The Pentagon Has Good News for Transgender Troops

FILE - In this Feb. 6, 2017 file photo, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis stands outside the Pentagon. Advocates are cautiously optimistic that a new policy allowing transgender students to serve openly at military service academies will move forward on schedule, despite the Trump administration's reversal of a directive on transgender access to public school bathrooms. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

If you’re mentally and emotionally unwell, to the point that you want to mutilate your genitals, and you want the U.S. taxpayers to pick up the tab for it – you are in luck!

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On Friday, the Pentagon issued new guidance that would allow for those suffering from gender dysphoria who are currently still in the military to re-enlist, should they desire (or if they need one more stint to finish the surgery, I suppose).

Defense Secretary James Mattis sent out a memo stating that the Pentagon will convene a panel, with the deputy Defense secretary, as well as the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to try and best craft the details of President Trump’s ban on transgendered service members.

That requires a high level panel meeting? How about, just say no?

If the goal is military readiness, your reasoning is already laid out for you. This panel isn’t just to work out “how.” The military has been rejecting unfit troops for decades, for a variety of reasons. Every criteria used to reject others with mental or physical issues that prevent them from serving is in play, here. The panel is apparently to work out the delicate public relations nightmare.

From The Hill:

For now, transgender service members can continue to serve and receive medical care, Mattis said in the memo, a summary of which was obtained by the AP.

In August, Trump issued a more formal directive instructing the Pentagon not to move forward with the plan to allow transgender people to join the military. That directive also gave Mattis six months to determine how to handle transgender individuals currently serving.

This is one of the very few areas where I stand in agreement with Trump. Not that I think he’s such a great friend of the military, or that he came up with this idea on his own, but because he’s right, no matter why he came to this decision.

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Then there’s Senator John McCain, who I absolutely disagree with, on this.

McCain said on Friday that he’d support any legislation that sought to block Trump’s ban on desperately mentally ill transgender military members.

Foolish.

“Any member of the military who meets the medical and readiness standards should be allowed to serve – including those who are transgender,” McCain said.

Does that include mental and emotional readiness? Is mental health a factor? So if a strong, strapping young Schizophrenic were to attempt to enlist, that would be fine, as well?

I’d expect more from McCain, an actual war hero. Then again, maybe he wants us to read between the lines?

He did say, “…who meets the medical and readiness standards…”

There are so many obvious reasons to reject the use of our military as a lab for social experimentation – not the least of which is the continued hormone therapy transgender patients require – that this shouldn’t even be a discussion. Just follow the guidelines that have served our U.S. military well for all these years, and tell the social justice warriors to get bent!

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