My Beloved Is Mine
Sitting in an online chat room for transgender service members, back when she was still Laila Villanueva, Laila Ireland gave little thought to the attractive fellow trans service member in the group chat. It was 2012, and the former Army brat turned fourth-generation veteran was just starting to come out as trans both in her personal and professional life, and she would soon be leading inclusivity trainings with trans military advocacy groups like SPART*A and Outserve Trans. Then, her life made a swift turn.
Two years later, Laila formally met Logan Ireland at a conference for trans military service members and unwittingly began a different story.
“He just radiated confidence,” Ireland recalls. “And when he would speak, it was as if he and I were the only ones in the room on the same wavelength. He was very laid-back and I appreciated that about him. Not to mention he is very handsome. I was instantly attracted to his calmness, his charm,
