Trump bans transgenders from military service

[Brittain33]

The hypothetical that trans people would join the military for surgery needs to take into account how much risk trans people are exposed to, of violent attack and murder, by the social situations they engage in.

In 2017, I expect the potential for "free surgery" would be heavily outweighed by the intense fear and risk associated with joining a tightly-knit group drawn from all parts of society where many people are likely going to hate or fear trans people, with zero expectation of personal privacy.

Many trans people who can't afford surgery, simply live their lives without surgery and using only visible methods to represent their gender. E.g. lots of FTMs can't afford top surgery for $10k so wear binders.

This seems even less probable than an outbreak of "Chuck and Larry" marriages to get free health care through same-sex marriage.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Headline from Reuters but no article  yet:

MORE: Pentagon has already decided to allow currently-serving transgender troops to stay in military - Senate Armed Forces Chairman McCain

[Badger]

IIRC, General Mattis was the driving force behind this, no?  

He pushed back against an outright ban but helped to delay a decision on it. I'm assuming Trump in his tweet "with the generals" was the JCS and SecDef. Curious to see how that one was decided, split or unanimous.

Yeah I mean I'm not really behind this decision but I doubt Trump just decided on his own without both the JCS and Mattis supporting it.

I doubt JCS and Mattis had much to do with the decision. I mean after all...Trump knows more than the generals

This is true. C'mon. George. I know you enjoy and endlessly defend Trump's ability to trigger libs with $hitty governance and beliefs, but even you have to admit he has shown less than zero ability, let alone interest in seriously consulting anyone actually involved or knowledgeable about policy as opposed to his innermost circle or knee jerk instinct.

I believed this even BEFORE reading the quote from a Trump spokesman that this isn't just simple old guy transphobia, but using such bigotry for naked electoral politics.

Bluntly put, as usual he's lying, and I suspect because you're far from stupid that you reluctantly know it.

[Mike Thick]

Headline from Reuters but no article  yet:

MORE: Pentagon has already decided to allow currently-serving transgender troops to stay in military - Senate Armed Forces Chairman McCain

Thank God. What they're doing is bad enough, but discharging thousands of personnel would be a catastrophe.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Other countries laugh at us for fighting over things like this. This is <1% of the population we're talking about here.

So what? 0.001% of our population died on 9/11 and it dominated our national discussion for years. <1% of the population matters.

That was an attack on civilians by terrorists, not government policy that affects a tiny minority of people.

So we shouldn't care that a minority is being discriminated against?

Apparently only the majorities, the so-called "regular people," matter.

See this is the problem though. Why we absolutely should accommodate transpeople in the military, there are people who are discomforted by it. They are soldiers too. Why can't their concerns for once be heard instead of being dismissed? There are far more of them than trans. Being trans doesn't make you special. You shouldn't get a medal for it. And it definitely shouldn't be grounds for a ban.

If that makes you uncomfortable, how could you possibly make a tough decision under fire?

How many transpeople are actually physically and mentally fit? Serious question. Is the ban justified overall? No, but this has more to do with the professional whiners than the professional soldiers it effects.

I'm positively astounded by the fact that you explicitly state you do not support this move, but can't bring yourself to criticize Trump, ever.

You think Rubio or Cruz wouldn't have done this?

Were Rubio and Cruz posting stuff like this:

That Trump is lying pond scum excrement residue  isn't really news. The important things are to not let his individual acts of malevolence and destruction be blurred out by the overwhelming totality of his incompetence and malignity, and to make absolutely certain that everyone understands that the only reason we have Trump is because of the Republican Party.

I can't repeat that last one enough. The GOP should never be allowed to escape their responsibility for Trump, which in time will put them in the political equivalent of a potter's field.

[Reaganfan]

Meh, when I enlisted you couldn't even be openly gay. This isn't that controversial to me or many other people.

[Comrade Funk]

Meh, when I enlisted you couldn't even be openly gay. This isn't that controversial to me or many other people.

So what? It's controversial for people who are now barred from serving.

[TheSaint250]

 “You don’t have to be straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to shoot straight.” -Barry Goldwater

I'd like to think the quote applies to transgenders too.

[SoLongAtlas]

Headline from Reuters but no article  yet:

MORE: Pentagon has already decided to allow currently-serving transgender troops to stay in military - Senate Armed Forces Chairman McCain

Thank God. What they're doing is bad enough, but discharging thousands of personnel would be a catastrophe.

