Gravitas

Emily Shilling is a US navy commander with an engineering background who is the first transgender person to be cleared for flying duty post-transition. I found out about her because I happened upon a "women in science" seminar on YouTube and wasn't certain she was transgender until she spoke otherwise I would not have known.

She spoke eloquently and calmly giving her experiences in combat flying missions while wearing her best navy uniform. The only difference with the male version was the skirt and the black patent dress pumps she wore on her feet.

People like her give me hope because her demeanor and serious credentials give the LGBTQ community a much needed kick in the gravitas proving that we are indeed found all over the place.