Trump announces ban on transgender people in U.S. military

[NancyBalik]

Horrible pandering to his ultra-conservative, transphobic base and Vice President.  Pence spoke out against Obama's decision to allow transpeople to openly serve from the beginning.  This is a clear attempt to distract the news cycle away from the Russia probe and the mean-spirited efforts to pull healthcare away from millions.  And this is a guy who campaigned to "make things better" for the LGBT community--just one more of countless lies.  Sad, but true.  If this tweet becomes policy, I predict that it will be reversed by the next Democratic president.  Nancy

[rebeccaanne07]

As a currently serving CSM, I knew he would do this! I have been putting off going into the clinic  for my evaluation and to start HRT because my gut told me he would do this. Sad, we have all given so much to see him move us so far back, its like he wants us to go back to self-medicating and take a risk we shouldn't need to take. Sad, really Sad

[Devlyn]

As a currently serving CSM, I knew he would do this! I have been putting off going into the clinic  for my evaluation and to start HRT because my gut told me he would do this. Sad, we have all given so much to see him move us so far back, its like he wants us to go back to self-medicating and take a risk we shouldn't need to take. Sad, really Sad

Yeah, well I'm the rankingest around here.  Welcome to Susan's Place, Rebeccaanne, and get yer behind over to Roll Call! right now! 

Hugs, Devlyn

[LizK]

As a currently serving CSM, I knew he would do this! I have been putting off going into the clinic  for my evaluation and to start HRT because my gut told me he would do this. Sad, we have all given so much to see him move us so far back, its like he wants us to go back to self-medicating and take a risk we shouldn't need to take. Sad, really Sad

Dear Rebecca

Welcome to Susan's

I hope that the US people will come to support their Trans Brothers and Sisters and not let the harm continue especially when things like this happen to you. It must make going forward for you very difficult

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[rebeccaanne07]

Thank you so much, I am already looking at the links, appreciate it so much!!!

[Maybebaby56]

I kinda agree on this because the cost of a Transgender is more then a cis person, Transgender just want to join and let the tax payers pay for their hrt and srt. This all boils down to money,money which the govt doesn't really have.  Let me ask this would anyone on this board be willing to pay for my transition without me putting any money into it?  I know I've been classified as a bigot because I see reality.

That is not reality.  That is not even critical thinking. Whenever you call out an entire group of people and say they all have some motive or behavior in common, you are not being remotely realistic. 

"I kinda agree on this because the cost of a Transgender is more then a cis person."

Really?  As someone already pointed out, the VA has spent more on Viagra have they have for SRS. Does a cis-person with PTSD , or an amputee, or a veteran with cancer cost less to treat than a transgender vet who wants to transition?  How do you know? Let's see some numbers to back up your claim.

I am a Navy civilian, and I volunteered for two tours of duty in Afghanistan as part of a counter-IED task force.  I continue to serve my country as a PhD scientist with research in forensics, remote sensing, materials science and explosives. Other than my insurance paying for my SRS, I have borne the cost of my transition out of my own pocket, and I am shocked beyond words that the POTUS thinks I should lose my job simply because I am transgender. 

There are thousands  of transgenders currently in uniform who have voluntarily agreed to risk their lives in defense of our country. So you think their patriotism and self-sacrifice isn't worth the price of a few tomahawk missiles?

Let's just say I don't understand your thinking.

~Terri 

[rebeccaanne07]

That is not reality.  That is not even critical thinking. Whenever you call out an entire group of people and say they all have some motive or behavior in common, you are not being remotely realistic. 

"I kinda agree on this because the cost of a Transgender is more then a cis person."

Really?  As someone already pointed out, the VA has spent more on Viagra have they have for SRS. Does a cis-person with PTSD , or an amputee, or a veteran with cancer cost less to treat than a transgender vet who wants to transition?  How do you know? Let's see some numbers to back up your claim.

I am a Navy civilian, and I volunteered for two tours of duty in Afghanistan as part of a counter-IED task force.  I continue to serve my country as a PhD scientist with research in forensics, remote sensing, materials science and explosives. Other than my insurance paying for my SRS, I have borne the cost of my transition out of my own pocket, and I am shocked beyond words that the POTUS thinks I should lose my job simply because I am transgender. 

There are thousands  of transgenders currently in uniform who have voluntarily agreed to risk their lives in defense of our country. So you think their patriotism and self-sacrifice isn't worth the price of a few tomahawk missiles?

Let's just say I don't understand your thinking.

~Terri

Agree 100%, we cannot class all into one bracket.

