Posted on Jan 26, 2015
When, Not If, Will We See Open Transgender Military Service?
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On November 23, 2014, the Palm Center released a statement entitled "Military Services Have Failed To Comply With New Defense Department Rules On Transgender Personnel."
http://www.palmcenter.org/files/services%20out%20of%20compliance%20memo.pdf
This followed a report from last March where former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders led a group that concluded there were no sound medical reasons why transgender people couldn't serve in the military services. It also followed an August report outlining a blueprint for how transgender people can be integrated into the military services - integrated much in the same way as 18 of our allies have already accomplished within their military services.
Military Times covered release of this latest report by the Palm Center. "A change to a Pentagon personnel policy three months ago loosens the rules barring transgender troops from serving in the U.S. military," stated the Army and Navy Times in their article entitled Report: Loophole could allow transgender troops to serve under new DoD policy, "giving the individual services leeway to retain these personnel." The article further stated, "The update -- to Defense Department Instruction 1332.18, Disability Evaluation System -- provides a loophole for the services to let transgender troops serve instead of requiring administrative separation, the Palm Center says."
The same socially conservative religious organizations that argued against repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) such as the Center for Military Readiness, the Center for Security Policy, and the Family Research Council, are using almost identical arguments. In the end, those arguments didn't work and DADT was repealed.
DADT was a federal law passed in 1993 that barred lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) service members from serving openly in the military services, and the law needed repeal before LGB service members could serve openly in recent years. All that bars transgender people from serving openly now is the DoD and individual service regulations. And, it appears that the overarching DoD regulation was weakened last August so that the four DoD military services could change their rules now to allow open transgender service.
The military didn't implode when LGB service members could serve openly in the American military services; the military won't implode if – or when - transgender service members can serve openly in the American military services. Honestly, does anybody currently serving in the military, who has given more than a moment's thought to this, really believe there won't come a point in the next five years or so where transgender service members are serving openly? I think most people who've put some thought into this know that it's not a question of whether America will have openly transgender service members at some point, but rather a question of when we'll have it.
So with that in mind, do you agree it's a question of "when" and not "if"? And if you agree it's a "when," how soon do you believe we'll see open transgender military service?
http://www.palmcenter.org/files/services%20out%20of%20compliance%20memo.pdf
This followed a report from last March where former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders led a group that concluded there were no sound medical reasons why transgender people couldn't serve in the military services. It also followed an August report outlining a blueprint for how transgender people can be integrated into the military services - integrated much in the same way as 18 of our allies have already accomplished within their military services.
Military Times covered release of this latest report by the Palm Center. "A change to a Pentagon personnel policy three months ago loosens the rules barring transgender troops from serving in the U.S. military," stated the Army and Navy Times in their article entitled Report: Loophole could allow transgender troops to serve under new DoD policy, "giving the individual services leeway to retain these personnel." The article further stated, "The update -- to Defense Department Instruction 1332.18, Disability Evaluation System -- provides a loophole for the services to let transgender troops serve instead of requiring administrative separation, the Palm Center says."
The same socially conservative religious organizations that argued against repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) such as the Center for Military Readiness, the Center for Security Policy, and the Family Research Council, are using almost identical arguments. In the end, those arguments didn't work and DADT was repealed.
DADT was a federal law passed in 1993 that barred lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) service members from serving openly in the military services, and the law needed repeal before LGB service members could serve openly in recent years. All that bars transgender people from serving openly now is the DoD and individual service regulations. And, it appears that the overarching DoD regulation was weakened last August so that the four DoD military services could change their rules now to allow open transgender service.
The military didn't implode when LGB service members could serve openly in the American military services; the military won't implode if – or when - transgender service members can serve openly in the American military services. Honestly, does anybody currently serving in the military, who has given more than a moment's thought to this, really believe there won't come a point in the next five years or so where transgender service members are serving openly? I think most people who've put some thought into this know that it's not a question of whether America will have openly transgender service members at some point, but rather a question of when we'll have it.
So with that in mind, do you agree it's a question of "when" and not "if"? And if you agree it's a "when," how soon do you believe we'll see open transgender military service?
