Transgender People in the Military

[DapperButch]

This article talks about how it is Pence that set Trump to ban trans people in the military. Mattis's February report said they should stay, but Pence changed things up.

https://thinkprogress.org/pence-resp...-f4d3b67bde47/


"When President Trump announced a new ban on transgender people serving in the military late Friday, it was somewhat of a surprise — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had reportedly recommended in February that Trump allow transgender people to serve. It turns out that Vice President Pence and some of the country’s most prominent anti-LGBTQ activists had a role in reversing the outcome, which explains why the report explaining the decision is rife with anti-trans junk science.

Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern reported Friday night that, according to multiple sources, Pence played “a leading role” in creating the report, along with Ryan T. Anderson of the Heritage Foundation, which has been dubbed “Trump’s favorite think tank,” and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council (FRC), an anti-LGBTQ hate group. Both Heritage and FRC praised the report Friday. According to Stern’s reporting, it was true that Mattis favored allowing transgender military service, but Pence “effectively overruled” him."

[Femmewench]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

It turns out that Vice President Pence and some of the country’s most prominent anti-LGBTQ activists had a role in reversing the outcome, which explains why the report explaining the decision is rife with anti-trans junk science.

Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern reported Friday night that, according to multiple sources, Pence played “a leading role” in creating the report, along with Ryan T. Anderson of the Heritage Foundation, which has been dubbed “Trump’s favorite think tank,” and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council (FRC), an anti-LGBTQ hate group. Both Heritage and FRC praised the report Friday. According to Stern’s reporting, it was true that Mattis favored allowing transgender military service, but Pence “effectively overruled” him."

And this is why I want Trump to remain in office until 2021. Unless he, Pence and the next six people in line for the presidency all go at the same time, it can be worse than Trump. He's just crazy and has no political savvy. The next seven people in line for his job have the political savvy along with the security of their righteousness of their beliefs to try and eradicate all gains which have been made in the last 60 years.

[DapperButch]

From the TransAdvocate (whole article):

Military Ban is stayed, once again

In yet another rebuke of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, a federal judge has once again barred the implementation of the administration’s ban on transgender people serving openly in the United States Military.

The Government had been arguing that their ban on transgender service members was a new one, claiming that the previous ban was revoked, and the new ban replaced it fully. In reviewing the ban, however, U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman disagreed, declaring that the new ban, “did not substantively rescind or revoke the ban, but instead threaten the very same violations that caused it and other courts to enjoin the ban in the first place.”

In reaching this decision, Judge Pechman went a step further, declaring that transgender people themselves were a protected class and that the actions against the military ban issued in December of last year should remain in place.

In discussing the history of discrimination faced by transgender people in the face of this ban, Judge Pechman said, “the history of discrimination and systemic oppression of transgender people in this country is long and well-recognized. Transgender people have suffered and continue to suffer endemic levels of physical and sexual violence, harassment, and discrimination in employment, education, housing, criminal justice, and access to health care.” Meanwhile, Judge Pechman also concluded that “discrimination against transgender people clearly is unrelated to their ability to perform and contribute to society.

Meanwhile, Judge Pechman did not focus on the current justifications of the ban, largely due to the haste in which they were presented to her. While lawmakers are questioning exactly who is behind the current version of the ban, Judge Pechman essentially left this up to the President himself.

“As no other persons have ever been identified by defendants — despite repeated court orders to do so — the court is led to conclude that the ban was devised by the president and the president alone,” said Judge Pechman.

It is widely believed that the ban may have come from Vice President Pence, and was drafted with the assistance of Ryan T. Anderson of the Heritage Foundation and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council.

While we are far from seeing an end to the efforts of this administration against transgender service members — and all transgender people — this ruling is a significant setback on the current ban, and may point to further difficulties in the courts. It also points to how vital it is that attempts to fill the courts with religious fundamental judges need to continue to be resisted.

http://transadvocate.com/gender-nati...-2_n_22362.htm

[Kätzchen]

*** bumpity bump ***

Any new news Dapper or Andrea???

Thanks for this thread about VA news and Trans rights for those serving in the military.

--K.

[MrSunshine]

Ugh. He is so exhausting. I feel for the Trans folk already in and those wanting in. I believe it is only going to get worse.

What also makes me sick, is I knew Hitler would build his own Military Force although he says it's for an Outer Space Force? WTF! I would like to Force something from outer space, well you know.
Then this dipshitery about becoming Pres for life! Yeah, I saw him get aroused when XI Jinping did that crap in China. Ugly image, sorry for that.
I just feel like people keep boarding the trains to Auschwitz.
Apologies for getting off topic a bit.

[dark_crystal]

71% of 17-24 year-olds are ineligible to serve.

Recruitment is down.

The number of transgender people who want to serve has to be vanishingly small-- so small that any conceivable impact they will have is statistically insignificant.

To be picking nits about gender identity among willing and qualified potential recruits makes the whole thing performative.

They do not care one bit about the actual military-- they care about exerting theocratic power.

The fact that this issue has now been thrown at the wall four(?) times since 45's inauguration is unconscionable.

It's terrorism. They are singling out a very small, very vulnerable population for periodic ritual public menacing just to show that they can-- just to wink at theocrats and remind them Pence is pulling for them.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by dark_crystal

71% of 17-24 year-olds are ineligible to serve.

Recruitment is down.

The number of transgender people who want to serve has to be vanishingly small-- so small that any conceivable impact they will have is statistically insignificant.

To be picking nits about gender identity among willing and qualified potential recruits makes the whole thing performative.

They do not care one bit about the actual military-- they care about exerting theocratic power.

The fact that this issue has now been thrown at the wall four(?) times since 45's inauguration is unconscionable.

It's terrorism. They are singling out a very small, very vulnerable population for periodic ritual public menacing just to show that they can-- just to wink at theocrats and remind them Pence is pulling for them.

I love the way you weaved these thoughts together. Spot on.

Interestingly, studies show that trans people are twice as likely to join the military than cis people. It can be described as a "flight into hypermasculinity". For trans women, it is a last ditch effort to try to live as male. I can say that I have seen this in my own clinical practice. A larger percentage of trans women I work with have been in the military than the cis people I have worked with over the years. I can't say the same for trans men, I have my own theories as to why, but I haven't seen any studies saying there is a higher percentage of trans women having a history in the military than trans men.

---------------

Katzchen, there is nothing new. Trans people are still currently allowed to join. I don't know what is happening with their surgeries being authorized, but I assume they still are for those who want surgery.