In today’s interview, we meet a woman whose life story reads like a blueprint for courage, transformation, and service. Emma Shinn is not only a retired officer of the United States Marine Corps, a distinction that carries its own weight, but also an award-winning criminal defense attorney based in Denver, Colorado. To add yet another layer, she’s a transgender woman who has chosen to walk her truth with integrity and visibility, documenting her transition journey on Reddit under the username ScoutSeven. But Emma is more than the sum of these impressive titles. She’s a fighter in every sense of the word: in the courtroom, where she defends both Colorado citizens and U.S. service members worldwide; in the legislative sphere, where she’s testified in support of transgender rights; and in her personal life, where she continues to advocate for acceptance and understanding through activism, mentorship, and online outreach. As a board member of the Colorado LGBT Bar Association, Emma plays a central role in shaping the legal landscape for LGBTQ individuals across the state. Her work doesn’t stop at the courthouse steps, she co-founded the Colorado Name Change Project, offering vital assistance to those seeking to legally affirm their gender identity. She’s also deeply engaged with community organizations like the Gender Identity Center and the GLBT Community Center of Colorado, constantly working to bridge the gap between law, policy, and lived experience.
What makes Emma’s story especially compelling is the quiet strength with which she shares it. From the battlefield of Fallujah to the hallways of justice, from navigating loss in her personal life to holding the line against discriminatory legislation, Emma embodies a resilience that is both deeply personal and profoundly political. And despite the hardships, including a strained relationship with her children and the emotional cost of coming out, she continues to believe in the importance of love, authenticity, and progress. Whether she’s explaining the difference between gender and sexual orientation with clarity and wit, or advocating for trans visibility in media and the military, Emma speaks with the authority of someone who has lived many lives in one. And through it all, she has remained committed to the idea that her story might ease the path for someone else. It is with deep admiration that I welcome Emma Shinn to our conversation. In her, we find a warrior, a scholar, a mother, a mentor, and above all, a woman unafraid to fight for a world where trans people can live fully, safely, and unapologetically.
Monika: Today I'm speaking with Emma Shinn, a transgender woman known on Reddit as ScoutSeven. A retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, she's now an award-winning attorney in Denver and serves on the board of the Colorado LGBT Bar Association. Welcome, Emma!
Emma: Hi, Monika! Thanks for the opportunity to share my story.
Monika: Can you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about the work you do?
Emma: Sure! I am a criminal defense attorney, representing U.S. service members across the globe at courts-martial and administrative separation hearings. I also represent Colorado residents in criminal proceedings at both state and federal levels.
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CWBA Foundation 14th Annual "Raising the Bar" Dinner Honoree (via YouTube) |
Monika: What role does the Colorado LGBT Bar Association play within the legal community?
Emma: The Colorado Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (“LGBT”) Bar Association is a voluntary professional association of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender attorneys, judges, paralegals, law students, and allies who provide an LGBT presence within Colorado’s legal community. We exist to promote the recognition of civil and human rights, promote sensitivity to legal issues faced by the LGBT community, assure the fair and just treatment of members of the LGBT community, provide opportunities for LGBT attorneys, judges, law students, and allies to interact in a professional setting, build alliances with other diversity bar associations and legal organizations, and enhance the practice and professional expertise of lawyers who serve or who are members of the LGBT community.
Monika: What are the most pressing legal issues facing transgender people in Colorado today?
Emma: The legal challenges facing Colorado trans residents are similar to many across the U.S.; however, we have robust anti-discrimination laws surrounding employment, housing, and bathrooms, to name a few. The fight for equality is not over, though. Despite our progress, recent legislation to advance equality has met with stiff opposition in the Colorado Senate, which has a Republican majority. We still face gatekeeping hurdles in changing birth certificates, gaining and maintaining employment commensurate with skills and experience, as well as renewed pushes by social conservatives for discrimination loosely framed as “religious freedom.”
Monika: What inspired you to share your transition journey on Reddit?
Emma: Reddit was a huge source of inspiration for me leading up to my transition. Seeing other people share their stories and the progress they made showed me that transitioning was possible. I figured that, just maybe, I could be an example for another trans person out there.
Monika: What kind of responses do you typically receive from Reddit users?
Emma: I actually haven’t gotten many questions, mostly support. Some want to know about my military service and how it was being queer and trans on active duty in the Marine Corps. Some want to know how to join since the ban on trans service was lifted, while others want to know about my professional life as an attorney. I’m happy to share my experience so that others’ paths may be just a little easier.
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| "I’m happy to share my experience so that others’ paths may be just a little easier." |
Monika: Have you ever received a question that caught you off guard or felt particularly unusual?
Emma: I can’t think of a “strange” question. Everyone has been pretty awesome and supportive.
Monika: Where would you say you are in your transition journey today?
Emma: I am full-time, and I’ve legally changed my name and gender marker on everything except my birth certificate.
Monika: How do you feel about the effects of hormone therapy so far?
Emma: I say I’m “a work in progress.” I’m happy with the results so far, but I’m still hopeful for additional feminizing effects. I haven’t decided on FFS yet… We’ll see how the next year or so goes.
Monika: Are there any trans individuals, past or present, who inspire you?
Emma: Wow… how much space do you have? LOL. I look up to pioneers and community leaders such as Caroline Cossey, Lucy Hicks Anderson, Marsha P. Johnson, the Wachowski sisters, Janet Mock, Jen Richards, Laverne Cox, Dr. Marcy Bowers, Sarah McBride, Angelica Ross, Laura Jane Grace, Kyle Broadus, Jillian Weiss, and Chase Strangio… to list just a few!
