WACO, Texas — It has been 12 years since the military repealed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.
Under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, thousands of service members were discharged for being LGBTQ+.
25 News spoke with a vet to hear her experience as a transgender person serving at the time.
Stephanie Rogers is transgender and went by Mark when she proudly served as an infantry sergeant in the Army.
For much of her career, she served under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy and kept that part of her life a secret.
”I had to keep it buried,” said Rogers. “I tried to be the epitome of what it meant to be a masculine man. Nowadays it would probably be called toxic masculinity.”
For her, serving outweighed that struggle.
”It was tough but, my commitment to my wanting to be a soldier all my life, made it easier for me to stay in because I knew it was going to be worth it,” Rogers said.
She chose to leave the Army when she disagreed with plans to discharge three soldiers for violating the controversial policy.
”Kick some soldiers out because they were homosexual, and I didn’t agree with that,” said Rogers. “They were great soldiers, they were non-commissioned officers, I worked with them everyday, they did their job. What they did on their personal time behind closed doors was their business. They functioned as soldiers and that’s what I needed, that’s what I cared about.”
Because of stigma and hormone treatments she chose take the uniform off before transitioning.
”Even if I would have retired,” said Rogers. “I still would have waited until I got out to transition. That’s just me.”
Many of the soldiers discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell received and other than honorable discharge.
Rogers chose to leave, so her journey is different, but a journey she doesn’t regret for a second.
”Absolutely not,” said Rogers. “I'd go back and do it again in a heartbeat. If I could, I would, in a heartbeat.”
The VA said they are reviewing cases of service members discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
