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JUSTIN and Chance met in the army during their basic training just over two years ago, they both say they got on well, talked a lot, got closer and started a relationship and nicknamed each other “Battle boos!” When they first met, Justin identified as a straight male and Chance as a gay male, a year into their relationship Chance said she wanted to transition to female. Chance warned Justin about the judgement he would face being with her and gave him an option to end the relationship which he declined - they've now been together for two years and married for one. Chance says she is constantly judged on TikTok and plagued with comments about not only being trans but a trans soldier too. Even though the couple says they are always judged, they continue to educate others on TikTok about their journey hoping that other soldiers will also find the courage to be who they want to be.
Disclaimer: These views do not reflect those of the DOD or U.S. Army.
Socials:
https://www.tiktok.com/@chancejohnson0
https://www.instagram.com/lnonlyme/
Videographer: Erik Nuenighoff
Producers: Yasmin Walker, Georgia Embling
Editor: Garry Sykes
JUSTIN and Chance met in the army during their basic training just over two years ago, they both say they got on well, talked a lot, got closer and started a relationship and nicknamed each other “Battle boos!” When they first met, Justin identified as a straight male and Chance as a gay male, a year into their relationship Chance said she wanted to transition to female. Chance warned Justin about the judgement he would face being with her and gave him an option to end the relationship which he declined - they've now been together for two years and married for one. Chance says she is constantly judged on TikTok and plagued with comments about not only being trans but a trans soldier too. Even though the couple says they are always judged, they continue to educate others on TikTok about their journey hoping that other soldiers will also find the courage to be who they want to be.
Disclaimer: These views do not reflect those of the DOD or U.S. Army.
Socials:
https://www.tiktok.com/@chancejohnson0
https://www.instagram.com/lnonlyme/
Videographer: Erik Nuenighoff
Producers: Yasmin Walker, Georgia Embling
Editor: Garry Sykes
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00This is Chance.
00:02She fell in love with Justin.
00:05We met in the Army as men, and now we're husband and wife.
00:08People judge my relationship because I'm trans.
00:10When we met, I did identify as straight.
00:12When he decided that he was going to tell his family...
00:15Witchcraft was involved.
00:16They thought that I had bewitched their son.
00:19This is a comment I get a lot.
00:21Yeah, we're definitely losing World War III.
00:23The Army hopping on this delusion, too terrible.
00:27I wonder what Russia thinks.
00:29I do not care what Russia thinks.
00:32We met in basic training in the Army.
00:35Before I transitioned, I was out as gay for a while.
00:37I was not into Chance because Chance was a boy.
00:41That was not in the cards.
00:44I was not initially attracted to him.
00:46I thought he had a really nice smell.
00:48Now I'm in love with that smell.
00:50Just through basic conversation and just having things in common,
00:54we definitely sparked off something.
00:57A little flirting here and there comes around.
00:59Then you build an attraction to somebody.
01:02I came out as transgender to Justin
01:05probably about three months into our relationship.
01:08He had already accepted me as being gay.
01:11He fell in love with me as a gay man.
01:14He went from being a straight guy to being in love with a gay man.
01:18Now I'm like, I'm going to throw this on you, too. Now I'm trans.
01:22I'm taking this man on a roller coaster.
01:24She called me and she asked me, what if I was a girl?
01:27I was like, okay.
01:29I've always seen Chance as a woman
01:32because she's always been super feminine.
01:34It was just like, I don't think there's going to be a lot that changes.
01:38The reason I decided to go public with my story
01:41is because I just wasn't seeing a lot of trans soldier visibility online.
01:45I think that it's something that needs to be shared.
01:48I think that it can help a lot of people.
01:50I really don't care about the judgment, other people's opinion.
01:53Other people's opinion of me, of us, has nothing to do with us.
01:57It's not that you are trans.
01:59It's that you're weak as ****.
02:02You are not a warrior.
02:04She's a D1 athlete.
02:05That's all I've got to say about that one.
02:08And this is what my **** tax dollars are paying for.
02:11So yes, you know, as a soldier, the military does cover my hormones.
02:15I just want people to remember I'm a taxpayer, too.
02:18This one I just find to be rude.
02:20And it says, please become a statistic.
02:22What I don't think people understand is that
02:24not only is suicide an issue in the trans community,
02:28it is also an issue in the military.
02:30Just please, like, I'll ask you, like,
02:32don't say that to any other trans person.
02:34Don't say that to any other soldier.
02:36When he decided that he was going to tell his family,
02:39he completely identified as straight.
02:41Really didn't have any interaction with the queer community.
02:44Was not in that discourse.
02:46So when he told me, like, yeah, I'm going to tell them.
02:49You're just going to be cool about it.
