Trump, mad dog, may end military's TS maybe LGBT

[Bulldog1948]

This doesn't suprise me at all. I was hopeing that Trump would continue to embrace LBGT and especially TS who want to serve. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/11/trump-pentagon-likely-to-abandon-social-experiments-for-core-mission-under-mattis-say-experts.html            Guess we'll have to wait a little bit.Mike 

[AngieT]

Mattis is just one example of a Trump cabinet stacked with anti LGBT players.  Not only will Trump repeal policies that allow trans servicemembers to serve, but I strongly suspect a return to DADT and renewed persecution of LGBT servicemembers.  I can only hope that we won't see too much hostility with VA policies. 

No LGBT Ally Would Appoint This Cabinet

Trump’s cabinet almost uniformly hostile toward LGBT rights

[Guest LesleyAnne]

Yep,

We're only good enough when they don't have to acknowledge that we exist!

 

[MarcieMarie12]

I do know the log cabin republicans are talking to the administration to prevent this. Let's hope they listen.

[Tejana]

Hhmmm....I have mixed feelings re: this topic.  Thoughts & feelings, which are my own.

First, I read the linked article in addition to the posts (i.e., I don't just respond on the basis of a thread's title & the subsequent posts)....

Certainly there were cases where "don't ask, don't tell" did not work for some individuals, but did it work that badly overall, through several wars?  [I understand that there were cases where suspected GLB individuals were subject to harassment/assault at the hands of their comrades, but I would argue that the military could not protect an openly GLB individual any better.]

I am sympathetic to the notion of women serving in combat, through either a volunteer or conscription process.  After all, equal rights should entail equal responsibility.  However, the physical conditioning issue in mixed-combat units (i.e., male & female) is a  very real concern that cannot be ignored.  Perhaps, it the USA were to follow the example of the Kurds and establish an all-female combat battalion/combat-group, this concern would not be as significant.

W/ re: to ts/tg individuals in the military (serving in combat or otherwise), it could be very complicated in so many ways (e.g., housing, training/conditioning, medical care, et. al).  Perhaps it could be made to work, but I am not smart enough to figure out how that could be done in such a way that would not compromise the military's primary mission.

I do agree that the military's primary mission is war.  War, for the purpose of defending this country and its interests....War, to take the fight to the enemy....Experimentation, whether it be sociological in nature or otherwise, should not be implemented w/o some expectation that it might be efficacious to the military's primary mission.

My last thought, is to express concern for those in the military who have been encouraged to publicly declare their sexual orientation &/or gender identity.  I would hope that the military could find it possible to allow those individuals to continue to serve.

[Just as an aside, I'm wondering if perhaps many of the jobs currently being performed by civilian-contractors could not be resumed by military personnel, personnel who might not be deemed physically-suitable (or otherwise prepared) for certain military occupations/specialties.  Perhaps....]

[MarcieMarie12]

Honestly DADT and kicking out transgender people costs the government money. It costs about $70,000 to train a soldier, and that is just basic training. MOS training is more. All told after the first two years. the US government probably spends over $100,000 training troops. If they are special forces, that training costs even more ($300,000 to $500,000). So to kick someone out over something that does not affect their abilities in the field is just dumb. 

Also, it is a small minority of older soldiers and a small number of homophobic/transphobic young ones that have a problem with it.  So to accommodate those people you waste millions in training? It is just dumb. 

[Guest LesleyAnne]

There is a quote I love by James Webb, and for those of you who have not heard of him...

Jim Webb

Former United States Senator

James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is an American politician and author. He has served as a United States Senator from Virginia, Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, Counsel for the United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and Marine Corps officer.

And I quote:

"I and my fellow combat veterans stand on one side of a great impassable divide, with the rest of the world on the other."

"There's a great Marine Corps saying, If you were there, I don't need to explain it to you, and if you weren't there, I can't explain it to you.' That's the divide."

I served in Vietnam, we had soldiers of every creed, color, religion, and sexual orientation (we knew, and didn't care), and some of us were like me...gender confused as I liked to call it back when...and when it came to the fight, none of that mattered....none of it! We did our job!

We did not cut and run, back then if we would have had cis-gender females serving next to us, it wouldn't have mattered. If you don't understand that then please read the quote above again!!

LesleyAnne:

Combat gunner, Vietnam end of 1969,all of 70, and 71  154 combat missions. DFC to the 4th oak leaf cluster with the V device, and The Air Medal to the 6th oak leaf cluster. I mention only to say I know what I'm talking about!

And I'm a girl thru, and thru!