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The Indian Navy's First Transgender Sailor Is Being Discharged Because Of Her Gender Identity

The sailor was sent to a male psychiatric ward after being outed as a trans woman.

A transgender sailor who was forced to keep her gender identity a secret from the Indian Navy was discharged from service after her superiors learned about her transition.

Sabi had been a member of the Marine Engineering Department since she was 18, and she secretly underwent sex reassignment surgery a few years into her service. But when she developed a urinary tract infection, she was forced to reveal her truth to Navy doctors.

After her outing, she was locked in a male psychiatric ward for six months by officers who were unsure how to deal with their first trans soldier.

"They were confused and were planning to initially discharge me from service on medical grounds by pointing that I was suffering from depression or some other mental illness and was not fit for service," she told Gaylaxy.

Sabi was eventually sent for a psychological evaluation at the Command Hospital in Kolkata and was diagnosed as a "late onset transsexual" who showed a "strong degree of gender dysphoria." The doctor approved her release from the psychiatric ward and she temporarily resumed service.

Sabi's case was sent to the Ministry of Defense for review during this time, however, and the group ultimately decided she could no longer serve because of their policy that females can't work in defense services.

"I was selected based on my talent in the Navy, but I am being discharged due to my gender," Sabi said. "Where will I go?"

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