Afta 17 years for di US Army, Maj Kara Corcoran, 39, bin dey prepare to graduate from one ogbonge military leadership programme.
But some complication dey.
Two days bifor di ceremony, dem tell Kara say she gatz conform to male regulations, wey mean say she go wear man uniform and cut her long blonde hairwey she don dey grown since 2018 wen she tell di Army say she don dey identify as a woman.
Di directive bin come from di Pentagon, and flow down through her chain of command for Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
“Nothing about me be man, but dem go force me to wear male uniform just so I go fit waka across di stage wit my mates,” she tok, hours bifor di ceremony. “E no be my choice to cut my hair. I dey do am bicos I gatz do am.”
Kara na one of di several thousand transgender pipo wey dey affected by a ban, wey President Trump bin announce for January. Di ban prevent trans pipo from serving for any job for di US military.
Di ban bifor Trump first term bin focus on new recruits and allow some exceptions, especially for di ones wey don already dey serve. But di 2025 policy remove almost all di exceptions.
Official figures show say transgender pipo for di US armed forces dey, but oda estimates dey much higher, at about 10,000.
Di new policy tok say pesin wey get history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria no dey compatible wit di high mental and physical standards necessary for military service.
Gender dysphoria na wia pesin dey feel say dia gender dey different from di sex of dia birth.
For im executive order, President Trump say “di Armed Forces don dey afflicted wit radical gender ideology” and say di policy go make sure say staff dey “free of medical conditions or physical defects wey fit require too much time lost from duty for necessary treatment or hospitalization”.
Di order also tok say “for man to say im be woman, and for im to need make odas honor dis falsehood, no dey consistent wit di humility and selflessness wey dey required from a service member”.
One poll for February dis year suggest say 58% of Americans “dey in favor of allowing openly transgender men and women to serve for di US military, but dis support don drop from 71% in 2019 and 66% in 2021”.
Critics don call di ban discriminatory and legal challenges don dey filed from serving transgender officers and human rights groups.
Since February, di BBC don dey follow di lives of Maj Kara Corcoran and anoda officer for di Navy, Lt Rae Timberlake, as dem dey try manage di uncertainty of dia military careers.
Dem share wetin dem think and feel in dia personal capacity, no be as tok-tok pipo for di US military or dia oda colleagues.
A career in kwesion
Kara don spend most of her adult life for di US Army. Her combat deployments include time for Afghanistan wia she bin serve as platoon leader and company commander, wen she bin dey live as man, bifor she transition.
Since den, she say she don legally changed her name and gender and she dey use female pronouns.
Transgender pipo bin dey disqualified from all jobs for di military until 2016, but over di past decade, as goments dey change, US policy dey also change.
.2016: Obama comot di ban on trans pipo wey dey serve, and allow dem to access funds through di military for gender-related treatment
.2017: Trump announce ban on trans pipo wey dey serve, sake of medical costs and potential disruptions
.2021: Biden sign order to restore di right of trans pipo to serve
.2025: Trump announce a new ban and tell military bases to initiate separation proceedings against personnel wey get gender dysphoria
“For a long time, I keep silent,” Kara tok. Wen she join di army in 2008, women bin no dey allowed for combat positions.
Kara bin marry a woman and dem born children, although dia relationship later break down as she dey grapple wit her identity.
Las las, she come out as a transgender woman for 2018 and start her hormonal and surgical transition. She say she bin get di support of her commanding officers, wey bin still dey work wit di previous set of guidelines, despite Trump’s 2017 ban. She tell di BBC say di transition improve her ability to serve.
“E don make me to dey more focused, more resilient,” she tok. “Pipo get dis common misconception say transitioning na liability. For me, na di opposite.”
Now, as Trump latest policy come into effect, dem don tell Kara say if she no leave voluntarily, dem fit force her out of di service against her will through one process wey dem dey call involuntary separation.
Involuntary separation na wen pesin dey discharged and dem no choose to comot by dia own freewill. E fit affect any service member, no be just pipo for combat roles.
On top losing dia jobs, pipo fit also lose benefits like pensions, healthcare and disability provisions.
Di Department of Defense say pesin wey comot involuntarily fit get only half of wetin dem for get if dem bin comot voluntarily – di difference fit be tens of thousands of dollars.
Despite dis, Maj Kara Corcoran says she no wan walk away.
“I no go separate voluntarily,” she tok. “I go go thru di involuntary separation and wetin e look like and how horrific dem wan make am for me and oda service members.”
‘Di single dumbest phrase for military history’
Odas like former US Navy Seal, Carl Higbie, dey support Trump ban. Carl now dey host one TV show for di conservative network Newsmax.
E believe say transgender pipo no dey fit for service for di US military, as e tok say gender dysphoria fit require ongoing medical care and accommodations wey fit affect deployability.
“You no fit dey take Ritalin [medicine wey dem dey use to treat ADHD] or some kind prescription medicine dem, and still be eligible service member for combat. Why you go dey on hormone therapy, wey we know say e dey get emotional effects sometimes?” e ask.
Wen we ask am weda e think say biological women wey dey on hormonal medicines, like some treatment for menopause, dey fit to serve for di armed forces, e say: “I think say e get certain times wia we suppose dey more concern about killing bad guys dan making sure say we get gender quotas for a combat operation.”
Di ban on transgender service members na part of a broader shift for US military policy – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, wey Trump bin appoint and who also be former army officer, don move to cancel diversity, equity, and inclusion programmes.
