Transgender military

Trump issues directive ending policy for transgender US service members

 

When President Donald Trump tweeted in July 2017 that transgender individuals would no longer be allowed to serve in the United States military, the response was a firestorm of criticism claiming the president was violating the constitutional rights of transgendered individuals.

 

However, when the White House issued the official policy directive to the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security on Aug. 25, the fears and accusations waged by many LGBT activists proved hollow.

 

Prior to June 2016, being a transgendered individual was sufficient grounds for disbarment and denial of enlistment.

 

Former President Barack Obama then announced he was changing the policy to allow for transgendered individuals currently in the armed forces to continue serving, while also being open about their gender status with enlistment of transgender individuals slated to start in July 2017.

 

President Trump’s announced policy is a reversal of Obama’s policy, but it is also a restoration of the previous policy, which, for the most part, was still in effect.

 

Additionally, the policy restoration is intended to allow the Department of Defense to continue conducting studies to establish how transgender service members will affect the military readiness of troops.

 

Despite claims made by the American Civil Liberties Union in the lawsuit filed against the Executive Office of the President, transgender service members do not need to fear for their “careers, the well-being of their family members and dependents, their healthcare and . . . their safety.”

 

While the policy returned to the practice of not enlisting transgender individuals, the president’s directive did not reinstate the policy of discharging transgender service members, allowing those who have revealed their gender status over the last year or openly undergone transgender procedures to remain in their current positions.

Furthermore, those currently undergoing transition surgeries, or who will begin the transition process before March 23, 2018, will still have their procedures covered.

 

Even under Obama’s policy, transgender surgeries were only to be issued and covered under the military’s healthcare if they were deemed “medically necessary.”

 

The problem is that no transgender surgery is medically necessary. These are cosmetic procedures ordered to treat gender dysphoria, which is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a mental illness that causes individuals to feel that their sex is different from the gender with which they identify. This condition highlights the president’s expressed concerns having transgender individuals in the armed services.

 

Even with transgender surgery, individuals with gender dysphoria have higher levels of depression, substance abuse and PTSD, as noted by the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

 

The National Center for Transgender Equality also found in its 2015 survey that 40 percent of transgender individuals have attempted suicide in their lifetime.

 

Throwing individuals with these mental health problems into combat roles will not only threaten their safety, but the safety of members of their unit.

 

Because of this safety concern, Defense Secretary James Mattis stated in July that multiple military chiefs asked him to delay opening enlistment to transgender individuals.

 

Additional concerns voiced by military chiefs and service members include unit cohesion and effectiveness.

 

In a poll of active service members conducted by the Military times and Institute for Veterans and Military Families in December 2016, 51 percent felt that allowing transgender service members to serve openly would have a negative effect on morale with only 16 percent responding that morale would be improved.

 

Additionally, 41 percent felt that it would hurt military readiness, and only 12 percent believed that readiness would be improved.

 

This survey was conducted more than two months after the policy change by Obama for transgender service members to serve openly.

 

Obama’s policy change was issued at the conclusion of his time in office and was based on party and identity politics rather than evidence of what effect transgender service members would have on the military’s ability to defend the interests of the United States.

 

While it can be argued that President Trump was similarly attempting to appeal to his base, it is clear his focus is on maintaining the current standards for military personnel due to the anticipated negative effect that the policy would have on active troops.

 

Lapp is the opinion editor.

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