02:51Like, do not, like, I want, the first thing I told him,
02:55the first thing I told him was,
02:57if you want to come out to your family,
02:59do not come out to them and also tell them that we're in a relationship
03:02because they're going to assume that I turned you that way.
03:05I did that.
03:06He did that.
03:08And they were not the most accepting at first.
03:12Witchcraft was involved.
03:14Witchcraft, apparently, apparently.
03:17They thought that I had bewitched and enchanted their son, you know,
03:22and I guess in a way I did.
03:26All right, babe, Linda's coming over today.
03:28Help me pick out something to wear.
03:30My sister Linda's coming over.
03:31I'm interested to see what she has to say.
03:33These shorts or these pants.
03:35I kind of, like, figured out
03:37and it came to, like, acceptance that I was trans.
03:39While I was in Bay State training,
03:41it had always been something that was in the back of my mind.
03:43But, you know, I was like, no, that can't be me.
03:46I had finally got to the point where, like, I was comfortable with being, like, a gay man.
03:50And then I was like, dang, so now I have to deal with being trans,
03:54which is, like, from my experience, even harder.
03:57I didn't go in expecting to transition.
04:00It was just something that I came to the conclusion of.
04:02I think that there are certain perceptions about the military,
04:05but I would say this is one of the best places to be any type of different.
04:09Everyone's coming from a different place in their life.
04:11I wouldn't say that we're outliers in the military.
04:14Everybody's an outlier in their own way.
04:16Everyone's an outlier.
04:17That's the best part of it.
04:19So, Linda's coming over today.
04:21I'm a big sister.
04:22I'm definitely interested to see what she has to say
04:24about, like, the family dynamic and how she sees us.
04:28I met Justin through my father, who is married to his mother.
04:32I know in the past he has only dated women.
04:35We have a few family members that is very traditional
04:40and really just see, you know, men, women.
04:44They don't really understand.
04:46What I would like to ask Justin is
04:48if dating a trans woman strikes any fear?
04:52I noticed some of the things on TikTok,
04:55people are saying some rude things.
04:58They call trans a disgrace.
05:00A disgrace?
05:02Are you guys ever worried about what other people think of you?
05:07No, not really.
05:08At the end of the day, when I turn off my phone,
05:10I still have my husband.
05:11I still have my career.
05:13I still have my amazing family.
05:15I still have my friends, so...
05:16And that's all that matters.
05:18How would you say the rest of your family reacted?
05:22I can't really, like, speak on everyone,
05:24but I know that there's a few family members
05:27who are more traditional.
05:28They have their own beliefs, their own personal beliefs.
05:31Do you remember that one family member
05:33who asked me if I peed standing up or sitting down?
05:36I would rather, like, the family be, like,
05:39comfortable asking those questions
05:40and, like, we can look back and just laugh on them
05:43than them to, like, be weird about it
05:45and keep them to themselves, you know?
05:47Absolutely.
05:48I know, overall, they have adapted to, you know,
05:53the new version of Justin.
05:55We can tell that he is happy.
05:57Anything else, like, it seems like
05:59they have overcame a lot of things.
06:01I know there's a lot of negative energy out there
06:04on the subject of trans women in general,
06:07especially black trans women.
06:08I was interested in hearing your first initial opinions on
06:13when I introduced you to Chance.
06:15Well, my first initial opinion is she is beautiful.
06:20Absolutely.
06:21You know, I was more so happy for you
06:23and happy that you were comfortable in your own skin.
06:26That's all that mattered, you know?
06:28So it was kind of like coming to me with,
06:31you know, I have a new girlfriend.
06:33I have a new wife.
06:34You know, coming out as, I am gay.
06:36It's like, you're happy,
06:37and that's all that matters, regardless.
06:39Yeah, and I love being part of your family so much.
06:42I love you being a part of our family.
06:44Yeah, you're really my sister, girl.
06:46Aw, I love you.
06:47I've grown in my relationship with his family so much.
06:50I love his family. His family loves me.
06:52What I love about Chance is how solid of a person she is.
06:56She's going to be the mother to my kid.
06:58We're going to have a healthy black family.
07:01Justin has changed my life for the better
07:04in making me realize that I can be loved.
07:08One day we had a conversation, you know,
07:10because a lot of people will say that trans people are delusional,
07:14and he said, if you're delusional, I'll be delusional with you.
07:18To any male out there who is fearful of loving up a trans woman,
07:24then you should check yourself.
07:26I spent a lot of my life hating myself.
07:30That was the majority of my childhood.
07:32That was the majority of my teenage years.
07:36I have a lot more life to live, and I'm not going to do that anymore.
07:39The Army is lucky to have her. I'm lucky to have her.
07:41The world is lucky to have her.
07:43If the sun was to blow up tomorrow, we could just throw Chance up there.
07:46We'll still be good.
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