Posted on Jul 1, 2022
The military offers to transfer troops affected by anti-LGBTQ laws, but the process isn't easy
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In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott calls it "child abuse" for parents to provide transgender children with medical care that supports their gender identity. In February, he told state officials to investigate them and called on the public to report instances of minors getting such care.
It brought panic to one Air Force family living in San Antonio.
“We didn't know whether it was just going to be a witch hunt immediately, or if they really had any legal standing,” said B, a military spouse who asked to go by her first initial for fear of retaliation. “Did that mean they could come to our door and take our child away from us? We just didn’t know.”
B and her husband have a teenage daughter who came out as trans a few years ago. Their daughter goes to a private doctor off-base, where she’s received puberty blockers, mental health counseling, and hormone replacement therapy.
“My initial reaction was we need to pack up and get out of here,” B explained.
Although B’s initial instinct was to leave the state, moving isn’t easy for service members, who usually have little choice about where they're stationed.
It brought panic to one Air Force family living in San Antonio.
“We didn't know whether it was just going to be a witch hunt immediately, or if they really had any legal standing,” said B, a military spouse who asked to go by her first initial for fear of retaliation. “Did that mean they could come to our door and take our child away from us? We just didn’t know.”
B and her husband have a teenage daughter who came out as trans a few years ago. Their daughter goes to a private doctor off-base, where she’s received puberty blockers, mental health counseling, and hormone replacement therapy.
“My initial reaction was we need to pack up and get out of here,” B explained.
Although B’s initial instinct was to leave the state, moving isn’t easy for service members, who usually have little choice about where they're stationed.
The military offers to transfer troops affected by anti-LGBTQ laws, but the process isn't easy
Posted from news.stlpublicradio.org
LGBTQ+
Transgender
Gender
Medical
Health
Posted 2 y ago
Responses: 3
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It is sad that this is what it has come to. Uprooting SM's because of hatred of the people they serve.
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One has to ask why members of the military and their families are being attacked by Republicans.
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SGT (Join to see)
PO1 Jeff Chandler No just the truth whichvI know you can't handle but you better start learning how.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Gender affirming care is available at some military medical facilities, but there are often long wait times. Many smaller clinics don’t have the ability to offer it. But even if the military could guarantee support and medical care for her daughter, B acknowledges there’s only so much it can do to protect her family from discrimination.
“I don't think at this point there’s anything that the military could do to make us feel safer. Because the state laws are still going to be in place, whether the military makes changes or not,” she said.
“I think families are going to be discouraged. The more laws that are passed, the fewer places we're going to feel safe living. That's going to cause people to leave the military."
Gina Ortiz Jones, the Air Force Undersecretary, said in June that she wasn’t aware of anybody who has yet taken advantage of the program because of state LGBTQ policies."
..."Gender affirming care is available at some military medical facilities, but there are often long wait times. Many smaller clinics don’t have the ability to offer it. But even if the military could guarantee support and medical care for her daughter, B acknowledges there’s only so much it can do to protect her family from discrimination.
“I don't think at this point there’s anything that the military could do to make us feel safer. Because the state laws are still going to be in place, whether the military makes changes or not,” she said.
“I think families are going to be discouraged. The more laws that are passed, the fewer places we're going to feel safe living. That's going to cause people to leave the military."
Gina Ortiz Jones, the Air Force Undersecretary, said in June that she wasn’t aware of anybody who has yet taken advantage of the program because of state LGBTQ policies."
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