The "waiver" being reported at many outlets for Trump's transgender ban is actually a "waiver" for people who have never transitioned, and are willing to stay closeted.
Weird. This insignificant Canadian member of the worst ever demographic* (cis white straight male over sixty years old) finds out about Erin on Tuesday evening, checks out the Substack on Wednesday, subscribes on Thursday so I can leave a comment, and I'm already getting likes. You're a good bunch of people!
*The demographic responsible for most (all?) of the world's problems.
We live in upside down world so they'll never acknowledge that.
Hopefully some first world nation opens up a refugee program for trans people fleeing the US soon. Most of the trans people in the US are hyper intelligent and in advanced fields. A brain drain in IT will cripple Russia 2.0 in ways they can't even begin to fathom.
By including anyone *suspected* of being trans, this is setting the stage to police people's gender expression & force people (women especially) into regressive gender roles & performance. The waiver will be for gender non-conforming folks (especially women) as long as they attest to not experiencing gender dysphoria, not being trans, and consent to adhere to sex-based grooming / dress / performance. It's ominous.
We already know Hegseth wants women to stay in support roles if he can't get them out of the military entirely. And now he has the means to police women's appearance and behavior. Trans people won't be the only soldiers to suffer from this policy.
As a veteran I suspect you are exactly right. It wasn’t easy when I served, but it was getting better. I’m so incredibly saddened to see this for anyone serving who isn’t a cis het white male. Damn, we fought hard to make it easier for those coming after us. I’m so sorry.
The absolute fucking chutzpah of painting trans people as a whole demographic as dishonest... and then crafting policy such that it 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 trans people to lie.
I can't even with these people. They haven't got even the tiniest little bit of shame.
It’s SHAMEFUL. Absolutely disgusting. And every single republican are COMPLICIT; your so-called friends, family, neighbors and co-workers. They are ALL complicit to the downfall of this nation.
Start holding them accountable if you haven’t already done so.
I read this and it includes anyone having signs of gender dysphoria. So the 1.15 million soldiers taking viagra for erectile dysfunction should by definition be counted as well. Also the cis men on testosterone are devising hormone replacement therapy they should also fall under this definition. Technically the memo by definition would include those individuals if their issue caused significant stress . which resorting to medication to achieve the gender functionality or capability seems significant. Just saying...
this is monstrous. the fact that they are going to steal money from any service members who do not willingly resign......... there is no bottom to the depths of cruelty they are going.
Are there things we can do to support the lawsuits and trans members of the military? Do not just want to sit back and watch this fascist agenda be implemented.
Thank you for clarifying this. As you said, the exception is for people who never have and never will (at least, not during their military service) transition. They have to somehow prove that they're not even upset about this (36 months of sex stability) and that, during their military service, they'll live as a member of their sex assigned at birth without further complaint.
Another part I noticed is Part (c) of your screenshot, above the numbered items 1-2-3. It says this exception will be granted only if the government has a "compelling" interest in that particular person — that is, it's up to the government if they really want this specific person as a servicemember. If the government chooses to discriminate, it can simply say, "Actually, we don't have a particularly compelling interest in *you*."
This "waiver" plainly isn't designed to accommodate trans people, as you said. Certainly not those who are openly trans. So who's it for? Here's my theory:
The memo defines a trans person (more or less) as someone who's ever been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, or who ever had hormones or surgery for trans reasons, even if they later changed their mind. A fifth definition is someone who currently "exhibit[s] symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria”. Those symptoms aren't defined, nor does the memo specify a relevant authority who decides whether the symptoms exist. So this fifth definition to me appears to be the one that enables a witch-hunt. Anyone who "looks trans" or "acts trans," according to the opinion of absolutely anyone, can be said to be exhibiting dysphoria-like "symptoms" of transness. Because the government knows very well it's initiating a witch-hunt, it also wants a way to turn off the witch-hunt if the fire gets too hot and burns too many people. Some people will be falsely "accused" (::cough::) of being trans, and the government wants a way to "exonerate" them and bring them back into the fold. Hence, the so-called "waiver". The accused person simply has to demonstrate that, despite whatever "symptoms" they were accused of exhibiting, they never had any real intention of transitioning nor do they feel any current dissatisfaction with their gender, so it was all a big misunderstanding, and then the government will say, "I see, and indeed we have a compelling interest in retaining you." The waiver is designed to keep cis people who were briefly misidentified as trans by some act of malice or mix-up. It's a method of taking an oath that you aren't trans, disavowing whatever testimony or other evidence the government has collected against you.
Sorry, my reference to a "fifth definition" was obscure. The memo's working definitions of transness are "current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria" and "a history of cross-sex hormone therapy or sex reassignment or genital reconstruction surgery". There, I count a total of five ways of being trans: a currently valid dysphoria diagnosis, a past diagnosis (discarded as a misdiagnosis or otherwise no longer real), past hormones, past surgery, or exhibiting whichever unspecified "symptoms" sure do make you look trans. The first four are in the medical record, but that last one is in the eye of the beholder.
