by Nicole Curby
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| Jesse Noble is a captain in Darwin's First Brigade at the First Combat Signals Regiment.() |
When Captain Jesse Noble realised they were gender diverse, it "was kind of like getting hit in the face with a truck".
"I really associate with both genders," Captain Noble said.
"It's this middle ground of the two."
At 35 years old, they had spent their entire life in the Pentecostal Church. They were married with kids and a captain in the Australian Army.
Their life seemed completely at odds with a genuine expression of their gender identity.
"I was very closeted about it," Captain Noble said.
"And I thought that I was basically going to tell maybe three people in my whole life."
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| Captain Jesse Noble leads the ADF float at Darwin Pride. (Supplied: (A)manda Parkinson) |
Despite that, in February, Captain Noble took their heart in their hands and fronted up to their boss at Darwin's First Combat Signals Regiment.
"I said, 'Hey, so I'm going to be putting some paperwork up to you,'" they said.
"I'm gender diverse. I'm non-binary, and I am going to be opting for the female uniform."
Male dress standards in the army are stringent: hair must be cut shorter than 4 centimetres. No piercing, make-up or fingernail polish is permitted.
Captain Noble told their boss the female dress standards provided a greater range of gender expression in terms of who they were as a person.
According to army rules, non-binary and intersex people are not entitled to choose their uniforms.
Not knowing how the request would be received, Captain Noble pushed on.
"That's a really important step for me," they said.
"And I think it's an important step for the army as well."
Confronting change
It wasn't just the army Captain Noble had to confront.
"I was in a relationship that I really cared about," they said.
"The person that I was with loved Jesse, the big masculine but sensitive, strong army kind of guy."
The couple had two children together, and their faith shunned homosexuality and gender diversity.
"I knew it was going to be really, really challenging," they said.
Captain Noble approached their partner: "I don't really know how to go through this with you, but I love you, and I still want to be with you. Can we go on that journey?"
Rewriting defence policy
Captain Noble's boss gave immediate interim approval to wear the female uniform, and the request was then escalated up the chain of command.
In April, the forces command issued a new directive stipulating that gender-fluid, non-binary and intersex people could choose the uniform, grooming, physical standards and accommodation that best aligned with their gender identity.
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| Jesse spoke of their journey and the push to have the army in Darwin Pride for the first time (Story Stream) |
The new policy impacts forces command, which makes up about 85 per cent of Australian Army personnel, and a similar policy is in place across the Royal Australian Air Force.
The navy is yet to adopt the changes, although wider change may be on the horizon.
"Defence is in the process of developing a new policy in relation to supporting transgender, gender-affirming, non-binary and all gender-diverse defence members," an Australian Defence Force spokesperson said.
Changes to uniform and gender requirements are taking place across other industries, such as aviation, where Qantas and Jetstar scrapped male and female uniform categories in June 2023.
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| Lisa Annese says gender is one aspect of diversity and inclusion. (Supplied: Diversity Council Australia) |
"It should be non-controversial to do something like this," said Lisa Annese, chief executive of Diversity Council Australia.
"Making uniform policies inclusive is easy to do. I think it's a no-brainer. It costs nothing."
But, she said, creating a genuinely inclusive workplace required broader structural and cultural change.
"Creating inclusive policies for gender diverse people, that's just one aspect of a more complex approach to diversity and inclusion, which focuses on safe workplaces, getting women represented in leadership, on equal pay, workplace flexibility, anti-racism," Ms Annese said.
Decades of fighting for ADF inclusion
Until 1992, openly gay people were banned from serving in the ADF.
When Chief Petty Officer Anita van der Meer was threatened with dismissal for being in a lesbian relationship, she took her case to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
That led to then-prime minister Paul Keating lifting the ban on people in same-sex relationships serving in defence forces.
Eighteen years later, in 2010, Captain Bridget Clinch was served a discharge notice when she informed her chain of command she planned to transition.
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| In 2010, Bridget Clinch was served a discharge notice when she told her boss she wanted to transition. (Supplied: Facebook) |
Challenging the decision, Captain Clinch ultimately won the right for transgender and gender-diverse people to serve in the ADF.
Female fashion every day
In Captain Noble's personal life, their gender expression is fluid, including some masculine elements and a new and joyful exploration of female fashion.
In the army, dress standards are not to be mixed; individuals must choose one uniform and stick to it.
Even though Captain Noble often wears camouflage in their daily duties, their options have expanded.
"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."
Captain Noble's marriage ultimately ended in divorce.
"And at that point, I was separated from the church," they said.
But some aspects of their gender journey have been easier than they anticipated.
"When I look at how much struggle and challenge queer people before me have gone through in terms of work, it's almost embarrassing how easy it's been," Captain Noble said.
"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."
Friday July 14 is International Non-Binary People's Day
First published at ABC News, July 14, 2023
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