The Republicans Focus On Trans Servicemembers

On Monday night the Republicans dragged out a retired general to criticized the president over lifting the ban of trans servicemembers.

General: Obama’s transgender decree is harming the military
Life Sites
By Ben Johnson
July 20, 2016

CLEVELAND, July 20, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – Joining a growing consensus of military leaders, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn said President Obama’s decision to allow transgender people to serve openly in the military is bogging enlisted men down with irrelevant matters and social engineering.

"Too often, way too often, our troops are instead are distracted by trivial matters, trivial matters about what words to use, what terminology is politically correct and what bathroom door to open up,” he told the Republican National Convention in a prime time speech delivered on Monday. “My God, war is not about bathrooms. War is not about political correctness or words that are meaningless."
[…]
However, on this issue, he joins the majority of Republicans, as well as an increasingly vocal chorus of veterans who say the president’s transgender policy will harm military readiness.
[…]
The service will offer “extended leave” so that soldiers diagnosed with gender dysphoria at least 18 months earlier can transition to their “preferred gender.”
The policy, which is estimated to cost between $4 and $14 million each year, will begin being implemented on October 1.

Somehow I don’t even think it will even cost a million dollars let alone fourteen million dollars, and servicemembers already get medical leave. Heck there are only between 1,320 and 6,630 transgender individuals serving in the military according to a study by the RAND corporation and only a fraction will transition and have surgery. Also our troops have already fought alongside NATO transgender servicemembers, but the Republicans don’t want to hear about that, they want to make people think that the president I breaking new ground. However, the first country to allow trans people in the military was the Netherlands in 1974! Now there are a total to twenty-one countries including the U.S.

In another article it is apparent that they don’t know what they are talking about…

Pentagon Disallows Transgender Troops From Embracing 'Preferred Gender' at 'Place of Duty'
Christian Post
By Samuel Smith
July 20, 2016

The Pentagon has released a new instruction manual detailing that transgender service members must undergo sex change transition to be officially recognized by their "preferred gender" in the military.
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The manual states that service members must obtain and provide diagnosis from a military medical provider that states that gender transition is "medically necessary" in order to be provided government-funded "medical care and treatment for the diagnosed medical condition."

"Gender transition begins when a Service member receives a diagnosis from a military medical provider indicating that gender transition is medically necessary, and concludes when the Service member's gender marker in DEERS [Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System] is changed and the member is recognized in the preferred gender," the directive states.

According to the instructions, the commander can only change the service member's gender marker in DEERS once the medical service provider advises he or she that the service member's "gender transition is complete."

Well yeah, all insurance companies require it to be "medically necessary" and the Standard of Care requires a medical assessment before hormones can begin, so the military is following the SOC… what else would you expect? You would still be griping if they didn't follow the SOC.

Trans people in the military is going to be a non-event just like when they lifted the ban on gays and lesbians in the military. The Republicans want to use us to stir up hatred against the Democrats.