Every week, WTOP is celebrating a Pride Hero who has made a difference in the LGBTQ+ community in the D.C. area. It鈥檚 part of our Pride Month coverage. Check back all throughout June as we share these stories on air and online.
Hearing the words ‘covert operation’ may make you think of the military. In Karen Holmes’ case, it was her experience transitioning and hiding the fact that she was transgender after she joined the Maryland Defense Force in 2011.
Holmes, who grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, started serving her state 13 years ago, in the immediate aftermath of the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military policy that discriminated against LGBTQ+ service members. While the Maryland Defense Force never fell under the policy, Holmes was still concerned.
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden potentially pardoned thousands of veterans who were convicted of violating a former military code banning consensual gay sex.
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a term coined by former President Bill Clinton, was adopted by the military in 1994 and prohibited LGBTQ+ service members from expressing their identities without being potentially discharged.
Over 30,000 people were discharged under the “Homosexual Conduct” policy, . Over 19,000 of those service members were discharged before “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was enacted, and over 13,000 others were discharged while the policy was enforced.
- How victims of LGBTQ hate crimes can get help in DC
- Dating without romance? How aromantic individuals describe their lives
- At his first Pride parade, he hid behind a tree so nobody would see him. Here鈥檚 how he became an LGBTQ 鈥榟ero鈥�
- Mental health expert highlights hurdles facing LGBTQ+ youth this Pride Month
Holmes joined the just two months after the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was repealed. She said the transitional period in the years that followed while serving her state were challenging.
A transformative journey
Holmes started wearing women鈥檚 clothing when she was 13 years old and went through phases of throwing those clothes away, thinking she could move past what she felt. But in 2010, her friend invited her to a trans health conference in Philadelphia.
鈥淎s soon as I walked in, I鈥檓 seeing 5, 6, 7-year-old kids having a really good time and their parents were supporting them and it was just awesome,鈥� Holmes said.
She attended some of the workshops at the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference where she was able to hear experiences from other transgender people. Their stories made her realize how similar hers were, as well as the importance of sharing life experiences to help other people who were going through the same thing. Holmes said that鈥檚 when she understood who she really was.
鈥淢y story may trigger something in that person, or somebody else鈥檚 story may trigger mine. That鈥檚 what happened back in 2010,鈥� Holmes said.
After leaving the conference,聽she returned to work at , a government agency that provides volunteer service in challenging situations across the country, where she had been working since 2001. She came out to her supervisors as transgender and went through an extensive, but supportive, process to begin her transition in and out of the workplace.
While keeping her position at AmeriCorps, she joined the Maryland Defense Force in 2011 after being recruited for her work at a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) rodeo.
During her onboarding process, she was worried that officials with the Maryland Defense Force would find out she was transgender, but she was able to get a physical from her personal primary care provider and submit her passport, which she had changed from her birth name.
鈥淎fter I transitioned, to have to hide who you are, I was afraid if somebody spotted me. What if somebody knew that I was transgender?鈥� Holmes said.
A successful military career
She was brought in as a corporal and worked as a Chaplain鈥檚 assistant doing Force protection, and joined the Color Guard team. During her time in the Force, she led multiple teams and credited them for being very responsive to her direction and doing great work.
In 2012, Holmes won NCO Soldier of the Year by the Maryland Defense Force and the Maryland State Guard Association, and in 2013, by the State Guard Association of the United States, she won Soldier of the Year for her leadership and achievements at her post.
鈥淭he response I heard at both awards were the female soldiers coming up to me and going, 鈥榞reat job, you鈥檙e doing it for us,鈥� and I鈥檓 like saying to myself, 鈥榶eah, because that鈥檚 in my mind, heart and spirit, but I鈥檓 also doing it for the transgender community which I can鈥檛 talk about because they didn鈥檛 want us in there,鈥欌�� Holmes said.
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was repealed, but Holmes was still worried about potentially being outed.
鈥淚 just didn鈥檛 know how the response was going to be. I kept it very secret,鈥� Holmes said.
In 2018,聽 saying that allowing transgender people to serve in the military could “undermine readiness” and “impose an unreasonable burden on the military that is not conducive to military effectiveness and lethality.” From there, 聽from serving.
鈥淚t bothers me whenever I hear, back in the day, when former President Trump was saying there would be no readiness in the military if a trans person was involved. I鈥檓 like, 鈥楽eriously? We are always backing up each other.鈥� That鈥檚 who you鈥檇 consider a battle buddy, you鈥檝e got somebody there who鈥檚 going to watch your back,鈥� Holmes said.
‘Open’ to the future
While she was secretive about her identity at her job, on her Facebook account, Holmes was very open. She often posted pictures in front of her mother鈥檚 fireplace where there was a family portrait, showing her pre-transition.
鈥淥ne of my fellow soldiers on Facebook saw that and he said, 鈥業s that you in the portrait?鈥� And I didn鈥檛 want to lie to him, so I said, 鈥榊eah, that鈥檚 me,鈥欌�� Holmes said.
Following an interview with Baltimore’s ABC-TV affiliate about transgender people serving in the military, Holmes said everyone in her command staff found out she was transgender.
She said they contacted the National Guard, who is supported by the Maryland Defense Force, and responded with nothing but support.
Holmes retired as a Staff Sergeant from the Maryland Defense Force in 2017. She鈥檚 now with the United States Veterans Reserve Corps and serves as a Chief Warrant Officer 2.
Now, Holmes travels across the U.S. in an aim to bridge the gap between transgender people and law enforcement, demonstrating communication that creates a safe interaction between the two.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
漏 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
