In this op-ed, Jessica Girven explains the plight her daughter, Blue, has faced as a transgender child in a military family who has been denied medical treatment to begin transitioning.

I​'m​ ​the​ ​mother​ ​of​ ​a​ ​sweet,​ ​bubbly ​11-year-old​ ​girl named​ ​Blue​. ​She​'s​ ​just​ ​like​ ​every​ ​other little​ ​girl​ ​around,​ ​but​ ​with​ ​a​ ​few​ ​exceptions — it​'s​ ​not​ ​her​ ​bright​ ​blue​ ​hair,​ ​nor​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​our​ ​family of​ ​six​ ​is currently stationed in Ramstein Air Base in Germany. What makes​ ​Blue​ ​unique​ ​is​ ​that​ ​she's​ ​a​ ​transgender​ ​military​ ​kid.

Since she was very young, Blue had complained of feeling that she was in the wrong body, so I wasn't surprised when she came out to me after watching an episode of RuPaul's Drag Race. She was 10 when she asked to begin her social transition, and shortly thereafter, Blue became the first student to come out at the on-base school.

As it turned out, Blue chose a perfect time to begin her transition. On September 6, 2016, the United States ​Department​ ​of​ ​Defense published​ ​guidelines​ ​for​ the care of ​transgender​ ​minors on official military locations​. The manual states, "Medically or psychologically necessary...and appropriate medical care...may be covered for non-surgical treatment of gender dysphoria."

However, when Blue requested puberty-blocking medication from ​our​ ​local​ ​base​ ​clinic in Germany, clinicians informed​​ ​us​ that ​they​ ​would​ ​not​ ​provide​ ​transgender​ ​medical care.​ ​They​ ​advise​d ​us​ ​to​ ​find​ ​a​ ​new​ ​Primary​ ​Care​ ​Manager​ ​(PCM)​ ​and​ ​facility​ ​that​ ​was willing to​ ​treat​ ​her, even​ ​though​ ​she'd​ ​spent​ ​seven​ ​years​ ​under​ ​their​ ​care.​

​After a lot of​ ​searching,​ we​ ​finally​ ​found a nearby​ PCM ​at​ ​Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LMRC) that would be willing​ ​to​ ​treat​ ​her. Yet contrary to​ ​a clearly stated​ ​​policy​, ​LMRC told us ​that​ there were not any doctors ​allowed​ ​to​ ​prescribe​ ​Blue the puberty​-blockers​ ​or​ ​opposite​ ​sex​ ​hormones she required. ​​We​ ​fought​ ​to​ ​get​ ​her​ ​treatment​ ​on​- and​ ​off-base,​ ​but​ ​we constantly met resistance.​ In my opinion, health personnel we worked with treated Blue​ ​like a​ ​guinea​ ​pig. Despite DoD's policy,​ ​local​ ​military​ ​hospitals​ ​decided not to provide​ ​transgender-related​ ​medicine. ​As a result, Blue​ ​was denied​ transgender-related health care from August 2016 to July 24, 2017. (Landstuhl Regional Medical Center returned Teen Vogue's request for comment via email on August 7, denying Blue's mistreatment. Through its Public Affairs Office, LRMC said, "Our patients must be of a certain age, and at the appropriate stage of puberty, to receive pubertal suppression care for Gender Dysphoria.")

At school, Blue's teachers and classmates ​were​ ​wonderful​ ​and​ ​supportive,​ ​but when​ ​the​ ​superintendent​ ​heard​ ​about​ ​Blue, the​ school​'s inclusive environment vanished. Just​ ​to​ ​use​ ​the​ ​bathroom,​ ​Blue​ was​ ​forced​ ​to​ ​travel​ ​down​ ​three​ ​flights​ ​of​ ​stairs,​ ​leave​ ​the​ ​school,​ ​and​ ​then cross​ ​a​ ​courtyard​ ​to​ ​enter​ ​a different​ ​building.​

​We thought things would change when advocacy​ ​groups​​ ​reached​ ​out​ ​to​ ​us​ ​to publicize​ ​the injustices Blue was forced to endure​. The​ ​Department​ ​of​ ​Defense Education Activity changed​ ​their​ ​policy​ ​to​ ​reflect​ ​that​ ​all​ ​DoDEA​ ​schools​ ​around​ ​the​ ​world​ ​would​ ​allow students​ ​to​ ​use​ ​the bathroom​ ​and​ ​locker​ ​rooms​ ​corresponding​ ​to​ ​their​ ​gender​ ​identity​.

Unfortunately, that​ ​policy​ ​only​ ​lasted​ ​a​ ​few​ ​months. ​On February 22, 2017,​ ​the​ ​Trump administration​ ​reversed​ ​it​ ​just​ ​weeks​ ​after​ ​he​ ​took​ ​office,​ ​putting​ ​U.S.​ ​military​ ​children​ ​around​ ​the​ ​world at​ ​risk​ ​once again.​ ​We​ ​are​ ​still​ ​fighting​ ​that​ ​decision by working with various advocacy groups — Human Rights Campaign, National Center for Transgender Equality, The American Military Partners Association, to name a few — as well as lobbying Congress.