Caroline Paige served as a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force from 1980 to 2014. In those days being LGBT+ meant that one could potentially lose their job and face humiliation. Coming out as Transgender in 1999, a magnitude of bravery on Caroline’s part allowed her to live the rest of her life with pride and authenticity, and to set a positive precedent for generations to come after her. Now the Chief Executive at Fighting with Pride, and co-author of the military LGBT+ anthology "Fighting With Pride", Caroline is also available to speak at a range of events where she shares more of her magnificent time as the First Openly Serving Transgender Officer in the British Armed Forces.
She has lived a challenging and fascinating life as an air defence fighter who served for UK and Falkland Islands during the Cold War, and Gulf War 1 and even as a Rapid Reaction Force Operational Staff member for the UN in Northern Ireland and Bosnia. Caroline has graciously chronicled her 35 years in the military as an openly transgender officer in her book “True Colours: My Life as the First Openly Transgender Officer in the British Armed Forces” in 2017. She has also written several blogs and articles and spoken on TV and radio interviews about diversity and inclusion in businesses, schools and universities. She has also been a panel member at the Perspectives of Transgender Military Service From Around The Globe Conference. A firm proponent of diversity, inclusion and advocacy, Caroline’s work at Fighting With Pride – a military charity that supports LGBT+ armed forces veterans is commendable. She was mentioned in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List in 2012, receiving commendation from the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force and ten years later received the Women in Defence Equality of Opportunity Award.
Though several people were against her working at the RAF after she came out publicly, citing that she was a ‘liability’, Caroline managed to change that perception. Along with the support of friends and allies, she kept at her work in Iraq and Afghanistan and earned recognition for her service in the form of the Permanent-Under-Secretary Ministry of Defence People’s Award and her two Commander Joint Helicopter Command Commendations for ‘Exceptional Service’. Eventually, having transgender personnel in the military was no longer considered a ‘liability’ but something that the British Military became outwardly proud of. Currently, Caroline serves as the Director of CazTac Ltd. where she imparts her specialist tactical skills in modern warfighting to battlefield helicopter crews. Caroline also received the British Ex-Forces in Business Awards’ Champion of Women award in 2021.
Recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from Middlesex University, Caroline is a School Role Model at Stonewall where she inspires young people to be respectful of differences and is proof to those from the LGBT community that they can live an enriched, respected life as well. She is also a Patron of the Liverpool City Region Pride Foundation, Honorary President of No 472 (Hoylake and West Kirby) Squadron, and a member of the Liverpool FC LGBT+ Advisory Group. Caroline is now available to speak on her journey, the importance of LGBT+ inclusion and why their acceptance is pivotal. Caroline Paige is bound to inspire and educate at your next event. Hire her today!
