{"id":2438,"date":"2019-03-08T08:00:20","date_gmt":"2019-03-08T14:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/?p=2438"},"modified":"2019-03-07T12:52:25","modified_gmt":"2019-03-07T18:52:25","slug":"bias-and-transgender-personnel-in-the-u-s-military","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/2019\/03\/08\/bias-and-transgender-personnel-in-the-u-s-military\/","title":{"rendered":"Bias and Transgender Personnel in the U.S. Military"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_2439\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2439\" style=\"width: 545px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/taedc\/36095778682\/in\/photolist-4aWbDi-aPzFcc-c3rmDo-9jPd64-GWsGZh-WxtFJN-qa6vFn-9LqBXB-dgojB-f3hGR5-pSxfwQ-q9VeJt-dgojy-dgojA-WZEirL-WZE3Ly-dgBex-HWQjge-WZDSMW-WWdQ8p-WZDVGU-XfpFcc-WZDYfQ-WZE66J-WWdxJc-X8Y3An-WZDmBf-WxtAwd-WxtC2C-QRnzQn-WZEcAY-XbHaD3-WZDHr1-WZDECf-WWdvae-WZDzuQ-VUVP1p-XfpE6V-VUVRzx-X3w6nT-WZDrKm-VUVLeH-X8XS8t-VUVHQe-X4CZx1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2439\" src=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/files\/2019\/03\/36095778682_567e1ccca2_z-600x441.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"545\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/files\/2019\/03\/36095778682_567e1ccca2_z-600x441.jpg 600w, https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/files\/2019\/03\/36095778682_567e1ccca2_z-300x220.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/files\/2019\/03\/36095778682_567e1ccca2_z.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 545px) 100vw, 545px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2439\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Ted Eytan, Flickr CC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2016, the Obama administration began to allow transgender military personnel to openly affirm their gender identity without fear of being separated, discharged, or denied reenlistment. Recently, however, President Trump and the United States Supreme Court instituted a ban on openly transgender personnel serving in the military. Among these are troops that have <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/m.lasvegassun.com\/news\/2019\/feb\/27\/military-has-spent-about-8m-on-transgender-care-si\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">multiple deployments, extensive combat experience, and are highly decorated<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Though President Trump asserted that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/identities\/2017\/7\/26\/16034366\/trump-transgender-military-ban\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">transgender personnel affect military readiness<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2018\/04\/24\/all-4-service-chiefs-on-record-no-harm-to-unit-from-transgender-service\/?utm_source=clavis\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">top military leaders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> did not support this determination. Additionally, projected healthcare costs for these personnel &#8212; another reason stated by Trump for the ban &#8212; have been <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/wonk\/wp\/2017\/07\/26\/the-military-spends-five-times-as-much-on-viagra-as-it-would-on-transgender-troops-medical-care\/?utm_term=.f018f0bd15bf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">found to be minimal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, given the small size of this population. Sociological research sheds light on troops&#8217; attitudes towards transgender personnel, and addresses misconceptions about the effects of transgender personnel on military readiness. <\/span><\/p>\n<h5>One study at a premier military academy revealed that most concerns about the integration of transgender personnel in the military included items such as privacy (bathrooms, showers, living arrangements), how to gauge male and female physical fitness standards for transgender personnel, and costs of hormones or surgeries for transitioning soldiers. Another study suggests that overall, cadets (both ROTC and military academy) and civilian undergraduates do not believe working with transgender people would affect their ability to do their jobs. However, nearly half of academy cadets agree with barring transgender people from military service, while smaller percentages of undergraduates and ROTC cadets hold this opinion.<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Morten_Ender\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Morten G. Ender<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/soc-ant.missouristate.edu\/drohall.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">David E. Rohall<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usni.org\/author\/michael-d-matthews\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Michael D. Matthews<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. 2016. \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/0095327X15575278\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cadet and Civilian Undergraduate Attitudes toward Transgender People: A Research Note<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Armed Forces and Society <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">42(2): 427-435.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Morten_Ender\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Morten G. Ender<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/tischcollege.tufts.edu\/people\/faculty\/diane-ryan\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diane M. Ryan<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Danielle A. Nuszkowski, Emma Sarah Spell, and Charles B. Atkins. 2017. \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-0760\/6\/1\/27\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dinner and a Conversation: Transgender Integration at West Point and Beyond<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social Sciences<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 6(1): 1-18.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>In another study, survey responses of active and veteran military students revealed relative support for transgender men and women in the military. Both deployment to a combat zone and being in an infantry combat position led to supportive attitudes towards transgender military personnel. However, a noteworthy number of participants also expressed stark bias and prejudice towards transgender individuals in the military.<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/meredithworthenphd.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meredith G. F. Worthen<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. 2018. \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s13178-018-0340-2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transgender Under Fire: Hetero-cis-normativity and Military Students\u2019 Attitudes Toward Trans Issues and Trans Service Members Post DADT<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sexuality Research and Social Policy<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: 1-20<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/politics\/archive\/2019\/01\/donald-trump-tweets-transgender-military-service-ban\/579655\/\">Trump tweeted<\/a> once that \u201cour military . . . cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.\u201d As scholars have shown, however, the effects on both health costs <i>and<\/i> military readiness would be indeed negligible.<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rand.org\/about\/people\/s\/schaefer_agnes_gereben.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Agnes Gereben Schaefer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rand.org\/about\/people\/i\/iyengar_plumb_radha.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Radha Iyengar<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rand.org\/pubs\/authors\/k\/kadiyala_srikanth.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Srikanth Kadiyala<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rand.org\/about\/people\/k\/kavanagh_jennifer.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jennifer Kavanagh<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rand.org\/about\/people\/e\/engel_charles_c.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Charles C. Engel<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rand.org\/pubs\/authors\/w\/williams_kayla_m.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kayla M. Williams<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rand.org\/pubs\/authors\/k\/kress_amii_m.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amii M. Kress<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. 2016. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rand.org\/pubs\/research_reports\/RR1530.html\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Assessing the Implications of Allowing Transgender Personnel to Serve Openly<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> RAND Corporation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2016, the Obama administration began to allow transgender military personnel to openly affirm their gender identity without fear of being separated, discharged, or denied reenlistment. Recently, however, President Trump and the United States Supreme Court instituted a ban on openly transgender personnel serving in the military. Among these are troops that have multiple deployments, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2020,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,55,33,13,85],"tags":[2306,2130,37981,115538,38547,470,38545,2777,38544,115542,1139,38541,105229,321,103,371,38546,9084,29450,306,103387],"class_list":["post-2438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-crime","category-gender","category-health","category-inequality","category-politics","tag-army","tag-bias","tag-cisgender","tag-cisnormativity","tag-crime","tag-discrimination","tag-gender","tag-gender-discrimination","tag-health","tag-health-costs","tag-healthcare","tag-inequality","tag-institution","tag-law","tag-military","tag-policy","tag-politics","tag-public-policy","tag-trans","tag-transgender","tag-transitioning"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2020"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2438"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2438\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2447,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2438\/revisions\/2447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}