I’ve been that woman ever since
Millye:
My name is Millye and I served in the military in the Army during the ‘60s. I would get depressed and wouldn't know why. I didn't know it was because I really wanted to be her. I was 14 when my mom realized that I was trans. I would go and sit on the porch and put on my mother's makeup and go and put anything feminine on, just anything would give me a little release.
I joined the service with my best friend, Celina. She and I went in on the buddy system. I wanted to become a nurse and I was a feminine boy and during that time, nursing was a feminine noun, and I wanted a vocation and I knew that I was a caregiver. Every night after dinner, I would always go to the chaplain and pray, and one day I was so emotionally drawn, I was just crying hysterically at the chaplain and one of the pastors walked in and said, “Why are you crying?” I said, “Within the next nine months, I will be out and I'm going and having surgery.” “What do you mean surgery?” And I shared a sex change. “Did you...” I said, “No, you're the first person that I've told,” and I'm crying, thinking it was going to be confidential.
I went and I called my mother, and I told her and she said, “Well, baby, you can always come home. There's always a place for you.” And I said, “I don't know what they're going to do, but they did say that they were going to discharge me,” and when my discharge came, I packed my clothes and I made sure that I would be back in Millye and I did. I had started back taking bootleg hormones and my breasts was getting bigger, and I've been that woman ever since. I went to school and got my degree. I became a nurse and a teacher and I have been an advocate.
Celina, my girlfriend that passed, she told me, “You can go to the VA and talk to the doctors because they are accepting trans issues.” I use the VA for my networking in helping other VA. I use the VA for my one-on-one when I’m feeling stressed and I need to talk to someone. And every Tuesday group, it’s not the trans portion, it’s mostly dealing with my learning how to forgive and move forward. I’ve waited many, many years to have this conversation, many, many years and now it’s here. Thank you.