I see this blatant abuse of Viagra all the time, guys brag about it and how it ups their VA percentage on retirement.

So ho is that massive number not placed under scrutiny, and the small percentage that would be applied toward SRS and HRT now such a big problem?

People are not lining up at recruiting centers in hopes of free SRS, they fully know what comes with service.

[SadieBlake]

This petition just went up on change.org, it had 10000 signatures within 2 minutes of being posted, mine was in the high 9900s

https://www.change.org/p/allow-transgender-people-into-the-u-s-military

Don't underestimate the power of people on the right side of history

[NancyBalik]

It is a total lie that this decision is about $$$.  I just saw decorated war hero Sen Tammy Duckworth on MSNBC and former Navy Seal and Bronze Star recipient Kristin Beck (author of Warrior Princess) on CNN.  Both said that it was nonsense that this was about money.  Beck made the point that it will cost far more to lose the highly trained specialists who are trans, and the military may be facing lawsuits after soldiers came out only to now be told that they can't serve.  This isn't about money, it's about pandering to his redneck base who is mad at him for dis'ing Jeff Sessions.  You think Trump cares about spending the taxpayer's money?  He's already spent more on his and his family's travel than Obama did in an entire 4 year term. 

[Deborah]

I just signed and it was over 18,000.


Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote

[stephaniec]

Border wall tied to trump transgender ban

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/border-wall-tied-to-trump-transgender-ban-report/ar-AAoSxVS?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp

MSN/Newsweek/Greg Price

[barbie]

I kinda agree on this because the cost of a Transgender is more then a cis person, Transgender just want to join and let the tax payers pay for their hrt and srt. This all boils down to money,money which the govt doesn't really have.  Let me ask this would anyone on this board be willing to pay for my transition without me putting any money into it?  I know I've been classified as a bigot because I see reality.

I am not quite sure, but it says
"Pentagon spends 10 times more on erectile disfunction meds than transgender services":

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/343974-pentagon-spends-10-times-more-on-erectile-disfunction-medications

barbie~~

[AnneK]

'Who is human enough?' Transgender soldiers panicked, outraged by Trump's abrupt ban

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/07/26/who-is-human-enough-transgender-soldiers-panicked-outraged-by-trumps-abrupt-ban.html

[elkie-t]

This petition just went up on change.org, it had 10000 signatures within 2 minutes of being posted, mine was in the high 9900s

https://www.change.org/p/allow-transgender-people-into-the-u-s-military

Don't underestimate the power of people on the right side of history

I signed it when it was in 900s but unfortunately, online petitions bear nearly no weight. We shall hope ACLU or some other organization starts real old-fashion paper petition. Meanwhile, anyone dissatisfied with this secession shall write to her congressmen and both senators old fashion personal physical letter.

[Michelle_P]

I kinda agree on this because the cost of a Transgender is more then a cis person, Transgender just want to join and let the tax payers pay for their hrt and srt. This all boils down to money,money which the govt doesn't really have.  Let me ask this would anyone on this board be willing to pay for my transition without me putting any money into it?  I know I've been classified as a bigot because I see reality.

This is a false argument, flawed reasoning.

1) Only 33% of transgender persons have undergone some form of gender-confirming surgery.
http://www.thetaskforce.org/static_html/downloads/reports/reports/ntds_full.pdf

2) Transgender persons have served in the military for as long as there has been a military.  I served in the 1970s and 80s, and I assure you that I did not join with the intent of having the tax payers pay for my HRT and srt, whatever that is, nor did I expect them to pay for my Gender Confirmation Surgery (GCS), or any other transition related expenses.
The RAND Report (download from here)
indicates:

We estimate that there are between 1,320 and
6,630 transgender personnel serving in the active component (AC) and 830–4,160 in the Selected Reserve (SR).

Hunting down and purging these persons from military service will be a distraction from mission readiness, and the loss of many technically skilled, and closeted trans overacheivers, which many of us are, will have a direct and long term impact on readiness.  Transgender persons have psychological drives such that they seek out more dangerous and higher risk technical jobs, such as Seal Team 6, or submarine nuclear power operations.

3) The actual expenses are not, in fact, tremendous.  The military medical service spends more on Viagra, which could be argued to be nonessential to military readiness.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1530.html

Only a subset will seek gender transition–related treatment. Estimates derived from survey data and private health insurance claims data indicate that, each year, between 29 and 129 service members in the active component will seek transition-related care that could disrupt their ability to deploy.

I served out of love for my country, and to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.  To state or imply otherwise is frankly rather offensive.

