Trump issues memo banning Trans servicepeople....

[AutumnGurl81]

Frankly, I'm beginning to think of my years of service to the USA as a monumental waste of a life.


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I can see why you may feel that way Deborah, and I might agree on the behalf of political agenda--but then I think about how I worked with some fantastic people, I became a better person, more assertive, educated, accepting, and eventually realized who I really was, and was able to start being that person.

I'm sure you've had a tremendous and positive impact on people during your time in service, many you probably won't even know about.

[Deborah]

I can see why you may feel that way Deborah, and I might agree on the behalf of political agenda--but then I think about how I worked with some fantastic people, I became a better person, more assertive, educated, accepting, and eventually realized who I really was, and was able to start being that person.

I'm sure you've had a tremendous and positive impact on people during your time in service, many you probably won't even know about.

The thing is that despite whatever positive contributions I and many other trans people have made over the years we are still called out as pariahs.  So, what was the point?  Donald Trump or Mike Pence could have done my job if I hadn't been filling it first.  After all, they are great patriots, they tell us so nearly every day!


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[Seattlite]

Someone here will be by shortly to reassure us that Trump is the most pro-LGBT President ever.


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I consider people like that to be self loathing (in general ). As a black trans woman if I heard of a fellow black person getting behind say a David Duke I would consider them self loathing .

[Cassi]

I consider people like that to be self loathing (in general ). As a black trans woman if I heard of a fellow black person getting behind say a David Duke I would consider them self loathing .

The only reason I would get behind David Duke or any of them would be to kick them in the butt. 

Please don't take this the wrong way but when I see these type people and they open their mouths I feel sad that birth control wasn't used earlier.  Igorance can be cured by education, stupidity only God knows.

[Deborah]

It turns out that this order wasn't issued to placate Evangelicals.  It was written by Evangelicals and was substituted for the Pentagon's actual recommendations.  This isn't a case of people not understanding what trans is.  It is a case of people who are on a mission from God.
——————————————————————

Pence secretly drafted Trump's latest transgender military ban

By Zack Ford

https://thinkprogress.org/pence-responsible-for-trump-transgender-military-ban-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.


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[TWfromMN]

I know I may get heat for this but there are some things I can find myself to agree with with the transgender ban with the military. I look at it from a logistics point and mental health point.

When joining you go threw a long process of physical exams to find medical conditions that may disqualify you. When joining with some of my best friends in high school, one was eliminated due to them finding a disease that he never new about. He was glad they found it but it ruined him for a while. All he did was train for the marines. I also had a set back by getting injured from sports that took an extra year. They don't do because they don't think you would be good mental if given the chance but it puts you at more risk. As well as making it one more thing they need to worry about if deployed.

If you require hormones at a regular time and are deployed to the hills of A-stan, they need to fund a way to get them to you. Maybe even putting risk on others for the supply runs. Getting food, water, and ammo is already hard enough in some areas. And you put that for anyone with illnesses deployed it makes it a logistical nightmare in war.

Also on the mental health point. Many people with gender dysforia may also suffer from depression. Depression is a hell of a hard thing to fight and put that with weapons and the stress/hell of war. It makes it not the best situation. We already have to many people ending their lives already. I was medical discharges a year before my end as I was dealing with depression. They gave me the choose of taking a year off from drill then finishing my last year or just take the medical discharge. I chose the later as I didn't think I could fix it in a year and was ready to move on in my life. And with recent changes they are try to lessen the number of Non-Deployables in the military. Right now only 25% of our Army units are able to deployed if needed. So over 75% of our military is not equipped or not enough people. There is a very large amount of people who can't be deployed for any number of reasons, and it does hurt our readiness.

With that said I do believe that if you are serving and your dystopia is to strong it would be a full medical discharge, similar to a discharge for depression. Also HRT and SRS if wanted should be covered by benefits fully. Of course there are exceptions to who should and shouldn't serve but that's just how I feel on some things.

