Transgender Discrimination In The Military Essay

I. Intro
a. Prior to 1973 being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender was viewed as a mental disorder, because of this policies within the U.S. military mirrored these views. When homosexuality was officially removed as a mental disorder in 1973 it took the military until 2010-2011 to make any substantial policy changes in regards to homosexuality. With the repeal of “Don’t ask don’t tell” it allowed homosexual personnel to serve openly in the military, however it still forced Transgender personnel to live in the shadows. Earlier this year the military lifted the ban on Transgender service members, allowing them to officially change their preferred gender on military records.
b. A study conducted in 2016 by the RAND corporation revealed approximately
10,700 transgender people are serving in the U.S. military.
c. Most likely LGBT have been in the U.S. military since the military began, however military policies has made them serve in the shadows, making them hide who they are. Finally the military is getting with the times and reforming their policies.
II. Supporting Point
a. Unlike heterosexual service members, LGBT service members felt secluded, and not part of the team, either because they needed to hide their sexuality or because they were harassed for it.
i. Captain Harrison’s interview with Reuters ii. Discussion from Transgender Military Personnel in the Post-DADT Repeal Era: A Phenomenological Study page 237
b. Transgender service members have difficulties receiving psychological care due to the fact the must serve in secrecy.
i. Studies suggest that doctors may use guidance and medical practices that are insensitive, biased, and unhelpful for a LGBT service member. ii. Military healthcare providers have refused treatment of Transgender personnel either because of bias or they wanted to protect the service member from discharge.
c. Military leadership is unprepared for transgender service members.
i. Commanders have a choice, either enforcing policies or supporting their troops ii. Dealing with harassment and discrimination of Transgender personnel now that they may openly serve in the military
III. Conclusion
a.
There are many issues involved with allowing transgenders to openly serve in the U.S. military. The main points that must be addressed are harrasment, Discrimination, Medical concerns, and how commanders enforce policies from the Dept of defense. Many of these issues can be handled by having an open mind and not worrying about the sexual orientation of the service member. The transition can be smooth if clear defined policies are written; the military has faced issues like this before. Most notably when women were first allowed to serve in the military.
b. The process for changing policies of this magnitude is slow, however moving forward is a requirement at this point. Vice President Biden once said “transgender discrimination is the civil rights issue of this time.”
c. In closing, I am a leader in the United States Navy. If one of my sailors happened to be transgender I would ensure they are treated the same way as any other sailor. I don’t believe any sailor should be discriminated against because of sexual orientation, sex, creed, or any other variable. They need to be able to do their job in a safe and non-discriminatory workplace. This doesn’t mean I think anyone should get special treatment or not meet the high standards the military sets forth, but if a service member does his/her job it nothing else
matters.