“I think di single dumbest phrase for military history na ‘our diversity is our strength’,” Hegseth tok for one event for di Pentagon in February.
And in April, e post on X say e don “proudly end” di Women, Peace and Security programme, wey be initiative to invite more women and girls to be part of conflict resolution. E call am a distraction from di ogbonge task of “war-fighting”.
A family wey go soon change
Many bin don see dis policy shift coming. For di early hours of 6 November, wen Donald Trump secure im victory for di 2024 US presidential election, Lt Rae Timberlake make a decision.
A non-binary navy officer, Rae join di Navy at di age of 17 and serve on top di nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and also for di Middle East.
Rae fall unda di trans umbrella bicos even though dem register dem as female for dia birth, dem no dey identify as either male or female, and dia pronouns na dem.
Rae say coming out as non-binary in 2020 and transitioning, bin bring clarity to their identity. “Di moment I hear di word ‘non-binary’, I know say e fit me,” dem tell di BBC.
But wit di 2024 Trump victory, Rae feel say di clock don dey tick for dia career. Dem request to transfer from dia West Coast base, to a base closer to family for di east, wey go dey give dem support.
Rae, dia wife and daughter move for di middle of school term, as dem hope say dia possible separation from di Navy don dey near.
“E bin feel like di safest move for us, in case dem force me to leave di service,” Rae tok.
Dem add say dem no dey surprise by President Donald Trump executive order in January, or a memorandum from di Department of Defense di following month.
Di memo tok say military bases must identify service members wey get or wey dey exhibit symptoms of gender dysphoria. Di final deadlines for pipo to come forward voluntarily na 6 June for active-duty personnel and 7 July for reserve and National Guard members.
In May, di Department of Defense say 1,000 service personnel don identify diasef as trans, but dem neva update dat number since den.
Di military get 30 days from di deadline to start involuntary separation proceedings.
Di memo include a provision for pipo to be considered for a waiver on a case-by-case basis. One of di conditions include say di staff go be pesin wey “neva attempt to transition to any sex oda dan dia sex”.
By di time dem publish di memorandum, Rae don already take a new post for Maryland, and di family don dey adjust to dia new home.
“Watching Rae lose dia career, e dey painful,” dia wife, Lindsay, tok. “We dey in survival mode. We neva get time to connect as family. We just dey make hard choices.”
For Rae, di emotional cost dey high. Dem don decide say dem want more control ova di future, so dem don request to retire from di Navy, and by doing so dem don identify diasef for voluntary separation. Di application neva dey accepted yet, but Rae believe say e go dey accepted.
Dem expect di financial implications to be substantial. As dem neva complete 20 years of service, Rae says dem fit forfeit eligibility for a military pension. Dem estimate say pension payments fit add up to about $2.5m ova di course of dia retirement.
A legal and political battle
Even though di Department of Defense say di ban go maintain consistent medical and readiness standards across di forces, opponents, argue say di policy dey target a vulnerable group unfairly.
Three lawsuits don dey filed for court to challeng di legality.
For one high-profile ruling, one federal judge bin block di ban temporarily, sake of concerns of weda e dey constitutional and suggest say e dey discriminate based on gender identity.
However, for April, di Supreme Court lift di injunction, allowing di policy to move forward as litigation continues.
Di legal back-and-forth don leave transgender service members for limbo.
Job hunting for di civilian sector don dey tough for Rae. “I bin apply for one position wey get ova 800 applicants for one day,” they tok, adding say civilian life go offer less security dan di Navy. “E dey competitive and daunting out dia.”
But dem say di next chapter na about not feeling “unda threat for who I be”.
Looking ahead
Kara no self-identify by di 6 June deadline, so she dey wait now to see if di military go flag her for separation – di 30-day window mean say dat one suppose happen by 6 July. She go see wetin unfold from dia.
Di US Department of Defense no gree give statement to di BBC but dem point to previous statements wey say dem dey committed to treating all service members wey di policy impact wit dignity and respect.
One US defence official say di “characterization of service go dey honorable except wia di record of di service member otherwise warrant a lower characterization”.
For now Kara remain for her base for Fort Leavenworth but she dey prepared to leave wit little notice if she gatz to. She don turn her car into a mobile home wit one big power bank, cooking equipment, and a fold-out mattress.
“On top I also get eight-gallon water tank. I fill am up, pump am wit air compressor, and I fit take shower out in di wild. At least I get somewia to live.”
Wen she graduate from di leadership programme wit distinction, after complying wit di male uniform and grooming standards, she say e bin “mean a lot, but how I take do am bin feel like say I dey erase my identity”.
“Dis na about pipo who don dedicate dia lives to service, now dem dey tell dem say dem no longer dey fit, not bicos of performance, but bicos of who dem be.”
Kara bin join di Army in 2008 and transition 10 years later
Kara cut her hair cut on 21 May, di day bifor her graduation ceremony
Kara as she dey for rifle practice near her base for Leavenworth, Kansas.
President Trump salute during di US Army 250th birthday parade, for Washington DC, on 14 June
Former US Navy Seal, Carl Higbie, believe say trans pipo no dey fit to serve for di armed services
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth say di ban na “di president agenda… and we go continue to relentlessly pursue am”
Rae Timberlake don spend half dia life – 17 years – for di US Navy
Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams is the General Overseer of Action Chapel
