 Canadian Military Considers
Sex Change Request
As reported in a June 6th edition of The Ottawa Citizen, Canada's Department of National Defense is looking into paying for the MTF sex-change surgery for one its soldiers. "One or two" similar requests have been denied in the past. This request will be taken up by the Medical Care Review Committee. Col. Scott Cameron, director of medical services at the National Defence Medical Centre and a member of the committee, said "It's a controversial issue, but we want to make sure we look at the issue and come to a conclusion that is best for this individual and best for the military."
The story points outs that sex-change operations are covered by Ontario's medicare system The province has paid for 46 operations over the last six years, at a cost of about $120,000 Canadian.
. . .
Read the original article by Jason Brown at http://www.ottawacitizen.com/national/980606/1765197.html
 Transwoman Reservist Files Suit Against
Tennessee National Guard
From InYourFace on-line news. For more IYF releases, check the GenderPAC website at: http://www.gpac.org
[Nashville, TN: 4 Jul 98] Transsexual woman
Laury Weaver, a Major in the Tennessee Army
National Guard, has filed a lawsuit
against the Guard alleging sex discrimination
and sexual harassment.
Weaver, a decorated veteran with 28 years
of active and reserve experience in the Guard,
alleges that, from August 1997 to June 1998,
she has been subjected to continuous harassment
and has been denied work from active duty
assignments.
She is beginning her transition, but is
still performing her military job as a man.
She was informed that compliants had been filed
against her, but she has been unable to find out
the nature of the compliants and who filed them.
She has, to date, received eight reprimands for
noncompliance with military clothing regulations.
She maintains that she has been in strict
compliance with all clothing regulations while
on duty. She says the harassment began last
August when she was recognized in female
clothing while off duty by a fellow Guard
officer.
She contacted her Congressmember, Bart
Gordon, but his office has been no help to Ms.
Weaver.
There is no legal protection in Tennessee
for discrimination against a person because of
sexual orientation or gender expression. Said
Ms. Weaver, "I enjoy my job and feel that what
I am doing has a positive impact on [unit]
readiness and, most importantly, on the
individual soldier's preparedness in the guard.
All I want is to be able to do that job without
harassment."
. . .
Contact: Laury Weaver, lauryw1@mindspring.com
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