Posted on Mar 20, 2019
The military's new transgender policy is a ban, no matter how the Pentagon spins it
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The Pentagon last week released its latest policy memo on transgender military service, an effort to bring President Trump’s tweeted ban in line with court rulings that had blocked the administration from implementing it. There are numerous problems with the policy, but one, in particular, ought to bring the entire edifice tumbling down: It is based on the wholly deceptive claim that allowing transgender individuals to serve would mean giving them “special accommodations” — a reprise of the religious right’s strategy of opposing gay rights by calling equal rights “special rights.”
In reality, it is the Trump policy that imposes a separate standard. The previous policy — the one that has successfully allowed open transgender service for the last three years — genuinely applied the same standard to all troops.
In reality, it is the Trump policy that imposes a separate standard. The previous policy — the one that has successfully allowed open transgender service for the last three years — genuinely applied the same standard to all troops.
The military's new transgender policy is a ban, no matter how the Pentagon spins it
Posted from latimes.com
Religion
LGBTQ+
Transgender
Conservative
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
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Males who want to act like females can join the military as long as their acting takes place on their own time and place.
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How about this, protracted gender dysphoria is a mental illness which should preclude military service.
Military personnel have a high rate of suicide, so do transgenders regardless if they had surgery and/or hormone replacement.
Military personnel have a high rate of suicide, so do transgenders regardless if they had surgery and/or hormone replacement.
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SPC Angela Burnham
Gender dysphoria is not recognized as a mental disorder by any major mental health organization though, and in the 3 years we've allowed trans people to serve, there have been zero major incidents. Seems to me that this ban is a solution in search of a problem.
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SrA Michael Webster
SPC Angela Burnham - Zero major incidents is good thing, and I'm glad to hear it.
However, Gender Dysphoria *IS* recognized by the DSM 5:
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) provides for one overarching diagnosis of gender dysphoria with separate specific criteria for children and for adolescents and adults
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/gender-dysphoria/what-is-gender-dysphoria
However, Gender Dysphoria *IS* recognized by the DSM 5:
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) provides for one overarching diagnosis of gender dysphoria with separate specific criteria for children and for adolescents and adults
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/gender-dysphoria/what-is-gender-dysphoria
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SPC Angela Burnham
SrA Michael Webster - This is correct, Gender Dysphoria is defined within the DSM-V, but it isn't classified as a mental disorder.
"It is important to note that gender nonconformity is not in itself a mental disorder. The critical element of gender dysphoria is the presence of clinically significant distress associated with the condition."
-https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Practice/DSM/APA_DSM-5-Gender-Dysphoria.pdf
Basically, the associated symptoms of dysphoria (depression, anxiety, etc) are classified as mental illnesses and disorders, but dysphoria itself isn't. This is because not everyone diagnosed with gender dysphoria has these symptoms, and more importantly not all transgender people are ever diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
"It is important to note that gender nonconformity is not in itself a mental disorder. The critical element of gender dysphoria is the presence of clinically significant distress associated with the condition."
-https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Practice/DSM/APA_DSM-5-Gender-Dysphoria.pdf
Basically, the associated symptoms of dysphoria (depression, anxiety, etc) are classified as mental illnesses and disorders, but dysphoria itself isn't. This is because not everyone diagnosed with gender dysphoria has these symptoms, and more importantly not all transgender people are ever diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
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SrA Michael Webster
SPC Angela Burnham Did you notice that it was differentiating between gender dysphoria and gender nonconforming?
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