AUGUST 2019 • 69to personnel management, and once
she’d made those inquiries, we were
able to see whether I could stay in
service or not. When the decision
came down to say yes, it was a huge
relief. I was so grateful.
People only really started to learn
I was transgender when I was outed
by The Sun, in 2000. I naïvely thought
I’d escaped the public humiliation of
a “trial by media”. To my shock, the
article appeared on the front page
with the title ‘Sex Change for RAF Top
Gun’ in big
black capitals.
The negative
opinions gave me
the idea that
people didn’t want
me. I felt had to
prove all of them
wrong, and the
only way
I could do that was
to get back to the
front-line. So, I did
my job, and I did it well—in fact, I
flew operationally for 16 years and
earned commendations for
‘exceptional service’.
[The Sun front page] wasn’t the best
thing to happen to me, but it did help
others. I’ve met people over the years
who have said, ‘I remember seeing
that article and it gave me courage’.
I realised I needed to step up as a
role model while I was serving in Iraq.
I was flying Medical Immediate
Response Team missions, getting
critically injured people out of hostile
environments. Yet on return to base
I‘d be harassed in the food tent.
They’d say, ‘Don’t touch him, you’ll
catch it.’ I realised there had been no
process to educate people. Yes, there
was a policy of zero tolerance to
harassment, but there was nothing
about helping people understand
what being different meant. When I
got home, I approached the diversity
and inclusion training centre and
they said, ‘Right, we’re going to do a
roadtrip around the
UK and we’d like you
to join us to speak
about your life as a
trans person within
the military.’
I get lovely feedback
from people who say
[my story] helped
them become allies.
Some admit they were
among the voices that
said, ‘We don’t want
trans people in the military,’ and now
they say, ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t know better.’
The military reflects society so
you’re always going to have a
minority who aren’t tolerant and then
people who are really supportive and
then a big chunk in the middle. [True
change] is just going to take time. My
only regret is that I couldn’t enjoy life
the way I wanted in my younger years.Caroline has written a book about her life,
True Colours, Biteback Publishing, £15.99READER’S DIGESTI’D REACHED
THE POINT IN
MY LIFE
WHERE I JUST
COULDN’T
HIDE
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