This is not about money, nor is it about military readiness.  It is, frankly, pandering of the worst sort, erecting a scapegoat for fairly obvious reasons.

[SadieBlake]

This would seem to be a the lowdown on why we've been thrown under the bus. From: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/26/trump-transgender-military-ban-behind-the-scenes-240990

House Republicans were planning to pass a spending bill stacked with his campaign promises, including money to build his border wall with Mexico.

But an internal House Republican fight over transgender troops was threatening to blow up the bill. And House GOP insiders feared they might not have the votes to pass the legislation because defense hawks wanted a ban on Pentagon-funded sex reassignment operations — something GOP leaders wouldn't give them.

They turned to Trump, who didn't hesitate. In the flash of a tweet, he announced that transgender troops would be banned altogether.

Trump's sudden decision was, in part, a last-ditch attempt to save a House proposal full of his campaign promises that was on the verge of defeat, numerous congressional and White House sources said.

This is intra party politics, basically the same dynamic as has kept them from accomplishing repeal & replace.

[staciM]

Quite simply, your administration despises us from every angle.  Have a look at this lovely report of hatred with hand picked "facts".

https://cmrlink.org/data/sites/85/CMRDocuments/CMR_TransgenderPolAnalysis.pdf

[Deborah]

This would seem to be a the lowdown on why we've been thrown under the bus. From: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/26/trump-transgender-military-ban-behind-the-scenes-240990

This is intra party politics, basically the same dynamic as has kept them from accomplishing repeal & replace.

A Commander in Chief who sells out his Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines for a political favor is the worst of scum and lower than whale sh*t at the bottom of the ocean.


Conform and be dull. —James Frank Dobie, The Voice of the Coyote

[Raell]

Yes, Deborah, that is true. I read that article, and of course he also does those tweets to distract from the Russia investigation.

But I felt sick when I saw the international news and read the newsfeeds on my facebook page this morning. I started crying and barely had the heart to retort with a link to an article about chromosomal variations to a Trump troll who was declaring that only two genders is "scientific fact," and ridiculing the LGBTQ community on the comments section under the article.
I know it does no good, but other people reading the comments section might gain some courage.

I feel like I need comforting. I want to go somewhere and cry. Maybe I will go for a hike and try to meditate. People here in Thailand usually don't comprehend US transgender problems since Thai Buddhism accepts a Third Gender. However, the westernized Thai military doesn't recognize transwomen as women, lumping them in with men.

My daughter has found comfort in a Native American community as a "two spirit" honorary shaman. I have Native American in my DNA from both parents, although not the same two tribes.

We both get visions, see the future, were born with strong psychic skills, can communicate with animals. In my case, I suppress it as much as possible, since I don't want to see the future or read peoples' minds, but will do so as favors to friends in need.

[Sydney_NYC]

Two interesting things on this:

For those claiming the cost is high for trans healthcare in the military, consider this article from the Washington Post:

The military spends five times as much on Viagra as it would on transgender troops' medical care.

Considering the prevalence of transgender servicemembers among the active duty military and the typical health-care costs for gender-transition-related medical treatment, the Rand study estimated that these treatments would cost the military between $2.4 million and $8.4 million annually.

.....

By contrast, total military spending on erectile dysfunction medicines amounts to $84 million annually, according to an analysis by the Military Times — 10 times the cost of annual transition-related medical care for active duty transgender servicemembers.

John McCain released this statement today and he is absolutely right about Trump and this topic:

STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON TRANSGENDER AMERICANS IN THE MILITARY

Washington, D.C. ­– U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on President Trump's tweet regarding transgender Americans in the military:

"The President's tweet this morning regarding transgender Americans in the military is yet another example of why major policy announcements should not be made via Twitter.

"The statement was unclear. The Department of Defense has already decided to allow currently-serving transgender individuals to stay in the military, and many are serving honorably today. Any American who meets current medical and readiness standards should be allowed to continue serving. There is no reason to force service members who are able to fight, train, and deploy to leave the military—regardless of their gender identity. We should all be guided by the principle that any American who wants to serve our country and is able to meet the standards should have the opportunity to do so—and should be treated as the patriots they are.

"The Department of Defense is currently conducting a study on the medical obligations it would incur, the impact on military readiness, and related questions associated with the accession of transgender individuals who are not currently serving in uniform and wish to join the military. I do not believe that any new policy decision is appropriate until that study is complete and thoroughly reviewed by the Secretary of Defense, our military leadership, and the Congress.

"The Senate Armed Services Committee will continue to follow closely and conduct oversight on the issue of transgender individuals serving in the military."