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Philippines: Service knows no gender

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Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine Roman, the country’s first transgender congresswoman, is now also the Philippines’ first transgender military officer after taking her oath as a Reservist Officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday at the Department of National Defense (DND) Hall of Flags in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

According to a press release from the DND, Roman donned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in a ceremony administered by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, which was also attended by AFP Chief of Staff General Rey Leonardo Guerrero and other defense and security officials.

“I commend the AFP for allowing Filipino LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) members to serve their country in uniform,” Roman said in a tweet on Thursday via @geraldinebroman. Read more via Interaksyon