Trump’s Transgender Tweets Put Nation To The Test

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Back in 2010, I went to jail twice in the lead-up to the repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. I protested in uniform with GetEQUAL, handcuffing myself to the White House fence in my Navy uniform as a retired, service disabled, U.S. Navy Persian Gulf War veteran.

I’m transgender, and though the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy passed under President Bill Clinton in 1993 had nothing to do with transgender people, I thought it was important that all LGBTQ subcommunities stand together.

But Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was also a test. Specifically, it was a test of what kind of nation the United States was going to be going forward—whether it would continued to discriminate against gay, lesbian and bisexual service members for no rational reason.

When Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed in 2010, the United States passed that test.

But open transgender service was still barred—not by law, but by U.S. Department of Defense regulation. The military, late in President Barack Obama’s administration, began the process of allowing open transgender military service. Those transgender people on active duty last year were told they could serve openly under a policy that is still under review; this year, they were allowed to start changing their gender identity in the Pentagon’s personnel system.

And then President Donald Trump, who literally draped himself in the rainbow flag during his campaign, has now personally failed that test. In three tweets, Trump declared that transgender service members didn't belong in the military at all.

Of the transgender military members currently serving that I’ve talked to, most are worried and uncertain about their futures. This is despite their good and honorable service to the nation.

In issuing his tweets, Trump seems to have listened to social conservatives in Congress who weren't winning the argument to legislatively bar funding for medical care for transgender troops. His decision took military leaders by surprise, with Marine Gen. Joe Dunford pointedly saying that until the White House issues a formal request for a policy change, the military will continue to “treat all of our personnel with respect.”

In his tweets, the president cited the cost of medical care for transgender service members as a reason to bar them from serving. But a 2016 Rand study indicated the annual cost would be between $2.4 million and $8.4 million, which would increase the Pentagon’s healthcare budget between 0.04 and 0.13 percent.

So it’s not a lot of money. But taking it away could cause a lot of hurt.

There are transgender children of service members and transgender military retirees who access health care through the military’s health care system. There are also disabled transgender veterans (like me) who access their healthcare through the VA. Transgender people are now provided full health care access short of gender confirmation surgeries, including hormones.

Letting transgender people serve openly in the military has now been made a test of our nation’s tolerance. To date, we have a passing grade. When will we retake that test and fail?

Autumn Sandeen is an FC1, U.S. Navy retired, disabled (service connected), Persian Gulf War Veteran. She writes the Trans Progressive column for San Diego's LGBT Weekly.