LONDON - The British military's first transsexual officer is suing for sexual discrimination after having her army position withdrawn this month.

Former Parachute Regiment officer Jan Hamilton, who was born a man but now lives as a woman, has accused the military of rescinding her post as the British army's head of media operations in Gibraltar due to her sexual identity, The (London) Daily Mail said Saturday.

"They have fired me simply because of my gender and sexuality," Hamilton said of her former employer. "I have to pursue legal action because I have no choice.

"This is my career, it's what I do for a living and I'm pretty good at it. My reputation as an officer and a human being is on the line."

The Ministry of Defense maintains that since the 42-year-old officer refused to undergo a required medical exam, she was denied the position.

Hamilton told newspaper she only refused to engage in the examination in her male uniform because she recently underwent a sex-change surgery to begin living as a woman.

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