[AnneK]

I know I may get heat for this but there are some things I can find myself to agree with with the transgender ban with the military. I look at it from a logistics point and mental health point.

While some may be disqualified for specific reasons, just like CIS, this is a blanket ban. And one that's not born out by fact, only bigotry.

[Deborah]

Since the USA is now in a state of unending war, the Military is designed so only a third are deployed at any given time.  Another third are preparing to deploy and the rest are recovering from the last deployment.  So the 25% figure, even if correct, gives a wildly inflated impression of unpreparedness. 

While it might seem like a brilliant idea to deploy everyone to fight, that is not sustainable either logistically or mental health wise for wars that never end.  When we have done that before, the last time was WWII, the war only lasted four years and then everyone came home.

It is also hardly a burden to provide a Soldier with a prescription.  The Military does have a very good organic healthcare system that is embedded at every level of the force.

For those of us who did serve honorably all of these arguments about mental instability and unfitness are a tremendous insult, especially when coming from chickenhawks but no less when coming from those whom we served alongside.

Chickenhawk (chicken hawk or chicken-hawk) is a political term used in the United States to describe a person who strongly supports war or other military action (i.e., a war hawk), yet who actively avoids or avoided military service when of age.

The term indicates that the person in question is hypocritical for personally dodging a draft or otherwise shirking their duty to their country during a time of armed conflict while advocating that others do so. Generally, the implication is that chickenhawks lack the moral character to participate in war themselves, preferring to ask others to support, fight and perhaps die in an armed conflict.  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickenhawk_%28politics%29

[Zumbagirl]

I think it's wrong but I do believe it is the president's choice to make, whether you like it or not.

[AnneK]

I think it's wrong but I do believe it is the president's choice to make, whether you like it or not.

He seems to like ruling by decree.  That means he's ignoring the will of the representatives and people.  Is it also his choice if he decides to ban blacks or Puerto Ricans?  Bigotry is bigotry and so it's not his right, as it violates the constitution.

His is the most incompetent and corrupt administration in U.S. history.  He should never have been made president.

[Cassi]

He seems to like ruling by decree.  That means he's ignoring the will of the representatives and people.  Is it also his choice if he decides to ban blacks or Puerto Ricans?  Bigotry is bigotry and so it's not his right, as it violates the constitution.

His is the most incompetent and corrupt administration in U.S. history.  He should never have been made president.

Incompetent?  Well, there was this peanut farmer from Georgia I think....
Corrupt, not the most corrupt - sadly power breeds.................................

[Zumbagirl]

He seems to like ruling by decree.  That means he's ignoring the will of the representatives and people.  Is it also his choice if he decides to ban blacks or Puerto Ricans?  Bigotry is bigotry and so it's not his right, as it violates the constitution.

His is the most incompetent and corrupt administration in U.S. history.  He should never have been made president.

Decree? It's an executive order, a legal power delegated to the president. Like I said I don't agree with it but at the end of the day the presidents use of his authority will be valid just like Obama's was. His use of an executive order regarding whether or not trans people serve in the military is about burning issue number 1,456,722. It's not really important compared to other things.


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[AnneK]

I am aware of executive orders.  However, I used decree, as he seems to consider himself King Trump, where he rules without passing laws through congress.  I don't recall any president using executive orders as much as Trump and, quite frankly, his orders seem to reflect bigotry.

[stephaniec]

https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2018/03/27/25962519/trump-admin-tries-to-justify-trans-military-ban-seattle-court-not-having-it

SLOG/by Sydney Brownstone       03/27/2018

[Cassi]

I was going to say something but I'll just watch.

[AshleyPixune]

I think it's wrong but I do believe it is the president's choice to make, whether you like it or not.

The president isn't a dictator, he can try as he might to make a decision, but as long as people fight that decision he's going to have a hard time.

