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Cpl Kirk has blocked me, but I see the argument about "elective surgery", and I get it... But many people join the military for education benefits as well, which is fully elective. Why should joining for elective surgery not be in the same lane for consideration as a benefit of service, provided it does not interfere with military duties?

There's a long list of disqualifiers for service -- and there's a long list of exceptions to those disqualifiers also -- If you can do the job, no one cares when the situation gets real.

The military had this figured out in 2016 before 45 decided to reinstate the ban in 2017.

It's not that simple to transition in the military. Did anyone else not listen to the training they gave us about transgender people serving? You don't just get to decide one day you're one sex and then go back and change it the next. It's at minimum a year before you can officially change your gender marker in DEERS. You follow the regulations of the gender marker that is in DEERS. It's that simple. So someone can't say "oh I'm female today" and then tomorrow be "oh I'm male again."

Also not everyone does gender reassignment. So the whole "Well what if they join just for reassignment surgery..." SO FUCKING WHAT IF THEY DO? I honestly don't care what's underneath someone's clothes. At all. Can they do their job? Cool. Guess what? Not everyone joins the military for "patriotism." I joined to get my college loans paid back and then I just stayed - and then I used TA and GI Bill to get 2 Masters degrees. The "taxpayers" paid for that right? So that argument of "GeNdEr ReAsSiGnMeNt" surgery is just another excuse to hold people back honestly. I think I read transgender services equal less than 1% of the entire military healthcare budget. Less than 1%.

There have been transgender people openly serving even before Obama lifted the ban. I've heard of stories here and there of it. They have deployed. They have been drill sergeants. Leaders, etc.

Ultimately the only thing I see with people who have issues with it is their own bigotry and ignorance of not learning more about transgender people.