Transgender people make up a small percentage of active-duty U.S. military personnel, but their experience in the service may yield long-term, positive effects on their mental health and quality of life.
Army Directive 2016-35, released on October 7, provides transgender soldiers procedures for how to transition while remaining in uniform.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council said last Wednesday that the US armed forces should be shut down rather than allow transgender service members.
Last week Navy Lt. Blake Dremann became the first openly transgender service member promoted since the ban on transgender service was lifted.
Dremann gathered, along with his parents, friends, some admirals and other officers and representatives of some advocacy groups in the President's Room at the Navy Memorial.
Word out of Washington is that a Pentagon policy change allowing transgender members of the military to serve openly is in its final stages of approval.
Originally, we were expecting the change to be announced in March.
Gender dysphoria disqualifies service members under current policy. However, Defense Secretary Ash Carter enacted a de facto moratorium on such dismissals last year as the Defense Department crafted its new guidelines. Officials have been wrestling with several issues regarding transgender troops including recruiting, medical treatment, housing, uniforms and physical fitness standards.
A new study reveals that transgender active duty service members (ADSM) report few lifetime mental and physical health problems.
These findings challenge the current policy of excluding transgender persons from enlisting in the U.S. military or discharging them based on the presumption that they are unfit to serve due to their mental or physical health.
Fit to Serve? Exploring Mental and Physical Health and Well-Being Among Transgender Active-Duty Service Members and Veterans in the U.S. Military explores the lifetime mental and physical problems of transgender ADSM and veterans. The research was done by Brandon Hill and Alida Bouris of the University of Chicago, Joshua Trey Barnett of the University of Utah (Salt Lake City) and Dayna Walker, transgender American Veterans Association.
