Spanish soldiers changing gender to female for added benefits, higher pay: ‘On the inside, I am a lesbian’

Spanish soldiers are changing their gender from male to female to earn certain benefits only available to females, including higher pay and better sleeping quarters.

Spanish soldiers are changing their gender from male to female to earn certain benefits only available to females, including higher pay and better sleeping quarters, due to a self-identification law aimed at helping transgender people.

"Positive discrimination" encourages this drastic move, with 41 men in Ceuta altering their gender on official documents since the implementation of the Trans Law in March 2023.

Only four of these soldiers have also changed their names legally, while the rest maintain their male identities outwardly.

"On the outside, I feel like a heterosexual man, but on the inside, I am a lesbian," explains Army Corporal Roberto Perdigones. "And it is the latter that counts. This is why I made the legal change to become a woman."

Perdigones and others are hoping for promotions and raises, leveraging the benefits that come with female identification within the military.

Spain’s government has also looked to add a female presence in the Guardia Civil and National Police force to 40 percent.

"For changing my gender, I have been told that my pension has gone up because women get more to compensate for inequality. I also get 15 percent more salary for being a mother," Perdigones reveals.

Having transitioned last year, Perdigones arrived at the barracks in Ceuta with hair too long for male standards and earrings, which the Spanish military typically prohibits for men.

"I even have a private room in the barracks, all to myself, with a private bathroom. This is because I cannot be with men as I am a woman, and I did not consider it appropriate to be with biological women out of respect for them," Perdigones shares.

The transgender law, passed in December 2022, allows individuals 14 and older to change their identity without psychological or medical evaluation, though minors require parental or guardians' consent.

Spain's left-wing government aims for a 40 percent female presence in the Guardia Civil and National Police force, drawing criticism from conservative opponents.

Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies witness a surge in gender changes among members as a form of rebellion against the law, signaling a growing trend.