Trans People Serving Openly in the US Military … It’s a Matter of When!

| Aug 12, 2013
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0bama-dadtIt was with mixed emotions in December of 2010, that I travelled to Washington D.C. and watched President Obama sign into law the legislation that would enable gays, lesbians and bisexual Americans to serve openly in the US military. With obvious great joy, I shared the pent up emotional swell with friends across the county as this failed onerous and overt policy of discrimination that would soon be history. On the other hand, it was painfully clear that this legislation did not lift the ban on transgender people from serving openly in the U.S. Military. Trans people were never covered in DADT, so the repeal had no effect.

As trans people push for recognition, as we step up, as gays and lesbians gain more rights, stable inclusive LGBT organizations will focus more and more on transgender rights as part of their mission. Coincidently more and more transgender activists are coming out and articulating their message not only within the “gay” establishment, but also within the inclusive political and societal mainstream.

As the first “out” transgender member of the Democratic National Committee, I have witnessed first-hand a sea change within the culture and attitude of the Democratic Party in only a period of less than five (5) years. Culture and infrastructure is what our society is all about. Although there have been some instances in affiliated groups throughout the USA where everyone has not yet gotten the message, the message is clear within the DNC and is spreading, trans people are not to be discriminated against and are encouraged to participate in all levels of the Party.

As we have seen, the “culture” of the political party in power will reflect on the Administration in power and we have seen in so many Departments of the Federal government, non-discrimination policies on the basis of gender identity put into effect. Even the White House hired a young bright trans woman to be an intern in the White House. Earlier this year, she came back to her home state where she stood out as a leader working with established partisan and non partisan groups in changing Delaware’s law to prohibit transgender discrimination in that state. Brava, Sarah McBride!

Discrimination in the US military is a different issue as trans people are precluded from serving based on old, outdated medical protocols and regulations that were based on ignorance and cultural bias. Until a couple of years ago there had been no formal “engagement” of transgender policy people with Administration people. We started out as part of an overall LGBT umbrella engagement, but issues of a person’s gender identity are often separate and distinct from their sexual orientation. Quietly, but most effectively that did happen in 2011. The one major area that was not included by our policy wonks at that meeting was transgender military service. In my introductory remarks I found it necessary to remind all present that although none of us present were invited to the impending royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, RAF Flight Lieutenant Ayla Holdoman, an out trangender pilot, was invited.

Amanda Simpson

Amanda Simpson

A few months later in 2011, Amanda Simpson, who had been one of the first two out transgender Presidential appointees, a former senior staff person for a major defense contractor, was reassigned from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Defense as a senior advisor to the Secretary of the Army. Do we see an opening for a change in culture? Assigning Amanda was, I believe, a significant, yet publically quiet step forward in breaking down the walls of ignorance at the Pentagon. I first met Amanda in Washington DC at a NCTE lobby day. We reconnected in Denver as we were both delegates at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She is an agent of positive change for America!

Transgender service in the military has come to the forefront as current research has indicated that trans people are twice as likely to enlist as cisgender people. How often have I spoken to trans women who enlisted to assert their masculinity in the hope that the inner woman would go away? For trans men, a career where the theoretically the masculine characteristics of leadership and directness were honored made the military attractive.

It was with no small amount of pleasure and a bit of surprise when at the end of July 2013, the Palm Center, the research institute best known for coordinating more than a decade of research into the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, announced that they received a $1.35 million grant from the Tawani Foundation over the next three years to study transgender service in the United States military. The Tawani Foundation, which was founded by Col. James Pritzker, cousin of Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, aims “to affect significant transformation of organizations and educational programs that enrich knowledge, preserve military heritage, improve health and wellness and conserve unique sites for enduring positive impact on individuals, communities and societies.”

Former SEAL Kristen Beck

Former SEAL Kristen Beck

Just two days later on August 1, 2013  The Williams Institute released ?a new study: Still Serving in Silence: Transgender Service Members and Veterans in the National Transgender Discrimination Survey??. The study was drawn from the data collected from the previously released National Transgender Discrimination Study??, in which 6450 transgender people took part in an extensive survey performed by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality.? ?The Williams study, found that 20% of respondents had served in the military, as compared to 10% of the US general population.? ?This study found that transgender servicemembers experience substantial barriers discrimination, harassment, and physical and sexual assault while serving in the military. Transgender veterans also experience high rates of family rejection and homelessness. Transgender veterans described unique challenges and barriers to obtaining necessary health care and accurate identification documents.? ?All this news is significant, because we are now recognized, the societal discrimination and stigma is uncovered and can be addressed. There is now a growing number of anecdotal stories of trans veterans coming out, collectively it is a major step to open the military to trans people in search of a career. Jobs open in the military will open jobs elsewhere in our society.

Here in New Jersey we are currently advocating for a piece of legislation, S2786, that will enable trans people to change the gender marker on their birth certificates without necessarily having surgery if their medical provider deems it not necessary. Among our citizen lobbyists is a woman who recently retired from the US Army. Called to the Middle East for her third tour of duty after she had begun her transition, she honored her obligation, continued her transition in stealth and fearing both the Taliban and the US Army to end her career, she performed with exception ,was promoted and awarded a bronze star for valor. Don’t tell me that trans people cannot serve … with honor! I believe that our closets are our biggest enemies. We must fight and with the help of allies, we will find a way out!

Articles on the Williams Institute study appear in The Daily Kos and The Advocate.

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Category: Transgender Community News, Transgender Opinion, Transgender Politics

Babs

About the Author ()

Babs at 76 passed away in 2019. She was a member of the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee, Deputy Vice Chair of the NJ Democratic State Committee and Political Director of the Gender Rights Advocacy Association of NJ. She served on the Executive Committee of Trans United 4 Obama. She has served as Vice Chair of the DNC Eastern Caucus, was President of NJ Stonewall Democrats, Co-Chair of National Stonewall Democrats Federal PAC Board, Vice-Chair of Garden State Equality, Executive Board member of National Stonewall Democrats as Chair of the DNC Relations Committee and a member of the NJ Civil Unions Review Commission.

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