Guest Writer: Camryn Miller
The military is an opportunity for people of different races and genders to enlist and serve. However, this is not the case for the transgender population or people with gender dysphoria.
Individuals with gender dysphoria are considered a risk to military productivity, as stated by the Trump Administration’s new policy.
This policy states that anyone in the military who “requires or has undergone” gender transition be disqualified from enlisting. This, without question,
causes a negative effect on transgender people.
They will most likely not be allowed to serve their country like everyone else, creating a pressing issue for those in the LGBTQ community.
It begs the question of whether transgender people possess the equal rights
that the American government claims they provide.
The Trump Administration is causing transgenders to be segregated from the rest of the world. Transgender individuals deserve the same right to serve their country as any other American.
The story of Nicholas Bade is one example that helps display the policy regarding the ability of transgenders to join the military. Bade had been waiting to join the Air Force for more than six months.
He was in top shape to join, had two black belts and had already aced a military aptitude test. He even had his medical records ready to go and was expecting to start training in about two months. He waited along with the
many other transgender people who wished to join the military.
In 2016, the Obama Administration established a law stating that transgender people could join the military. Before this law could be put in place, the Trump Administration shifted the policy 180 degrees, stating that due to
medical costs and the disruption of the transgender people enlisted, they would not be able to join.
These rules and regulations have become a massive headache. For these reasons, the prospect of joining the military is still one of the biggest issues for transgender individuals. In other fields, they can get jobs such as teachers and carpenters, but in the government’s eyes, they are not allowed to serve.
The issue regarding transgender people not being able to join the military could be easily resolved by the Trump Administration. The administration most likely won’t resolve this issue right away, if at all.
One of the many issues that the administration has is that the medical expenses are too much.
This is understandable, but seeing that most of the people wanting to enlist have already had medical bills and surgeries paid off, this should not be a large issue. This seems almost like an excuse that intentionally excludes transgender people from the military.
Allowing transgender people to serve in the military would be a victory for civil liberties and a step towards equal opportunity in the United States.
Camryn is a freshman social work major from Marion, Indiana