Nighttime Benders: An Interview with Jo Ellis

Credit: Courtesy Jo Ellis

Veterans Day has always been an important day for me. I’ve spent the last 10 years of my life doing shows for veterans’ organizations, and this past month I had the honor of performing with SALUTE TO COMEDY in Dallas, Texas. SALUTE TO COMEDY is a WWII-style variety and comedy show dedicated to hiring performers who have served previously in the military and as first responders. One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to meet and work with some of the most extraordinary humans and comedic talent — and this show was no different.

One of the performers on this show was Jo Ellis, and once I heard her story, I knew we had to share it with all of you. Ellis’ story is mind-blowing:

The U.S. government spent over a million dollars teaching Jo Ellis to fly Black Hawks — and then fired her under Trump’s trans military ban. Her pivot: stand-up comedy. She tells Nighttime Benders about the policy that ended her 16-year military career, the online firestorm she never saw coming, and why she moved to Austin to tell her story on some of comedy’s biggest stages.

A few excerpts from our chat, abridged for print:

Julia Reed Nichols: Can you introduce yourself to people who might not be familiar with you?

Jo Ellis: I’m a stand-up comedian based in Austin, Texas, and a former Army Black Hawk pilot who was forced out under the Trump military ban last summer. I decided to tell my story in a funny way — hopefully one that softens people up to an issue that’s important to me.

JRN: Why did you pick Austin?

JE: Because that’s where the front lines of change are these days. I’d listened to Joe Rogan for 10 years and thought, “That’s not what he really says”—and decided to come tell my story on his stage. Comedians have some of the biggest voices right now, and politicians are chasing podcasts because it sways public opinion.

JRN: What was your military career?

JE: I served 16 years, enlisting in 2009 as a helicopter mechanic. I deployed to Iraq in 2011 as a door gunner, then again to Guatemala and Kuwait, and in 2020 I applied to flight school for the third time. After two rejections, they finally said yes — I became a Black Hawk pilot in 2021.

JRN: How did the end come about?

JE: During Trump’s first week in office, he signed an executive order removing transgender people from the military — anyone with a history of gender dysphoria was permanently disqualified. I woke up and realized my career was probably gone, two years shy of retirement.

JRN: They spent over a million dollars training you and then said never mind?

JE: Yeah — just in training alone, well over a million. And there are multimillion-dollar pilots being forced out, too. Estimates put the tab for kicking trans people out of the military around a billion dollars. Meanwhile, most Americans — close to 70% in polling — think there should be a way for trans service members to serve.

JRN: How did you go from flying helicopters to the stage?

JE: The same week I learned I was being fired, the entire online mob blamed me for a D.C. aviation accident — calling me a trans terrorist who’d committed murder-suicide. They hadn’t released the pilot’s name. I had to post a proof-of-life video, and I was outed internationally against my will. I thought, how do I make something good out of this? Comedy. I live by the idea that if you can laugh about something, it can no longer hurt you.

JRN: You’re doing a guest spot with Chelsea Handler — how did that happen?

JE: I made a reel poking fun at the idea that the Rogan sphere is a transphobic hellscape — pointing out they’d put me on their stage. Chelsea replied, and we talked. Neither of us discounted the other’s experience, and she said, “Come do five minutes for me in Austin next month.” I’m trying to build bridges.

JRN: Would you recommend stand-up to other veterans?

JE: Absolutely. People who’ve served are uniquely qualified to do hard things — and getting on stage and telling your story in a funny way is hard; sometimes it doesn’t work. That resilience translates directly. Get up at an open mic, try it.

Catch Jo on KILL TONY episode #727 & #762 . Her website, joellisreally.com, has links to everything, and she’s @JoEllisReally across all socials.

The full episode will be available starting Veterans Day at: bendsource.com/bend-source-podcasts