Here’s the lowdown:
- Commanders are being told to identify transgender troops or those with gender dysphoria.
- These troops will then be sent for medical checks.
- The goal? To potentially force them out of the military.
The New Policy: What’s the Deal?
A senior defense official, who wanted to remain anonymous (because, you know, sensitive info), spilled the beans on this potentially complicated and lengthy process. It seems like the higher-ups are trying to make good on a promise to remove transgender service members. Sound familiar? It should.
The new policy hinges on those routine annual health checks that everyone in the military has to go through. But get this: initially, there were plans to dig through everyone’s health records to find those with gender dysphoria. That’s off the table for now. Instead, commanders (or anyone else who knows about a troop’s medical status) could “out” transgender troops who don’t voluntarily come forward.
Déjà Vu? Echoes of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
This whole situation is giving some serious flashbacks to the old “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Back then, commanders and other troops were sometimes outing gay members of the military, who weren’t allowed to serve openly at the time. Are we heading back to those days?
Key Dates and Financial Incentives
If you’re an active-duty troop, you’ve got until June 6 to voluntarily identify yourself to the Defense Department. National Guard and Reserve members have until July 7. The government is dangling a financial carrot, too: those who volunteer to leave will get roughly double the separation pay compared to those who don’t come forward. Cha-ching!
How Will This Work?
So, how will this all play out? Well, even though the initial plan to scour medical records is on hold, the Defense Department believes it still has the authority to do so. But they’d rather go through the routine health assessment process. A new question about gender dysphoria is being added to that assessment, so it’s gonna be hard to avoid the issue. If you don’t voluntarily come forward, you’ll have to acknowledge your gender dysphoria during the medical check, which could be months away. Commanders can also speed up the health assessment if they want to.
Commander’s Role
Under the new policy, if a commander knows about a service member with gender dysphoria (or a history of it), they’re supposed to order an individualized medical record review to make sure the troop is meeting medical standards. The defense official insists that both the service member and the commander have a duty to comply with this new process. Apparently, the department is “confident and comfortable” that commanders won’t abuse this process to retaliate against anyone. Hmmm…
The Legal Battleground
All of this is happening after the Supreme Court gave the green light for the Trump administration to enforce the ban on transgender people in the military while legal challenges continue. The court’s liberal justices weren’t happy about it, though. They wanted to keep the policy on hold.
Numbers Don’t Lie
As of December 9, 2024, there were reportedly 4,240 troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria in the active duty, National Guard, and Reserve. But officials admit that the actual number could be higher. Keep in mind that there are about 2.1 million total troops serving.
What’s Next?
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said that about 1,000 troops have already identified themselves and “will begin the voluntary separation process” from the military. That could take weeks. Remember, Trump tried to ban transgender troops during his first term, but Biden overturned the ban. This new policy doesn’t grandfather in those currently serving and only allows for limited exceptions.
The “Wokeness” Factor
Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claim that troops with gender dysphoria don’t meet military standards. Hegseth has even tied his opposition to a campaign to rid the department of “wokeness.” He’s made some pretty strong statements about it, too. Is this really about military standards, or is there something else going on here?
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