'If it hadn't happened I'd still be living a lie now.' - Guardsman Chloe Allen
In a first, a 24-year-old transgender woman soldier has become the first female to serve on the frontline in the British Army. Chloe Allen from Cumbria, started her journey in the force in 2012 as a man. Later she had disclosed her true identity and made the decision to begin hormone therapy last month. Following which, she has officially changed her birth name of Ben to her new name and status. She will now be able to stay in the infantry, as a woman in the British Army, a first in its 850 year history.
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Allen described how honoured she is “to be able to make history”, reported by Telegraph.
“All the paperwork within the Army, within the battalion, has been changed and sorted out. My passport will be done shortly. All the paperwork within the Army, within the battalion, has been changed and sorted out. My passport will be done shortly,” she told BBC.
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First Transgender woman soldier on Army front line (Picture Credit: The Sun )
And, officially, she will be the first and only transgender woman now who has been allowed to engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. Chloe Allen from Cumbria was caught by a fellow serviceman who saw her cross dressing while preparing to guard the royal palace. After all the revelation, the whole battalion took the news very positively and labeled it as 'brilliant' formation.
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Earlier this year, Captain Hannah Winterbourne had too come out openly as transgender.
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Allen‘s big step was announced after two months when former Prime Minister David Cameron declared women should be allowed to fight on the frontline. The application process of whether women can join so transformed for female recruits was a result of an open later this year after the UK government welcomed women on frontline roles.
Feature Image Credit: The Sun
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