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 In the end, those arguments didn't work and DADT was repealed.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?
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 156
I believe that it is going to be a when question. I am absolutely onboard with the service of transgender individuals. The only issue I would forsee would be for those service members that are using medication for hormone balance. That being said, maybe we should look at mental and physical stability in a less then perfect work evironment such as long stays in the field and combat situations. I think it is still a ways off because we need these studies to evaluate true combat and service efficiency.
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Well, I'll just put it this way: Let them serve on a different ship, platoon or whatever, because there will always be those who will say,"HFN!" If it don't bother you, then defend each other from common enemy, who wants you head because of being an infidel, American, or not 1 of them:( Evil is Evil, and they'd rather slaughter us separately than united! I'd rather fight/die alongside those fighting for there lives. War is coming, so how will you choose?
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hopefully never. Transgender and homosexuals are not mentally stable other wise they would not even question their gender to which they were born
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SSG (Join to see)
I am basing my statements on my own research not the American Psychiatric psycho babel and anyone that is homosexual or transgender cannot me mentally stable or they would not be questioning their sexuality that in its self is proving that they are mentally unstable and 2LT Tyler Akers is absolutely correct that prefrontal lobotomy is the preferred means to combat mental illness so P01 Autumn Sandeen what is your responce to the American Psychiatric Associations guidelines on that since you brought up their ideas
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CPT (Join to see)
To clarify my response and my response only, I just wanted to highlight that the APA, though at times may seem 100% correct, is not so much. Hindsight is 20/20.. I'm sure in 40 years we will look back on policies and "evidence" and "science" wrote by the APA and scratch our heads at the logic. Science and medicine are not always right.
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SSG Stephen Arnold
Without the original source articles I won't attempt to critique Hooker's research.
I will say that the summary on that webpage fails to truly address some critical variables and bases the conclusions on limited data. I do not know whether Hooker did so in the actual research.
I will say that the summary on that webpage fails to truly address some critical variables and bases the conclusions on limited data. I do not know whether Hooker did so in the actual research.
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