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Jackson Reinagel is a Navy veteran, a nontraditional student, and a junior majoring in women and gender studies at the 乐播传媒 Boulder. Reinagel, who is weighing a career in academe or law, is also a transgender man.

On Saturday, the nation observes Veterans Day. This week, CU Boulder held its Diversity and Inclusion Summit, and next week is Transgender Awareness Week. The events highlight parts of Reinagel鈥檚 life, and they underscore this point: Our diversity is a strength.

A child of a 鈥淣avy family,鈥� Reinagel served seven years in the U.S. Navy and was a Petty Officer 1st Class when his service concluded. Three years ago, while still an enlisted sailor, he began transitioning into a man.

Reinagel describes himself as 鈥済ood at the Navy鈥� but ultimately decided it wasn鈥檛 for him. 鈥淭here was too much hiding of myself,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t forced me to conform too much.鈥�

The Navy itself extols diversity, but some individual sailors had difficulty embracing it, at least in Reinagel鈥檚 case. Male sailors were more likely to challenge him, Reinagel recalls: 鈥淎 lot of men felt like they were defending a brotherhood. They didn鈥檛 want me in their club.鈥�

Reinagel enrolled at CU Boulder because it supports and welcomes LGBTQ people, and the campus has lived up to its reputation: 鈥淗ere, when I talk about my identity, people and classmates are appreciative of my perspective.鈥�

Of course, people are more than the categories into which they are pigeonholed. 鈥淪aying that I鈥檓 a veteran or saying I鈥檓 trans can derail the conversation into answering questions I鈥檓 tired of answering,鈥� he observes.

Still, Reinagel appreciates the value of robust and open discourse, noting, 鈥淢y different perspectives give me more to choose from in terms of how to relate to people.鈥� Further, his course of study 鈥渋s all about recognizing people as multi-dimensional.鈥�

Lorraine Bayard de Volo, chair of women and gender studies, praises Reinagel as an 鈥渆xcellent student with some terrific insights.鈥� She says Reinagel represents an 鈥渋ntersectional experience鈥� that is important to acknowledge: 鈥溊植ゴ�媒 aren鈥檛 just, say, trans or African American etc. They have multiple intersecting identities that comprise who they are.鈥�

Reinagel puts it this way: 鈥淚鈥檝e literally been in different shoes. I understand what it means to have different perspectives.鈥�

The university strives to be a place where students can respectfully consider a wide range of views. To do this, we need not wear others鈥� shoes. But let us show particular respect for those who have.

James W.C. White is interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.