Air Force General Paul Selva was required to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday for his reappointment as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
He was asked about the delay in enlisting transgender troops.
Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), kept her promise of a couple of weeks ago to go after service by transgender people when the Defense budget hit the floor of the House.
Hartzler introduced an amendment intended to ban medical treatment for transgender troops and their families.
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) yesterday called the the Pentagon's move on Friday to delay allowing transgender troops to enlist in the military "outrageous" and argued that it was done "without providing any evidence."
A day after she introduced and then withdrew an amendment to the military budget intended to deny transgender Americans from serving in the military, Rep Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) was on the radio with Tony Perkins of the hate group Family Research Council
Trans servicemembers, she warned, are a “threat” to the country — a threat rivaling our biggest international foes.
Yesterday I warned that the House Armed Services Committee was going to take up the issue of open service by transgender people in the military.
Republicans railed against the Pentagon’s transgender policy on Wednesday, but ultimately did not move to reverse the policy during a debate on the annual defense policy bill.
But there was plenty of bigotry expressed.
First, off , let me state for the record that I am not an advocate of military service as a career choice. I did my time during the Vietnam Era with extreme grudge.
On the other hand the road to equal rights for transgender people may indeed lead through the right to equal serve our country.
And if that is the case, it is not looking good for us folk.
It seems like just yesterday that I published a diary about three retired generals (all women) counseled Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to push forward against conservative attempts to end all transgender military service.
Oh, wait...it was!
To quote Chad and Jeremy, that was yesterday, and yesterday's gone.
Three retired generals have spoken up in favor of the acceptance of transgender recruits into the military.
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy, Army Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock, and Army Brig. Gen. Clara Adams-Ender have written a statement:
Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work sent out a memo on May 8 to all service secretaries and chiefs that they have a May 31 dedline to assess the military's readiness to begin accepting transgender applicants on July 1.
There is currently a transgender cadet at each of the Air Force Academy and at West Point, who are set to graduate if they pass their final exams.
