00:04What do I like about flying? I guess it is being a bird to be able as a person, as
00:13a human being,
00:14to lift off from the earth. I can't tell you what a pleasing thing is to be taking off from
00:20an
00:21airport and you're in the clouds and you're flying up and there's sort of all of a sudden
00:28it's glowing in front of you and as you go further and further and you break out
00:34you see the clouds look like just wonderful balls of cotton all lit up by
00:41the moon. It's extraordinary.
00:49My name is Robina Asti. I'm 92 and I lived in New York all my life.
00:57I am a commercial pilot and I'm a flight instructor. Because of that, the Navy wanted me to join them.
01:07So I worked my way up in rank and then I became 21 in 1942. Of course, the war had
01:17started by then and in the Pacific I flew airplanes.
01:22It was quite an adventure. I must say that it was a startling, delightful time in my life.
01:30One of the unique things about flying is that you've got to be able to move from one position to
01:35another because you can and not accept where you are.
01:40In 1976 I finally decided that I must become a woman. What was so amazing about it, once I made
01:55the change, I became a woman in body and soul and mind.
02:02It ended up being a rebirth. The prejudice against me changing was extraordinary.
02:13I was a vice president of a pretty big mutual fund at that time. I was going to work as
02:21a man and changing to a woman.
02:23In the evening it became quite burdensome and I knew that it would never be acceptable then.
02:30And finally one day I said, that's it. And I quit. And decided I had to live and work as
02:42a woman.
02:43So I went out as a woman in the world and I changed my sex in aviation. Now as far
02:54as the FAA is concerned, they only know me as a woman.
02:57I changed my social security, I changed my driver's license, and I even got a passport for the United States
03:07as a woman.
03:14Norman Samuel Patton. He was born on August 15, 1915.
03:22After I changed, we met at a bar. And then we met again for a little date. And it ended
03:36up that we became very, very close.
03:40When I saw that, look, this has to be serious, I knew that I had to then tell Norwood.
03:48So I told him. And he was very upset. But inside of a week, he came back to me and
03:59said, told me, look, I don't care.
04:03You're a woman. I didn't only know you as a woman. You are a beautiful woman. And I love you.
04:09And I'm very devoted to you. And I want always to be with you.
04:15And that was the summation of it. We got married at an airport. Every month, he would ask me to
04:26marry him, formally ask me to get married.
04:29And I kept putting it on, putting it on. Finally, in 2004, I told Norwood, yes, let's get married.
04:40It was a delightful relationship. It was, without a doubt, the finest time of my life.
04:49He was 97 when he died, so for a couple of old folks.
04:57I was looking for social security aid. Nothing happened that wasn't routine in the beginning.
05:06However, at the very end of it, when I thought, well, now all we've got to do is sign some
05:11papers and that's it.
05:13She says, well, because of the uniqueness of this, I have to submit this to review.
05:19And I, what review? And she told me that anything unusual has to be reviewed by a committee.
05:29So I waited a whole year. Finally, I get a letter saying I'm denied.
05:38And I'm denied because of the fact that at the time of my marriage, I was not legally a woman.
05:51Those were the words that were in the denial.
05:57And so, I was shocked. I was shamed. That is so insulting. It was just devastating.
06:12And Lambda sent in the appeal. I am certainly wanting to bring this forth, because to make this transition is
06:23not easy.
06:24A lot of young people have lost their families, lost their support, and my suggestion to them was to do
06:35what I did.
06:37Don't do anything. Rely on the basis of the fact that they loved you once, and it will start shining
06:46through again.
06:47Several people that I knew that changed their sex committed suicide. Just simply horrible because they didn't have anyone look
07:00at them and say,
07:01I understand. And I still want you to live. I hope that Lambda succeeds in this case, not for the
07:11money, but for the act of humanity that is absolutely necessary here.
07:19That is like a good. I know. And I have to read all of the things that I hold on
07:44to all of us.
