I Don’t Know About You…

…But I didn’t watch the State of the Union Address but I know that some trans people did from the House balcony.

State of the Union: Five lawmakers invite transgender service members
Members of Congress and their guests will draw attention to President Donald Trump’s trans military ban.
NBC News
By Tim Fitzsimons
February 4, 2019

At least five Democratic members of Congress announced they will bring transgender service members or veterans to Tuesday’s State of the Union address to draw attention to President Donald Trump’s transgender military ban.

Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, one of 10 openly LGBTQ members of Congress, told NBC News on Monday that his guest will be Tavion Dignard, who served in the Navy from 1998 to 2002.

The other lawmakers who made similar announcements are Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Jackie Speier California, A. Donald McEachin of Virginia and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.
[…]
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced Tuesday that she will bring two active-duty transgender members of the Army, Capt. Jennifer Peace and Maj. Ian Brown, Trump’s State of the Union address.

“I think it’s important to raise visibility and get people to realize that by excluding trans service members, we are directly weakening our military and national security,” Capt. Peace told NBC News Tuesday morning, noting that the military missed its recruiting goals last year by roughly 7,000 recruits.

No one is behind Trump’s military ban on us, not the former generals, not servicemembers, it only the radical far right Christians.

The Defense Department needs transgender service members
Washington Post
By Bryan Bree Fram
February 5, 2019

Bryan Bree Fram is a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force and a board member of SPART*A. The views are their own and do not reflect those of the Air Force or the Defense Department.

The guests who attend the State of the Union show us a vibrant cross-section of the country. Among the guests this year: a number of transgender members of the armed services. Their presence is a reminder that the military is in danger of losing talented people, through a policy of the Defense Department’s own devising.

The department insists that its planned transgender policy isn’t a ban. Its reasoning? The new rules allow transgender people who don’t transition with hormone replacement therapy or surgery to serve “in their biological sex.” This is a dodge that puts service members in an impossible position and denies the military the full talents of people who want to serve. I know from painful experience. I’m one of the examples that Defense Department officials can hold up to insist that they aren’t trying to kick us out.

All of our NATO allies allow trans servicemembers, as a matter of fact I know that in England Prince William and Prince Harry received military training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst from a trans woman.

It is only in America where we have a “leader” who listens to the right wing hate groups that wants to ban trans people in the military.