Has the military opened the door to overturning medical discharges and retirements?

SGT Joseph Gunderson — Tue, 16 May 2017 20:23:29 -0400

With the announcement that the military has begun to support openly transgender Service members, and in fact aid them in their "transformation", does anyone believe that this opens the door for people who were given the boot for mental health reasons to overturn those discharges/retirements? The AMA defines transgenderism as a mental disorder, just like PTSD, bipolar, depression, et cetera.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made May 16 at 2017 10:28 PM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 16 May 2017 22:28:44 -0400

Your followup seems to focus on the singular topic of transgenderism. If you want to discuss other reasons for a medical discharge getting waived to enable reenlistment, ask again.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 18 at 2017 1:58 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 18 May 2017 13:58:04 -0400

They renamed gender identity disorder to gender dysphoria for a very specific reason. "It replaces the diagnostic name “gender identity disorder” with “gender dysphoria,” as well as makes other important clarifications in the criteria. It is important to note that gender nonconformity is not in itself a mental disorder. The critical element of gender dysphoria is the presence of clinically significant distress associated with the condition."

They specifically took out the word disorder because transgender people aren't "disordered." So it's not seen as a mental disorder according to DSM-5.

Since it is technically not classified as a mental disorder anymore, then no it wouldn't open the door for people who got discharged for mental health reasons for getting those overturned.

WHO considers it a mental illness still but that will change with ICD 11 in 2018. But the American Psychiatric Association does not and they publish the DSM manuals.

Also gender nonconforming is not the same thing and is not a mental illness either.