A transgender Army Reserve officer in Kentucky is speaking out—loud and proud—after a TikTok video she made for Trans Day of Visibility went viral and sparked controversy. Captain Christina Winters, a public affairs officer with over 16 years of service, posted the video on March 31 while in uniform. In it, she shares a message of love and encouragement for trans Americans and slams the Trump administration’s efforts to ban transgender people from the military.
In the video, she says, “My name is Christina Winters, and I’m a captain in the Army Reserve. I want you to know that you are seen, you are loved, you’re appreciated… Now, the current administration wants us to not be visible. They want us to be invisible. They want to remove us from society… We will not be erased. We are here, and we are here to stay.” The video initially had a modest reach on TikTok, with just 1,200 views—but was quickly targeted by anti-LGBTQ account Libs of TikTok.
Their post accusing Winters of encouraging trans people to be “annoyingly proud” racked up more than 1.2 million views. The U.S. Army Reserve confirmed they are “taking appropriate actions,” noting that soldiers are barred from wearing uniforms in unofficial videos. But Winters says she wasn’t on duty and wore the uniform on purpose. Winters says she’s received pressure to take the video down but stands by her choice.
The video arrives amid legal chaos following Trump’s executive order banning trans military members. Although two federal courts have blocked the policy, Winters believes the military is still moving forward with it. She referenced the suicide of a fellow trans service member and said her message was meant to bring hope. For Winters, it’s personal. She said, “I’ve deployed to Kosovo and Iraq. I’ve served with integrity. To be told none of that matters because I’m trans is devastating.”
