Editorial: Equality for all

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, YAMAGUCHI, JAPAN

12.21.2015

Story by Cpl. Cheyenne Newman 

AFN Iwakuni

Editor's Note: The views expressed in the following entry are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Marine Corps, Department of Defense or the U.S. government.

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan - According to Dictionary.com, “transgender” is defined as someone whose gender identity does not correspond to the biological sex assigned at birth. Transgender does not only mean you had lady parts and now you have man parts. It can be as simple as dressing as the opposite sex or wanting to be called Chad instead of Lacy. Like homosexuality, being transgender is not a mental illness or a disease. Since the United States military’s repeal of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell," many service members came out as openly gay, but not transgender. According to the LA Times, an estimated 15,000 transgender service members still have to hide who they are from the people they’re supposed to trust the most.

One of the main reasons the military has not allowed transgender people to serve is the idea that being trans can hurt unit camaraderie. However, what hurts unit camaraderie is a lack of self-confidence, trust and respect. If someone in the unit is transgender, they have to hide who they are for fear of the wrong person finding out. If they have to fear the people who are supposed to be taking care of them in combat, it detracts from mission accomplishment, which should be their primary focus. That takes one rifle too many out of the equation.

The Washington Post reported that Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.), the senior Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, welcomes the change to allow trans people to serve openly as well as the stated presumption that allowing transgender troops would not harm the effectiveness of military units.

“It is long past time that we definitively and affirmatively make it clear that transgender identity should have no bearing on an individual’s ability to serve,” said Smith.

What does transgenderism, Tourette syndrome and schizophrenia have in common? According to the DoD, they are all reasons you may be unfit to serve. Many people in the military believe that transgender people are more susceptible to suicide and mental illnesses because they are weak minded, and one excuse the Department of Defense used to ban the trans population from serving was they cannot provide adequate health care to them.

The LA Times also reported that a study, co-chaired by former Surgeon Gen. Joycelyn Elders and Rear Adm. Alan M. Steinman, MD, declared, “there is no compelling medical rationale to exclude transgender people from military service and eliminating the ban would enable commanders to better care for their troops.”

Retired Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Kolditz, who served on the commission, predicted that ending the ban would actually reduce harassment, assaults and suicides.

Another problem the military must address in regards to transgender service members is that of barracks rooms. If someone identifies as a guy but possesses girls parts, do you place them in a male or female room? The answer is quite simple, actually. You should room them with females. You wouldn’t room a homosexual female with a male just because she’s gay. If the said person was a female and now has male parts, you should room them with a male. But then how would physical standards work? In the military, females have lower physical standards than males because their bodies are different. If a person is a male who used to be a female, should they be help to a higher physical standard than they were previously? The answer is yes, because now they are male. What if you identify as a male, but are still female? The answer is you should be held to female standards.

Another issue that may arise is how to regulate the order on civilian dress code. For example, a male that identifies as a female may want to wear civilian female clothes. What’s wrong with that? As long as they follow all civilian attire regulations for females there should be no issue. Haircuts are trickier though. How do you decide who gets what hairstyle? Again, if they possess all male sex organs, they should abide by female regulations until they make the transformation.

According to the Washington Post, the DoD is currently conducting a six-month study period, allowing transgender people into the military. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter stated that, by next year, all transgender people will be allowed to serve in the armed forces. However, he has yet to decide on what combat roles will be open to them and on smaller issues, such as haircuts and dress code regulations.

Although there are still some administrative hurdles that must be considered, it’s clear that allowing the transgender community to serve in the United States military is the direction in which we should move. Secretary Carter recently opened all combat roles to women in the military, stating that embracing diversity helps our military be more effective. It would stand to reason that this mentality should extend to the transgender community as well.

• Date Taken: 12.21.2015
• Date Posted: 12.30.2015 22:13
• Story ID: 185500
• Location: MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, YAMAGUCHI, JP