"Transgender troops may finally get the chance to openly serve their country"

2015-07-14T10:10:02-04:00

From: Mashable
--
The U.S. military is on the brink of ending a controversial ban on transgender service members — one that prohibited them from joining the armed forces, or serving openly if they transition during their career.

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, in a statement released Monday, called the policy outdated and said that a working group will spend the next six months evaluating how transgender service members can be fully integrated into the military.

"At a time when our troops have learned from experience that the most important qualification for service members should be whether they're able and willing to do their job, our officers and enlisted personnel are faced with certain rules that tell them the opposite," Carter said.

"Moreover, we have transgender soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines — real, patriotic Americans — who I know are being hurt by an outdated, confusing, inconsistent approach that's contrary to our value of service and individual merit."

Those service members include Senior Airman Logan Ireland and his fiancé, Army Cpl. Laila Villanueva, who attended the White House LGBT Pride reception last month. Their inclusion in the event, heralded by advocates, was also a reminder that the military was discriminating against some of its most dedicated members.

In a recent interview with the Air Force Times, Ireland described the exhausting challenge of simply going to work.

"You constantly wonder who you can trust, who you can be honest with," Ireland said. "You feel like your integrity is compromised with withholding this information and no airman -– or any military member –- wants to go through that." "You feel like your integrity is compromised with withholding this information and no airman -– or any military member –- wants to go through that."

Ireland is just one of an estimated 15,500 transgender people who currently serve in the military; there are more than 2 million active duty and reserve troops.

The military previously disqualified people for service if they report past or present "psychosexual conditions" that include "transsexualism" and "transvestism." Service members who identify as transgender have typically been discharged for a diagnosis of "gender dysphoria," a condition in which a person's gender assigned at birth does not match their gender identity. A commander must also determine that the diagnosis interferes with a person's ability to fulfill their duties.

Experts have long held that transgender people can serve openly without disrupting unit cohesion, though opponents to ending the ban have argued otherwise. Last month, the American Medical Association said there was no "medically valid reason" to exclude them from service.

Carter said the working group will "start with the presumption that transgender persons can serve openly without adverse impact on military effectiveness and readiness, unless and except where objective, practical impediments are identified."

The working group, according to the Associated Press, will evaluate practical issues like appropriate housing, uniforms, and bathroom facilities, in addition to concerns about whether or not the military will pay for transition-related medical care and how commanders will apply fitness and training standards.

The Palm Center, an independent research institute, released a report [PDF link] last year demonstrating that the military could feasibly lift the ban.

The ban will remain in place while the Defense Department evaluates the policy. But Carter said that in the meantime, the decision to discharge any service member who identifies as transgender or is diagnosed with gender dysphoria will be made by Under Secretary Brad Carson only. That will presumably make it much harder to force a transgender service member out of the military.

"As I've said before, we must ensure that everyone who's able and willing to serve has the full and equal opportunity to do so, and we must treat all our people with the dignity and respect they deserve," Carter said. "Going forward, the Department of Defense must and will continue to improve how we do both.

"Our military's future strength depends on it."

http://mashable.com/2015/07/13/transgender-military-ban

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Jul 14 at 2015 11:34 AM

2015-07-14T11:34:29-04:00

This will be another huge transition if allowed. Two things come up berthing and heads. will there now be seperate heads and berthings for them? This is just something to think about.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 12:47 PM

2015-07-14T12:47:28-04:00

This is now the perfect opportunity to change PT standards. If they are female but identity as a male which PT test would they take? By instituting one standard for each service, everyone is treated fairly. The sooner this is done, the sooner everyone can start being treated equal.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 2:38 PM

2015-07-14T14:38:04-04:00

If you care about this issue . . . then do what I did . . . I asked Defense Undersecretary Brad Carson to appoint me to serve as a member, consultant, or staff for the committee. The issue of transgender and/or intensex (i.e. people who are naturally born or naturally develop with ambiguous gender) military service needs to be carefully studied with respect to potential cost, administrative, and legal issues. Consider for example XY males who are born with CAIS (complete androgen insensitivity syndrome) who are naturally born and naturally develop as exceptionally beautiful young women . . . but are genetically male . . . how do you feel about their service? What about hermaphrodites? Warmest Regards, Sandy

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 2:39 PM

2015-07-14T14:39:26-04:00

This is wrong in so many ways that is not even funny... So now we have to pay for the transgender to become the gender he wants to be.... What about the medical issues that this abomination is gonna bring...

Response by GySgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 3:22 PM

2015-07-14T15:22:22-04:00

Good one Duffel Blog...wait a minute, this ain't Duffel Blog?

Response by SN Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 27 at 2015 12:15 PM

2015-08-27T12:15:10-04:00

Best birthday present ever :D

Response by PO2 Corey Ferretti made Aug 27 at 2015 8:25 PM

2015-08-27T20:25:32-04:00

There was a time when we did not allow African Americans to serve. One of the reasons they were not educated enough to serve in line units and their reaction time is not fast enough and could cause. There was also a time when we put every one that was of Japanese decent into camps and did not allow them to serve. When my mom first enlisted in Navy she was not allowed to serve on a ship because she was a women Should we still do that? I think the over whelping answer is no. Are there some issues with this yes. I don't feel someone should enlist so they can get hormone therapy. That takes away from the mission. For those that say they should not serve because it is a mental illness in the ISDM ( I probably have that wrong). Well so is ADHD, Alcoholism, depression, Anxiety, PTSD. I have all of those so should I have not been allowed to serve? We don't have to agree with a lifestyle; I don't agree with the LGBT lifestyle but you know what. I'm not living it and I will never show hatred and bigotry towards them. Why? I have family and friends who are part of the LGBT community and I love them and they are some of my best friends. So instead of saying you can't serve; why not welcome them in. Some of you may have served along side a Transgender service memeber and never knew it.

Response by SSG Robert Spina made Sep 17 at 2015 3:56 AM

2015-09-17T03:56:31-04:00

THIS IS INSANITY

Response by SFC J Fullerton made Feb 25 at 2016 3:03 PM

2016-02-25T15:03:24-05:00

Hopefully those with peanut and bee sting allergies will someday get the chance to openly serve their country without have to lie to the MEPS doctor to get in.

Response by SGT Steve Hines-Saich B.S. M.S. Cybersecurity made May 28 at 2018 8:05 PM

2018-05-28T20:05:28-04:00

Let them serve. As some have pointed all was not lost when African Americans were allowed to serve, no other queer aligned folks, or women. I’m sure leaders with proper training and advisement can work out Physicsl training standards , bathrooms etc.