It actually wouldn't be. That's the normal flow of regular seps and admin seps on a monthly basis. It would be picked up in terms of new poolees and DEPers, actually would open up rates and MOSs for more ppl but it would be terrible optically and politically, also bad if the transgender SM has a critical skill MOS.

[Reaganfan]

Meh, when I enlisted you couldn't even be openly gay. This isn't that controversial to me or many other people.

So what? It's controversial for people who are now barred from serving.

I'm sorry but I feel these things are just social experiments of the left.

[afleitch]

Meh, when I enlisted you couldn't even be openly gay. This isn't that controversial to me or many other people.

So did you hide it?

[Comrade Funk]

Meh, when I enlisted you couldn't even be openly gay. This isn't that controversial to me or many other people.

So what? It's controversial for people who are now barred from serving.

I'm sorry but I feel these things are just social experiments of the left.

Why are you so triggered by transgenders in the military? Why do you care what genitalia they have?

[Mr. Reactionary]

Meanwhile, everyone stops arguing about Obamacare. Coincidence?

[Badger]

Meh, when I enlisted you couldn't even be openly gay. This isn't that controversial to me or many other people.

Because you have repeatedly demonstrated not just lack of empathy, but outright outright hostility towards anyone different than you.

Maybe if you hadn't washed out and gotten to actually know people of different backgrounds long term, you wouldn't be so blaise about so many soldiers and potential soldiers being fu%#ed by the their own Commander in Chief. As it stands though, feel free to remain in your safe little bubble.

[Devout Centrist]

Meh, when I enlisted you couldn't even be openly gay. This isn't that controversial to me or many other people.

So what? It's controversial for people who are now barred from serving.

I'm sorry but I feel these things are just social experiments of the left.

A social experiment doesn't mean accepting anyone who wants to serve in the military. A social experiment is when you mom calls you well endowed.

[Mike Thick]

Headline from Reuters but no article  yet:

MORE: Pentagon has already decided to allow currently-serving transgender troops to stay in military - Senate Armed Forces Chairman McCain

Thank God. What they're doing is bad enough, but discharging thousands of personnel would be a catastrophe.

It actually wouldn't be. That's the normal flow of regular seps and admin seps on a monthly basis. It would be picked up in terms of new poolees and DEPers, actually would open up rates and MOSs for more ppl but it would be terrible optically and politically, also bad if the transgender SM has a critical skill MOS.

I wasn't referring to disruption in military operations, which I don't know the first thing about. But, as you said, if soldiers who has served overseas were discharged from the force, it would have been extremely visible and extremely painful.

[Reaganfan]

Meh, when I enlisted you couldn't even be openly gay. This isn't that controversial to me or many other people.

Because you have repeatedly demonstrated not just lack of empathy, but outright outright hostility towards anyone different than you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALE6ENavvJQ

[Badger]

Meh, when I enlisted you couldn't even be openly gay. This isn't that controversial to me or many other people.

So what? It's controversial for people who are now barred from serving.

I'm sorry but I feel these things are just social experiments of the left.

I'm sorry, but considering this situation apparently hasn't been a problem recently,  how is this not a social expediment of the right?

Not a hypothetical question. I urge you to try,for once go defend yourself beyond buzzwords.

[Gass3268]

Trump lost Joni Ernst:

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Either Badger or Reaganfan needs to change their avatar or just quit arguing.  I can't figure out who is who.  

[Badger]

Meh, when I enlisted you couldn't even be openly gay. This isn't that controversial to me or many other people.

Because you have repeatedly demonstrated not just lack of empathy, but outright outright hostility towards anyone different than you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALE6ENavvJQ

So you admit to basing your personal views on someone who was a meant to be a parody of a know-nothing bigot?

I would normally accuse someone of trolling, but unfortunately your entire Post history indicates that you really truly are that dense.

[Gass3268]

Either Badger or Reaganfan needs to change their avatar or just quit arguing.  I can't figure out who is who.  

Good to know I am not the only one who has this issue.

[JA]

Meanwhile, everyone stops arguing about Obamacare. Coincidence?

Of course that was intended. Trump always generates a controversy when Republicans are trying to legislate something unpopular.

[SoLongAtlas]

Trump lost Joni Ernst:

So why don't these frauds hold a vote about it ?

They did, it failed and a few dozen GOP voted against the surgery ban bill.

[SoLongAtlas]

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It won't be easy to overturn a directive for the military from the sitting CINC. If the CINC puts out guidance to the mil, it is an order to be followed.