[Michelle_P]

Regarding the use of executive orders and military regulation:

Article 1 Section 8 of the United States Constitution states that Congress shall have the power

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

[Zumbagirl]

Regarding the use of executive orders and military regulation:

Article 1 Section 8 of the United States Constitution states that Congress shall have the power

Congress abrogates their responsibility all the time. I could make the very same argument regarding Obama's executive order that allowed trans people to serve. Congress didn't change the law, Obama's EO did. Trump used the same authority to undo it. Nothing new.


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[Susan]

I know I may get heat for this but there are some things I can find myself to agree with with the transgender ban with the military. I look at it from a logistics point and mental health point.

When joining you go threw a long process of physical exams to find medical conditions that may disqualify you. When joining with some of my best friends in high school, one was eliminated due to them finding a disease that he never new about. He was glad they found it but it ruined him for a while. All he did was train for the marines. I also had a set back by getting injured from sports that took an extra year. They don't do because they don't think you would be good mental if given the chance but it puts you at more risk. As well as making it one more thing they need to worry about if deployed.

If you require hormones at a regular time and are deployed to the hills of A-stan, they need to fund a way to get them to you. Maybe even putting risk on others for the supply runs. Getting food, water, and ammo is already hard enough in some areas. And you put that for anyone with illnesses deployed it makes it a logistical nightmare in war.

Also on the mental health point. Many people with gender dysforia may also suffer from depression. Depression is a hell of a hard thing to fight and put that with weapons and the stress/hell of war. It makes it not the best situation. We already have to many people ending their lives already. I was medical discharges a year before my end as I was dealing with depression. They gave me the choose of taking a year off from drill then finishing my last year or just take the medical discharge. I chose the later as I didn't think I could fix it in a year and was ready to move on in my life. And with recent changes they are try to lessen the number of Non-Deployables in the military. Right now only 25% of our Army units are able to deployed if needed. So over 75% of our military is not equipped or not enough people. There is a very large amount of people who can't be deployed for any number of reasons, and it does hurt our readiness.

With that said I do believe that if you are serving and your dystopia is to strong it would be a full medical discharge, similar to a discharge for depression. Also HRT and SRS if wanted should be covered by benefits fully. Of course there are exceptions to who should and shouldn't serve but that's just how I feel on some things.

A supply of medications are issued to the soldiers as a part of their deployment process. The refills are ordered online and are added to the regular supply run with the rest of the mail. So no one is put in any additional danger. The military has no problems supplying other soldiers with anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications during their combat tours. So we have eliminated all those arguments.

In deploying an all-volunteer army to fight two ongoing wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon has increasingly relied on prescription drugs to keep its warriors on the front lines. In recent years, the number of military prescriptions for antidepressants, sleeping pills, and painkillers has risen as soldiers come home with battered bodies and troubled minds. And many of those service members are then sent back to war theaters in distant lands with bottles of medication to fortify them.

Trans soldiers have been serving this country since the revolution and there hasn't been any negative repercussions yet.  That one is done too.

Discrimination against #transgender people clearly is unrelated to their ability to perform and contribute to society. Indeed, the Individual Plaintiffs in this case contribute not only to society as a whole, but to the military specifically. for years, they have risked their lives serving in combat and non-combat roles, fighting terrorism around the world, and working to secure the safety and security of our forces overseas. Their exemplary service has been recognized by the military itself, with many having received awards and distinctions.

There is nothing stopping transgender people from deploying with their units. Any medical treatment that requires surgery can be scheduled during the down time after they return from a combat zone.

This policy was based on rightwing anti-trans groups in a conspiracy with the vice president and had nothing to do with the needs of the military.

The last question for you is are you even transgender?

[natalie.ashlyne]

I don't understand why he is doing that, ANYONE that is in sound mind and capable of doing the job no matter what sex gender race religion sexual orientation that is willing to put there life on the line to defend there country should be aloud every one is equal. If you can do the job than why can you know have the job. Makes no sense to me