I suppose I should have said that I would be absolutely horrible about updating this blog. Anyway here we go.
With the possible repeal of "Don't ask don't tell" the subject of gays in the military has been a real hot button issue and I hear about it where ever I go. One of the things I keep hearing from detractors of the repeal is , "Next they'll want to let them there (yes I live in the south) trannies serve in the army!" Normally when I have heard this I have said nothing and gone about my business either because it was on TV and yelling at the TV is a sign of dementia (or a sports fan), or because I just don't need the stress of butting into a stranger's conversation only to explain that I had been eavesdropping and then pick a fight. What I should have said however is that we can already serve in the military.
Now I'm not talking about the pre-transition MTFs that turn to the military to try to avoid transition. I am talking about post GRS(Gender Reassignment Surgery) men and women. The military wont let someone who is transitioning in, but honestly with as much as transition messes with your head its probably best to keep someone going through that as far away from firearms as much as possible. A post transition post GRS man or woman can join or be recruited into the military just by leaping a single hurtle. TS person is considered to be a 'major abnormality' and any 'major abnormality' is a disqualifying factor on the military's medical entrance exam. While that's not the most flattering way of putting it what it means logistically is that if you have transitioned and gotten GRS you can apply for a medical waiver. They are free to deny your waiver, and each branch sets its own criteria, but all you have to do is obtain a medical wavier.
That really is all it takes. I personally know of multiple cases of military recruiters specifically targeting trans people. The real kicker is that since GID and being TS has nothing to do with sexual preference, a TS person could serve as openly as he or she wanted to even with "Don't Ask Don't Tell". There is absolutely no law or regulation that specifically disqualifies post transition TS people from serving in the military.
I honestly don't know why everyone always assumes there are laws preventing TS people from doing this or that but it really is annoying. Although to be fair is certain hateful lawmakers realized that there is a difference between being gay and being TS, there probably would be more than there are. Anyway that's what I should have said.
Ellinore Patricia Wilson.
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