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A friend of mine, who is transgender (this matters here), tried to get their pilots license. Initial paperwork was fine... UNTIL they get to the require mental health disclosure. Basically, this person was born with the "wrong" genitalia. Frankly, it doesnt matter. But you have to go through mental health counseling for sex change operations. Which, given the changes it does to a human body, needs to make sure they understand it. I get this and it sounds reasonable and sane (this needs to be a well thought out change, and not just some whim). But then, the FAA sees "mental health" listed, and they assume that you're wacko who's going to crash a plane full of people, or go full-on 9/11. Doesnt matter that its over a sex change to be in parity with what your brain is. You're a nutter. They took 5 years getting the requisite "im not insane" paperwork from all the doctor etc. It was such a waste of time and money on everyone's part. This whole debacle also is why pilots REFUSE to get mental health help, because getting it an lying is a federal crime. So the better answer is to never get it, go full burnout city, and hope nothing bad happens. Doubly so if you're a man - the FAA expects women to get mental health before a man does. If a man does, you're seen as suicidal/homicidal and defective. But to be fair, trans is viewed as even worse by the FAA. Normalize mental health, for everyone. There's NOTHING bad about getting help. A little bit of help now solves a bigger problem later. |