Monika: What was the most difficult part of coming out for you personally?
Emma: It was the loss of my marriage and the damage to my relationship with my kids. I’m hopeful that our relationship will get better as they see how much happier I am and able to be more “present” in their lives in a meaningful way.
Monika: How do you view the current state of rights and acceptance for transgender women in the United States?
Emma: Before the last presidential election, I thought it was going well and improving. I’ve seen a backwards slide ever since #45 was elected. South Dakota just passed an anti-LGBT law, and many more states have similar bills on the calendar. I think that the struggle for equal rights is more important than ever as “social conservatives” try to roll back the progress our community has made over the past decade.
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| Fallujah, Iraq after Operation PHANTOM FURY. |
I just testified in the Colorado House and Senate in support of the 2017 Birth Certificate Modernization Act. Listening to the opponents' rant and rave about the supposed parade of terribles that would occur is a prime example of the progress necessary and the resistance that backwards-looking social conservatives will try in order to stymie that progress.
Monika: How do you feel about the way transgender stories and characters have been portrayed in films, newspapers, and books so far?
Emma: I think it’s improving. Amazing visual media, like Sense8, HerStory, Transparent, Boy Meets Girl, Glee, and Orange Is the New Black, have made real progress. Much remains in getting trans actors to play trans and cis roles, though. I see print media becoming better in their representations of the humanity of trans people.
Monika: Are you politically active? Have you taken part in any lobbying campaigns? In your opinion, can transgender women make a meaningful impact in politics?
Emma: I am very active in both state and federal politics. I’ve volunteered on lobbying events, testified at legislative committee hearings, and work to advance pro-LGBT legislation and cases through the Colorado LGBT Bar Association.
Monika: Are you involved in your local LGBTQ community? If so, in what ways do you contribute?
Emma: Absolutely, I co-founded the Colorado Name Change Project to help Colorado residents with their name and gender marker updates. I also work with the Gender Identity Center and the GLBT Community Center of Colorado.
I think it’s vital for those of us able to be visible to be out and front in the community so that we can both educate and inspire both those who are still in the closet and the public at large.
Monika: The transgender community is often grouped together with other LGBTQ identities. As the "T" in LGBTQ, do you feel transgender people have enough space to advocate for their own distinct needs within the larger movement?
Emma: I think we’re becoming more vocal and more visible, but it’s pretty clear (at least to me) that trans folk are different than the rest of the alphabet soup. While there are certainly similarities, gender vs. sexual orientation is distinct. Sexual orientation is who you want to go to bed with, whereas gender is who you want to go to bed as. I don’t see either as a “choice,” but the T is often confused with the LGB_Q. When I came out as trans, many asked me if my orientation changed (it didn’t).
Another way I look at it is like two circles in a Venn diagram that don’t necessarily touch, since they are independent of each other.
Monika: Are you passionate about fashion? What kinds of outfits do you typically wear, and do you have any favorite styles, colors, or trends?
Emma: I do like fashion… My go-to casual look is skinny jeans, a nice blouse, and a pair of over-the-calf leather boots. In court, I wear a nice suit with either pants or a skirt. Since I’m a redhead, I like earth tones. I’m a relative minimalist when it comes to makeup, but I do like to fancy myself up on occasion.
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| "I think we’re becoming more vocal and more visible." |
Monika: Transgender beauty pageants have gained popularity in recent years. What are your thoughts on them?
Emma: It’s not my scene, but I can appreciate why they are valuable to others.
Monika: How would you describe the role of love in your life?
Emma: Wow… that’s a huge question! There are many kinds of love… romantic, platonic, parental, and even vocational… the list goes on. I see love as a vital part of my life, and I enjoy sharing my love and passions with others. The importance of love cannot be overstated.
Monika: Many transgender women choose to write memoirs about their journeys. Have you ever considered writing your own?
Emma: I have… I enjoy writing and I think that I have a story to share, but setting aside the time and effort to put it on paper is another issue altogether.
Monika: What advice would you give to transgender women who are afraid of transitioning, or who fear discrimination and hatred?
Emma: So much depends on the individual’s circumstances! What I can say is that transitioning was the best decision I’ve ever made, other than having my two amazing kiddos. Discrimination and hatred are going to exist regardless, but I believe being a visible example of the real normalcy of trans people is important.
Monika: What’s the next step in your journey right now, and where do you see yourself in the next five to seven years?
Emma: My next step in the transition is gender confirmation surgery in 2018. In the next 7 years, I see myself continuing my advocacy, increasing my representation of trans* individuals in the legal arena, and enjoying life with my friends and family.
Monika: My pen friend Gina Grahame once told me that we shouldn’t limit our potential based on how we were born or by what we see other trans people doing. She said our dreams shouldn’t end on an operating table, that’s where they begin. Do you share this perspective?
Emma: I think our dreams can begin well before an operating table (and may not even include an operating table for some); however, I agree with the overall sentiment. I think “transition” really applies to life in general. All people are in a state of transition, moving from whom they were to the person they want to be and know they are. For transgender folks, our transition may be more visible, but we should all strive for growth and movement toward a better self.
Monika: Emma, it was a pleasure speaking with you. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me.
Emma: Thanks, Monika!
All the photos: courtesy of Emma Shinn.
© 2017 - Monika Kowalska
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