Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Pushback From The Military

Once again how prevalent are these views or are they from just a vocal few?
AP sources: Concerns over easing transgender ban in military
Washington Post
By Lolita C. Baldor AP
March 25, 2015

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Ash Carter has gotten pushback from senior military leaders on whether the Pentagon should lift its ban on transgender people serving in the armed forces, according to U.S. officials familiar with the discussions.
[…]
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Care to guess what they are concerned about?
Military officials are reluctant to publicly discuss their opposition, but much of it centers on questions about where transgender troops would be housed, what berthing they would have on ships, which bathrooms they would use, and whether their presence would affect the ability of small units to work well together.
However, there are many countries that have already dealt with these issues successfully and I see no reason why cannot overcome these obstacle.
Robinson, of Service members, Partners, and Allies for Respect and Tolerance for All, acknowledged the issue raises challenging questions for the military. But she said other nations, including Australia, Canada and Britain, have found solutions.
[…]
“All the hard questions have already been answered,” she said. “Unless our leaders commit to a real program of answering these questions, then Americans have no way of knowing if what’s behind this is truly insurmountable challenges or bias.”

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