Happy National Coming Out Day!! I’m LCDR Lily Gray, US Navy, and I came out in May 2021 as a transgender service member. In the span of a week, I learned that feelings/thoughts that I had since at least adolescence were signs that I was transgender from reading other transgender’s stories, accepted that I was trans, and came out to my wife and a few others. Over the summer of 2021, I slowly came out to my wife’s family and my family, began to build out a support network, and begin the steps needed to transition in the military. I finally came out fully to my command and everyone else in September/October 2021. I’m coming up on 18 months of being out and living as Lily and while I still struggle at times and am still figuring my most authentic self out. That being said, living as my most authentic self had brought me joy and hope in ways I didn’t anticipate.
