Non-binary Australian Defence Force captain now allowed to wear female uniform as the army overhauls policy after their request: ‘I can wear make-up now, my fingernails are painted’
- Captain Jesse Noble is gender diverse
- They helped change the Australian Army uniform policy
- Gender diverse people can now choose to wear a male or female uniform
A gender diverse army captain has helped rewrite the Australian Army’s inclusive uniform policy and is now allowed to wear the female uniform.
Captain Jesse Noble said realising they were gender diverse as a 35-year-old churchgoer with a wife and children ‘was like getting hit in the face with a truck’.
‘I was very closeted about it. I thought that I was basically going to tell maybe three people in my whole life,’ they told the ABC on Friday.
However, in February Jesse decided to come forward about their new identity to their boss at Darwin’s First Combat Signals Regiment.
Part of owning Jesse’s new identity was wearing clothing that aligned with it – while working at the army, that was wearing the female uniform.
Gender diverse army captain Jesse Noble (centre) helped rewrite the Australian Army’s inclusive uniform policy
However, the army had a strict uniform policy that prevented non-binary and intersex people from choosing whether they’d wear the female or male version.
The male dress code dictates hair must be cut shorter than four centimetres and bans piercings, make-up and nail polish.
Jesse described handing the paperwork for a female uniform to their boss as a ‘really important step’.
Fortunately, their bravery paid off and their request to wear the female uniform was immediately given interim approval.
The request was eventually moved further up the chain of command until the army released a new rule in April that allowed gender-fluid, non-binary and intersex people to choose either the male or female uniform.
Jesse said they still wear camouflage for daily duties but appreciates having to option to express themself.
‘I can wear make-up now. My ears are pierced at work. I have longer hair than most male-presenting people do at work. My fingernails are painted,’ they said.
‘I can choose how I present myself.’
However, other parts of Jesse’s journey weren’t as easy.
The Australian Army introduced a new rule in April that allowed gender-fluid, non-binary and intersex people to choose whether they wear the male or female uniform
Their marriage ultimately ended in divorce and they decided to leave the Pentecostal Church.
But Jesse has stayed positive and said their experience was ’embarrassingly easy’ compared to other former army members who lost their jobs due to their sexuality and gender identity.
‘I guess that’s where it’s our responsibility to use the platform and the privilege we have to make change for others who may not have the same voice, who may not have had the same opportunities,’ they said.
