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With Honor and Integrity: Transgender Troops in Their Own Words
Heartfelt personal accounts from transgender people fighting for the right to serve in the military
“Prior to coming out as transgender I served the first several years of my career under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” hiding my sexual orientation out of the constant fear of expulsion. I then found myself in the same predicament as when I first joined, wanting nothing more than to serve my country and do my job, but at the cost of sacrificing a major part of who I am. . . . This time, however, I decided that I could no longer sacrifice my own well-being, my own authentic self.”―Mak Vaden, Warrant Officer 1, U.S. Army National Guard, 2006-present
“I have traveled around the world. . . . I have been on five cutters with eleven years of sea time and commanded the Coast Guard cutter Campbell . I have negotiated treaties and fostered international law enforcement cooperation. I have stopped drug smugglers and seized illegal fishing vessels on the high seas. And, I also have gender dysphoria and identify as a trans woman.”―Allison Caputo, Captain, US Coast Guard, 1995–present
On January 25, 2021, in one of his first acts as President, Joe Biden reversed the Trump Administration’s widely condemned ban on transgender people in the military. In With Honor and Integrity , Máel Embser-Herbert and Bree Fram introduce us to the brave individuals who are on the front lines of this issue, assembling a powerful, accessible, and heartfelt collection of first-hand accounts from transgender military personnel in the United States.
Featuring twenty-six essays from current service members or veterans, these eye-opening accounts show us what it is like to serve in the military as a transgender person. From a religious affairs specialist in the Army National Guard, to a petty officer first class in the Navy, to a veteran of the Marine Corps who became “the real me” at age forty-nine, these accounts are personal, engaging, and refreshingly honest. Contributors share their experiences from before and during President Trump’s ban―what barriers they face at work, why they do or don’t choose to serve openly, and how their colleagues have treated them. Fram, a lieutenant colonel who is serving openly as a transgender woman in the US Space Force, and has advocated for open service policies, shares her experience in the aftermath of Trump’s announcement of the ban on Twitter.
Ultimately, Embser-Herbert and Fram provide an inspiring look at the past, present, and future of transgender military service. At a time when LGBTQ rights are under siege, and the opportunity to serve continues to be challenged, With Honor and Integrity is a timely and necessary read.
“Prior to coming out as transgender I served the first several years of my career under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” hiding my sexual orientation out of the constant fear of expulsion. I then found myself in the same predicament as when I first joined, wanting nothing more than to serve my country and do my job, but at the cost of sacrificing a major part of who I am. . . . This time, however, I decided that I could no longer sacrifice my own well-being, my own authentic self.”―Mak Vaden, Warrant Officer 1, U.S. Army National Guard, 2006-present
“I have traveled around the world. . . . I have been on five cutters with eleven years of sea time and commanded the Coast Guard cutter Campbell . I have negotiated treaties and fostered international law enforcement cooperation. I have stopped drug smugglers and seized illegal fishing vessels on the high seas. And, I also have gender dysphoria and identify as a trans woman.”―Allison Caputo, Captain, US Coast Guard, 1995–present
On January 25, 2021, in one of his first acts as President, Joe Biden reversed the Trump Administration’s widely condemned ban on transgender people in the military. In With Honor and Integrity , Máel Embser-Herbert and Bree Fram introduce us to the brave individuals who are on the front lines of this issue, assembling a powerful, accessible, and heartfelt collection of first-hand accounts from transgender military personnel in the United States.
Featuring twenty-six essays from current service members or veterans, these eye-opening accounts show us what it is like to serve in the military as a transgender person. From a religious affairs specialist in the Army National Guard, to a petty officer first class in the Navy, to a veteran of the Marine Corps who became “the real me” at age forty-nine, these accounts are personal, engaging, and refreshingly honest. Contributors share their experiences from before and during President Trump’s ban―what barriers they face at work, why they do or don’t choose to serve openly, and how their colleagues have treated them. Fram, a lieutenant colonel who is serving openly as a transgender woman in the US Space Force, and has advocated for open service policies, shares her experience in the aftermath of Trump’s announcement of the ban on Twitter.
Ultimately, Embser-Herbert and Fram provide an inspiring look at the past, present, and future of transgender military service. At a time when LGBTQ rights are under siege, and the opportunity to serve continues to be challenged, With Honor and Integrity is a timely and necessary read.
232 pages, Hardcover
Published November 9, 2021
6 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 18, 2024
Trans Stories... 🎉🙌💖🙌🎉
US Military stories... 🫤🤡🧐😵💫😒
US Military stories... 🫤🤡🧐😵💫😒
August 17, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley, New York University Press, and Máel Embser-Herbert & Bree Fram for the ARC of With Honor & Integrity: Transgender Troops in Their Own Words. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I found this text to be very eye-opening, informative, and enlightening on gender dysphoria transgender troops have had to undergo with consistent policy change, for better or worst, between Obama, Trump, and Biden administration.
The quote, “The history books always tells the stories of, “firsts.”,” summed up this text perfectly in how it works to normalize transgender storytelling from twenty something different perspectives to give an overview on this extensive topic.
My one suggestion on improving this text is that it lacks chapters and any formatting to break the text up, outside of five subheadings. Breaking these subheadings into distinct chapters, along with specific headings or bolding the names of new people when the perspective or story changes could help in breaking up this clunkiness.