Policy
Transgender
Don't ask Don't tell (DADT)
Command Post
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 156
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How about just identify yourself as whatever your branch is? I was a Squid, but I trans'ed into being an Airman.
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Can I claim to be trans and get graded using female standards for the APFT?
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PO1 Autumn Sandeen
Sure! Report first to your medical department and state you want to begin medical treatment (hormones an whatnot) for gender transition, then report to your chain of command and let them know you want to transition.
You'll likely need to legally change your name from Bruce, and notify your Personnel Department when the name change is complete so all of your records can be changed. Expect to spend a few hundred there.
Then you'll need to get an entirely new set of uniforms to wear. And, you'll need to do the same for civilian attire for off-duty wear as well, because if you didn't then the likely true assumption is that you're transitioning to engage in misbehavior -- which if it's just to get easier standards for your physical readiness tests, you likely would be engaging in actionable misbehavior.
And, expect peers to treat you like a freak for awhile, and expect to permanently lose friends. You will have just gone, LTC (Join to see), from being a member of a majority member of society to a very visible minority member.
But yes! You can do it!
You'll likely need to legally change your name from Bruce, and notify your Personnel Department when the name change is complete so all of your records can be changed. Expect to spend a few hundred there.
Then you'll need to get an entirely new set of uniforms to wear. And, you'll need to do the same for civilian attire for off-duty wear as well, because if you didn't then the likely true assumption is that you're transitioning to engage in misbehavior -- which if it's just to get easier standards for your physical readiness tests, you likely would be engaging in actionable misbehavior.
And, expect peers to treat you like a freak for awhile, and expect to permanently lose friends. You will have just gone, LTC (Join to see), from being a member of a majority member of society to a very visible minority member.
But yes! You can do it!
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this is a ridiculous concept that will hurt our military and further makes us joke in the world stage.
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HOPEFULLY NEVER YOU CANT TELL ME THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS DONT SUFFER FROM MENTAL ILL
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The goal of military service is insuring that our nation maintains a high state of military readiness and capability. Whoever can meet unambiguous and objective standards (height, weight, physical fitness, occupational skill level, marksmanship, etc.) to maintain that readiness and defend our country is fine by me. In such an open system, there should not be different standards for one group or another, except perhaps by age. Bullets don't go slower depending at whom they're fired, they move fast for everybody, and everybody has to hold up their share of the load.
Regards,
Hugh
Regards,
Hugh
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The main beef I have with the LGBT community is that, for the most part, they appear to be hypocrites.
They preach love, peace, acceptance and tolerance - but they only want these words to apply to their perspectives and to people who believe as they do. Yes, they profess love toward conservatives, but their actions prove them to be violent, unforgiving, and intolerant toward them.
They preach love, peace, acceptance and tolerance - but they only want these words to apply to their perspectives and to people who believe as they do. Yes, they profess love toward conservatives, but their actions prove them to be violent, unforgiving, and intolerant toward them.
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SPC (Join to see)
CPT Brent Ferguson - Hi, Brent. To be human is to be hypocrites. We can find mine and your hypocrisies, whatever they might be, fairly easily.
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CPT Brent Ferguson
Ref SP5 John Cox; If we are all hypocrites then it behoves us all to strive not to be. The first step being to subject our own beliefs to scrutiny. I have done, and continue to do so. It is hard to view your words thru the lens of an opposing ideology, to be sure. However it is also necessary for personal growth. Wouldnt these folks be better served by an open diaologue rather than alienating those who do not hold their perspective as dearly as they do?
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Timing is irrelevant. Policies are key. Either people will be held to their biological gender's HT/WT and PT standards or we will go to gender neutral standards. Anything else will be failure. My last APFT score was a 296, if I were a female it would have been on the extended scale a 365. A female scoring a 300 in my age group would only get a 237... that is just one of many issues that will have to be figured out. Not insurmountable, but needs to be done right.
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IMPO I am tired of hearing about it! It is what it is. I don't believe in it. I personally don't want to know about it. Better off left alone. I have My beliefs and will get in trouble for speaking about it so I wont!
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