<
https://archive.is/20260819210251/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/10/trump-white-house-transgender-mike-pence/688284/>
"At the CIA, they’d started an office pool on when I’d be fired.
President Trump would be sworn in for his second term at noon; the smart money
had me gone by 12:15. But the smart money hadn’t counted on Trump’s first pick
to run intelligence for the National Security Council being shredded by an
online mob on suspicion of disloyalty. There wasn’t yet anyone in place to fire
me.
After taking the oath, Trump spoke at the Capitol. “As of today, it will
henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there
are only two genders: male and female.”
“Did he … ?” an NSA colleague asked. She glanced at me and looked away.
“Yeah,” I muttered. The good news: I was one of those two genders. The bad
news: The administration would have views as to which one.
I gripped my badge. I could take it off, leave the White House complex, walk
out the north gate, and never look back. I imagined the story they would tell:
See? Even she knew she didn’t belong.
I didn’t move. I’d wanted this badge since I was a kid. I’d chosen to be here.
“I know you all heard what the president said,” I told my team after Trump’s
speech. “There’s a rumor of an executive order on bathrooms. If anyone asks,
I’m using the coffee shops across the street.”
My whole team spoke up:
Julia, we’ve got your back.
“Me being trans is not a secret,” I reminded them. “Promise me: Nobody covers
for me.”
Back in my office, I closed the door. I cried quickly, efficiently, no
sound—the way you do when the walls have ears, and everyone thinks you’re
fearless.
Joe Biden’s political appointees had left the week before, and I was now the
senior intelligence official in the White House. For the incoming Trump
administration, the trans woman would man the gates."
Via Janet Logan.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
