Capt Ian Hamilton

[Aprilis]

I watched a prog last night about Ian Hamilton, a well decorated Captain of the Parachute Regiment who underwent a sex change op and is now known as Jan Hamilton. I was wondering what you other military chaps think about it. How would you react if he was someone you had been serving alongside or taking orders from?

[Lonnie]

Good Question,
I served in the 60s and 70s, and as far as I know, we only had one openly Gay chap in our Regiment, i'm stll in touch with him, (i'm not Gay), but to your question,

If it was a sevring Officer who had a sex change, I think he'd be posted out, his position woudn't be tenable, too many sniggers, snide remarks, loss of respect etc.

I don't know, but thats what I think would happen.

But then again, I'm of the Old School, and don't think we should have females, (and by definition, thats what he/she is) in the ;fighting front lne.

[Aprilis]

He, now she, is no longer in the Paras. I'm not certain of the circumstances under which he left. Either I missed that bit or it wasn't fully covered in the programme. I didn't catch it right from the beginning.

[4GS]

.I'm with Lonnie on this one, he/she wouldn't be able to continue in the Service post op.

We had a few female CMT's in the RAMC who looked like they should have been blokes but none of them were gay

[Aprilis]

I quite understand that his position would have become untenable. I suppose I was interested in whether there would have been a rather more homophobic (for want of a better term) reaction from male military personnel to the whole business. The reason being that 'she' said on the prog that she now has no friends amongst her former colleagues since making the decision to change gender.

I thought it was very sad that there was allegedly nobody who was willing to continue a friendship. She stated that she is now very lonely and isolated but accepts that as a consequence of the choice Ian made to become Jan.

Perhaps Ian didn't have any close friends among his colleagues in the first place? I find that hard to believe though after serving for twenty odd years. Could it be that any former friends still in the service are protecting their own careers? Would continuing to be friends and associating with a trans-gender ex-soldier affect them adversely?

I have absolutely no idea why this intrigues me. It just does!
Maybe it's because I find it so very sad that this person has gone from highly respected Capt Ian Hamilton of the Parachute Regiment to Jan Hamilton social outcast when, in essence, the heart and soul of this person essentially remains the same.

Perhaps the answer is as simple as this just isn't the person they thought they knew. In which case feelings of betrayal probably come into play.

[4GS]

suffice to say that the Paras are a very male orientated, macho, action man type of unit. Any transgression from this would be seen (by members of the para Regt) as weakness, no self respecting member of that unit (still serving or not) would wish to be associated with Capt Hamilton for fear of being ridiculed.

[Aprilis]

That makes perfect sense 4GS. Being female it's difficult to consider it from a totally male perspective.

[sense4all]

I think that lots of Paras can have settlement issues, without the extra gender re assignment 'problems' as they are such highly trained and self possesed individuals - which is why they are picked to be Paras in the first place. For them still waters run deep and though they may find comfort in the reunions with their oppos, generally civvy street is often a dissapointment after a fulfilling career anyway. Same for S.B.S , Navy Seals etc ... seen too much to find resettlemnt cushy. Don't have the luxury of blissful ignorance like the general populus.

[Aprilis]

Interesting point sense4all.

This person has also been disowned by their parents over the gender reassignment too. Looks like it's a very difficult path for the future that's been chosen. But with the kind of personal qualities that go with being a Para, I'm sure the decision woudn't have been taken lightly.

I just find going from highly respected to totally rejected a very sad situation. It seems to me it was always going to be a no win situation whatever path was chosen.