Transgender officer in anti-discrimination win

Описание: (1 May 2015) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY
SHOTLIST
AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Belgrade, Serbia - 15 April 2015
1. Wide of Helena, transgender and retired army major, standing in front of the mirror putting on makeup
2. Various of Helena putting on makeup
3. Helena sitting on sofa
4. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Helena, no last name given, transgender, retired army major:
"Over the time, I felt that what I was doing was not that acceptable. I was a military kid, living in a small town, you try some kind of self-healing, to kill that woman inside me, perhaps it would work. Then I enrolled in military school (laughing), to cure myself."
5. Helena hanging a military uniform on the door
6. Close up of military uniform
7. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Helena, no last name given, transgender, retired army major:
"I had been married for 21 years. During that marriage, it was surging from within me. I even tried to kill that in me by getting married young, when I was 19. But all that kept coming out, until it exploded last year definitely. I then came out and told my wife and later I told my children. After that we separated."
8. Cutaway of hand
9. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Helena, no last name given, transgender, retired army major:
"(When I was detained) I was in the wrong place at a wrong time. After I came back (to work) people started gossiping, you have a feeling that somebody is talking about you. Every time I enter the room, everybody would go silent. Then people started labelling me."
10. Hand holding a cigarette
11. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Helena, no last name given, transgender, retired army major:
"This is not Helena's struggle. This is a struggle for all those who can't enjoy their basic human rights to be equal with everybody else."
AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Belgrade, Serbia - 23 April 2015
12. Serbia's Commissioner for Protections and Equality, Nevena Petrusic, in her office
13. Cutaway of documents
14. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Nevena Petrusic, Serbia's Commissioner for Protections and Equality:
"We have found that there was a discriminatory tone in both documents, one coming from the Serbian army headquarters, and another one coming from the Serbian Defence Ministry and that both of these state bodies have violated the anti-discrimination law with such a position."
15. Cutaway of hands
16. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Nevena Petrusic, Serbia's Commissioner for Protections and Equality:
"The authoritarian and patriarchal mentality is still present which leads to social rejection and lack of tolerance. This is also why in the 21st century we still don't have proper regulations."
AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Belgrade, Serbia - 15 April 2015
17. Various of Helena putting on make-up
18. Helena next to bed and eyeshadow box
19. Close up of eyeshadow box
STORYLINE:
In macho Serbia, he came across as macho as they come: an army major in a military culture that glorifies masculine strength.
He was a perfect husband and father in a society that preaches family values.
But for nearly his entire life, the major felt he was living a lie: deep down, he was a woman.
Last year, he came out, telling his family and superiors that he was Helena, and starting therapy to become a woman.
She did not remain Serbia's first transgender major for long: the army asked for her resignation, saying she "posed a threat to the reputation of the army".
This month, Helena scored an important victory.
A Serbian human rights body ruled that the army had discriminated against her by saying she was a potential stain on its honour.
So she sought to quash the woman inside, instead of embracing her.

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