This was a great and quick read I would recommend to anyone looking to learn more.
I found this text to be very eye-opening, informative, and enlightening on gender dysphoria transgender troops have had to undergo with consistent policy change, for better or worst, between Obama, Trump, and Biden administration.
The quote, “The history books always tells the stories of, “firsts.”,” summed up this text perfectly in how it works to normalize transgender storytelling from twenty something different perspectives to give an overview on this extensive topic.
My one suggestion on improving this text is that it lacks chapters and any formatting to break the text up, outside of five subheadings. Breaking these subheadings into distinct chapters, along with specific headings or bolding the names of new people when the perspective or story changes could help in breaking up this clunkiness.
This was a great and quick read I would recommend to anyone looking to learn more.
September 13, 2024
Twenty-six stories of service with honor and integrity, each one a journey worth celebrating.
February 20, 2022
This book is an important snapshot of trans military experience between the end of the military ban in June 2016 and the Trump-led backlash against service members from July 2017 through the end of his presidency.
The contributors are extremely varied in terms of rank, branch, specialty, etc. with only a slight skew toward trans feminine identities. There is one negative essay, but on the whole, the book presents a positive view of the US military and the overall experiences of trans service members, although navigating military bureaucracy is much as expected.
The years covered in the most detail (2016 - 2019) overlap my own transition, so it was easier to compare the contributors' experiences with my own. I can also remember where I was when the trans ban tweet from Trump came out. (At a leadership camp where I was trying to be stealth.)
The quality of writing was generally very good and the pieces well-chosen. This is an important contribution to an issue (trans individuals in the military) that is unlikely to go away and may become a thing again during the next presidential election cycle.
Overall, I would recommend to trans readers and to military families and service members. Although from a university press, it is very accessible to the general reader.
The contributors are extremely varied in terms of rank, branch, specialty, etc. with only a slight skew toward trans feminine identities. There is one negative essay, but on the whole, the book presents a positive view of the US military and the overall experiences of trans service members, although navigating military bureaucracy is much as expected.
The years covered in the most detail (2016 - 2019) overlap my own transition, so it was easier to compare the contributors' experiences with my own. I can also remember where I was when the trans ban tweet from Trump came out. (At a leadership camp where I was trying to be stealth.)
The quality of writing was generally very good and the pieces well-chosen. This is an important contribution to an issue (trans individuals in the military) that is unlikely to go away and may become a thing again during the next presidential election cycle.
Overall, I would recommend to trans readers and to military families and service members. Although from a university press, it is very accessible to the general reader.
August 24, 2021
It was nice to hear authentic voices, real people who had real struggles. Many of whom had served in the military for many years and dealt with numerous policy changes under different presidents. The impact of “don’t ask, don’t tell”, complete bans on transgender individuals serving in the military, the reversal of this ban and so much more.
The overall tone of the book is open & honest. It is a group of military peers sharing their stories. It doesn’t aim to lecture or criticise, just tell their stories.
Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own.
#WithHonorandIntegrity # NetGalley
The overall tone of the book is open & honest. It is a group of military peers sharing their stories. It doesn’t aim to lecture or criticise, just tell their stories.
Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own.
#WithHonorandIntegrity # NetGalley
November 23, 2022
We've heard plenty of media coverage about the controversy of transgender troops serving in the US military. Prepare to put your preconceived ideas aside and learn what it's like in the actual military.
This wonderful anthology tells the personal stories of dozens of actual trans people who have served or are currently effectively in the armed services. Edited by Mael Embser-Herbert and Lt. Col. Bree Fram, the latter currently serving in the US Space Force, these stories make it obvious that the only barrier to effective service by trans people is the artificial one automatically branding anyone trans as somehow unsuitable. When given the same support as any other service member, these trans troops do their jobs and do them as well as anybody else.
This wonderful anthology tells the personal stories of dozens of actual trans people who have served or are currently effectively in the armed services. Edited by Mael Embser-Herbert and Lt. Col. Bree Fram, the latter currently serving in the US Space Force, these stories make it obvious that the only barrier to effective service by trans people is the artificial one automatically branding anyone trans as somehow unsuitable. When given the same support as any other service member, these trans troops do their jobs and do them as well as anybody else.
February 3, 2022
This is a book that needs to be read by all readers of nonfiction. The idea that we can segregate and ban individuals willing to serve in the armed forces based on how they were born within the binary. I am not arguing on behalf of the mental health crisis and how it impacts civilians and soldiers alike. These are individuals of sound mind who know who they are and what they can do. That’s it. We can’t promote our national military without showing respect to those who choose to be there making it possible. This includes all LGBTQ+ individuals who fit the criteria to serve.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 13, 2022
Very interesting. Learned a lot about how people feel when the gender they are assigned at birth doesn't match the gender they identify with. Also learned about both good and bad experiences of transitioning in various branches of the military.
July 4, 2022
To all the contributors, thank you for your service and thank you for sharing your stories. This book has helped me to be a better ally and Wingman, so I am ever grateful for your courage and sacrifice.
July 11, 2022
This book broke my heart. So many people, who served our country and fought for our freedom, are being punished just for being who they are. They sacrificed everything to live authentically. This book has me reexamining the way I view the military
December 12, 2021
excellent and encouraging to read these personal stories.
January 1, 2025
Sad to read these stories. Some were somewhat uplifting, but most tore a bit at my heart for these folks.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews