institutional betrayal after giving so much to his military service.
“The Army taught me what honor and integrity meant, and that integrity was the only price I ever really knew how to make. It cost me being a Soldier,” Schmidt said. “Systems let people down, but systems are made of people. That’s what I keep coming back to…Soldiers, people, it’s the Army that matters.”
Mr. Plesik of the Air Force was assigned next.
“Throughout my career, I have been called a hero and thanked for my work…I did all of this for the sake of my three children and the hope of making this country a better place for your children and your families and your hopes,” Plesik said, stressing that this was not a personal failure but a fundamental policy failure. “It’s hard to say out loud that I’m leaving the Air Force now, not because my accomplishments, my dedication, or my ideals are judged to be lacking, but because the policy of who can serve in the Air Force has changed.”
“You matter, your service matters, and you are not alone…Transgender Airmen are surrounded every day by so many fellow Americans who serve quietly and professionally,” Plesik added, acknowledging that some transgender people will continue to serve their country, even if it means hiding parts of themselves until this policy improves.
Dreyman, a former Navy veteran, placed fourth and emphasized that his work to serve the American people will continue even after he retires.
“I have spent my entire career pushing back against a system that too often treats my sex, sexuality, and gender as a measure of my ability in the name of readiness,” Dreiman told the audience. “The work of dismantling hate and building a better system is not done yet. There is so much more I can do once I take off the uniform.”
The last one was Fram of the Space Force.
“My service was real, my dedication was real, and the years I gave to this country were given fully, honorably and with great pride, especially at the end,” she said with tears in her eyes. So did most of the audience. “Transgender service members are characters, not caricatures, and a society that justifies our exclusion by denying our humanity needs to learn better from the civil rights movement.”
“The uniform may come off, but the values it represents can never take off.”
Across the five branches of the military represented, each of the veterans had countless honors and awards, testament to their strength and dedication to defending the country that elected the president, who is now seeking to strip them of their military service for both term and term.
After the ceremony, the Washington Blade spoke with Jonathan Lovitz, HRC’s senior vice president of campaign communications, to discuss why HRC chose to recognize these five service members.
“Why would we do this? Because they deserve nothing less. They are our heroes. They are our fellow Americans who have done more to serve this country than anyone who has attacked them for that service,” Lovitz said. “These five people stand in for thousands more, many of whose stories we will never know, but it is our duty to find and uplift each one of them.”
It was pointed out multiple times during the ceremony that military personnel, not individuals in the White House, take the oath to uphold the Constitution. For Lovitz, that’s the core of why HRC felt the need to act.
“Civil rights protect us all, or at least they should. That’s the heart of the Constitution…and it includes, and especially includes, the heroes who fought and sometimes died to protect civil rights, even those who tried to erase them.”
He ended the conversation by sharing a private moment with one of the retirees.
“I hugged one of the honorees and she said, ‘We shouldn’t have done this, but if we had to do it, this is the way to do it.’ So I’m so happy that they feel loved and honored and noticed and celebrated, and that so many community leaders were able to be here and uplift them.”
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
