Trump bans transgender people from military

[Loki]

Trump: Transgender people 'can't serve' in US military



US President Donald Trump says transgender people cannot serve in "any capacity" in the military.

He tweeted that he had consulted with military experts and cited "tremendous medical costs and disruption".

The Obama administration decided last year to allow transgender people to serve openly in the military.

But in June, Defence Secretary James Mattis agreed to a six-month delay in the recruitment of transgender people.

The Pentagon said this was to allow the different branches of the military to "review their accession plans and provide input on the impact to the readiness and lethality of our forces".

Some Republicans have voiced opposition to allowing transgender people to serve at all.

The independent Rand Corporation estimated in 2016 that 2,450 of the 1.2 million active-duty service members are transgender, though some campaigners put the figure higher.

In a series of tweets, Mr Trump said: "After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military.

"Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail."

'Disastrous policy'

The US military's ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemen and women - known as "Don't ask don't tell" - was lifted in 2011.

Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Centre, a leading think-tank which studies gender and sexuality in the military, told the BBC that Mr Trump's decision would force transgender troops to in effect live as gays and lesbians did under "Don't ask, don't tell".

"Don't ask, don't tell was a disastrous policy that harmed the military for almost two decades," Mr Belkin said.

"It's not clear why the president would want to bring it back now for transgender troops, when all the evidence suggests that inclusive policy benefits the military and discrimination hurts the military."

LGBTQ campaign group, GLAAD, called Mr Trump's move "a direct attack on transgender Americans".

George Takei, equality campaigner and the actor who played Mr Sulu in Star Trek, accused the president of cruelty and pettiness.

Republican opponents of transgender people serving in the military include Vicky Hartzler, a congresswoman from Missouri, who wants transgender service members honourably discharged.

Others are opposed to the military bearing medical costs associated with transgender recruits, such as gender reassignment.

Trump supporter and political commentator Scott Presler is among those who disagree with the military carrying the cost of such interventions.

While disagreeing with the ban, he added that "generals know more about war than I do.

"I am cognizant that they understand what it takes to go to war... I don't think this is an attack on the LGBT community.

"I'm mixed, but I have confidence in the guidance that President Trump is receiving," he said. "I don't think for a second he's prejudiced."

[BeerBaron]

GOOD

[Myanthropologies]

This is not good. People can have their opinions about transgender people, but denying them their rights is not okay.

[Smitty]

Bravo!

[Loki]

This is not good. People can have their opinions about transgender people, but denying them their rights is not okay.

But being in the army and fighting wars is about life and death -- it is no place to test out modern social attitudes.

[Wadaad]

So trannys can't pull the trigger or dig trenches or remote control drones? Please, there is nothing honorable about the military, it is the epitome of modern logistics and bureaucracy meeting modern definition of 'a wage job', and trannies are a modern people and capable.


The issue is people in their minds think the American military should be a bastion reserved for warriors and that trannies are not warriors, and that their presence brings shame and awkwardness to the platoon/brigade/whatever. But this modern military industry is just like any other industry, it is not a bunch of noble knights or samurais or assassins or whatever form of 'warrior' we are accustomed to, which would rightfully have no place for transgender...but this is not the case for the USA.

So either come up with a warrior ethos and template...but under current condition and definition of the armed forces, tranny are and should be eligible.

Everything else is just a demonstration of hypocracy

[BeerBaron]

This is not good. People can have their opinions about transgender people, but denying them their rights is not okay.

No, it is good.

Why don't you take about 2 minutes to think about the MASSIVE cost to the training, infrastructure everything that the military depends on, and has to set up very quickly in the field. That's not even touching on the social cohesion of the military, which is essential when people's lives are on the line.

[JMack]

So either come up with a warrior ethos and template...but under current condition and definition of the armed forces, tranny are and should be eligible.

There's no place for warrior ethos and authentic values in western modernity. This is a profoundly rotten culture with it's valorization of the pure instincts and senses, the inversion of the cosmological principle of all major religious traditions that says ''as above, as below''. It's a civilization totally based on the primal instincts of the flesh and in corruption. The true moto of modernity should be read as ''only below, no above''.

I don't see any incompatibility between trannies and modern armies as well.

[Wadaad]

I don't see any incompatibility between trannies and modern armies as well.

If anything, their lawyers can even argue they are more compatible than female soldiers since maternity leave wont be an issue...

[Wadaad]

Loki, welcome to the club, lol