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A Summary Of Discrimination In The Military

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Though the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) on September 20, 2011, marked the end of discrimination based on sexual orientation, it did not address transgender orientation. Per Army Regulation 40-501, individuals are considered medically unfit for service if they have a history of gender identity disorder (no longer a politically correct term, since replaced by gender dysphoria). Military policy prohibits transgender service members (TSM) from openly serving in the military or enlisting. However, this policy has been under review ever since Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter ordered that a working group be created to determine if lifting the ban would have any impact on the military readiness. Allowing TSM to serve openly will impact every aspect of military life, from showering to housing, uniforms to identification, and it will impact female Soldiers significantly and disproportionately more than male Soldiers. Serving in the military is not a right, it is a privilege. No one has offered any military or national security reason why we need to allow transgender persons in the military. It is my recommendation that current military policy be maintained. How Did We Get to This …show more content…

Jenner just recently declared that he was a woman, and in 2015 transitioned to female now called Caitlyn Jenner. Just as noteworthy is the Army’s own famous transgender service member (TSM), PFC Bradley Manning. Manning, the intelligence analyst who leaked classified documents to WikiLeaks, decided while facing a 35-year prison sentence in a military prison that “he” was really a “she” inside, and that he wanted to begin living as a woman in prison. He successfully sued the federal government, who now has to pay for his hormone therapy and other treatment for his gender dysphoria, and he is now a she known as Chelsea

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