A quick, easy and dirty way for Putin's poodle to harm the readiness of the US military to take on any adversary, not just losing the trans soldiers themselves, but demoralising their friends and allies.
I'm unsurprised, but no less disgusted, that this ban is exactly as despicable and cruel as might be expected from the orange one. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to trans servicepeople and their families, and I wish all Republicans a very kick in the face.
When I was 20 I decided not to transition and stayed closeted because I didn't think I was "trans enough". When I was 39 I couldn't take it any more and I transitioned.
If I had been in the military under this rule, I probably would have accepted the waiver. Or just not said anything to where I'd have to get the waiver in the first place. And then I probably would have ended up killing myself over it.
The policy asserts that being transgender is incompatible with "honesty, humility, uniformity, and integrity."
Being a Trump, or a Republican these days, is incompatible with "honesty, humility, uniformity, and integrity."
Weird. This insignificant Canadian member of the worst ever demographic* (cis white straight male over sixty years old) finds out about Erin on Tuesday evening, checks out the Substack on Wednesday, subscribes on Thursday so I can leave a comment, and I'm already getting likes. You're a good bunch of people!
*The demographic responsible for most (all?) of the world's problems.
Welcome to the Substack, and thank you for your support of transgender people!
We live in upside down world so they'll never acknowledge that.
Hopefully some first world nation opens up a refugee program for trans people fleeing the US soon. Most of the trans people in the US are hyper intelligent and in advanced fields. A brain drain in IT will cripple Russia 2.0 in ways they can't even begin to fathom.
I am so fucking sick of the "trans people are dishonest" narrative. Especially from the most hypocritical administration this country has ever seen.
Coming out and transitioning are acts of radical honesty and integrity.
By including anyone *suspected* of being trans, this is setting the stage to police people's gender expression & force people (women especially) into regressive gender roles & performance. The waiver will be for gender non-conforming folks (especially women) as long as they attest to not experiencing gender dysphoria, not being trans, and consent to adhere to sex-based grooming / dress / performance. It's ominous.
We already know Hegseth wants women to stay in support roles if he can't get them out of the military entirely. And now he has the means to police women's appearance and behavior. Trans people won't be the only soldiers to suffer from this policy.
As a veteran I suspect you are exactly right. It wasn’t easy when I served, but it was getting better. I’m so incredibly saddened to see this for anyone serving who isn’t a cis het white male. Damn, we fought hard to make it easier for those coming after us. I’m so sorry.
The absolute fucking chutzpah of painting trans people as a whole demographic as dishonest... and then crafting policy such that it 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 trans people to lie.
I can't even with these people. They haven't got even the tiniest little bit of shame.
It’s SHAMEFUL. Absolutely disgusting. And every single republican are COMPLICIT; your so-called friends, family, neighbors and co-workers. They are ALL complicit to the downfall of this nation.
Start holding them accountable if you haven’t already done so.
Full stop.🛑
I read this and it includes anyone having signs of gender dysphoria. So the 1.15 million soldiers taking viagra for erectile dysfunction should by definition be counted as well. Also the cis men on testosterone are devising hormone replacement therapy they should also fall under this definition. Technically the memo by definition would include those individuals if their issue caused significant stress . which resorting to medication to achieve the gender functionality or capability seems significant. Just saying...
We will never go another day without being attacked by our government in a new way.
this is monstrous. the fact that they are going to steal money from any service members who do not willingly resign......... there is no bottom to the depths of cruelty they are going.
Are there things we can do to support the lawsuits and trans members of the military? Do not just want to sit back and watch this fascist agenda be implemented.
The lawsuits challenging the ban are being brought by Lambda Legal, the ACLU, and GLAD. I made donations to them.
If you made it through basic and AIT then fuck them. take the separation. Who wants to fight for a country that doesn't want them anyway?
Your skills will become invaluable in the inevitable coming troubles. Use what you learned to educate your brothers and sisters.
I certainly think that 45 knows a thing or two about not being honest, having no humility, and definitely no integrity.
Thank you for clarifying this. As you said, the exception is for people who never have and never will (at least, not during their military service) transition. They have to somehow prove that they're not even upset about this (36 months of sex stability) and that, during their military service, they'll live as a member of their sex assigned at birth without further complaint.
Another part I noticed is Part (c) of your screenshot, above the numbered items 1-2-3. It says this exception will be granted only if the government has a "compelling" interest in that particular person — that is, it's up to the government if they really want this specific person as a servicemember. If the government chooses to discriminate, it can simply say, "Actually, we don't have a particularly compelling interest in *you*."
This "waiver" plainly isn't designed to accommodate trans people, as you said. Certainly not those who are openly trans. So who's it for? Here's my theory:
The memo defines a trans person (more or less) as someone who's ever been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, or who ever had hormones or surgery for trans reasons, even if they later changed their mind. A fifth definition is someone who currently "exhibit[s] symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria”. Those symptoms aren't defined, nor does the memo specify a relevant authority who decides whether the symptoms exist. So this fifth definition to me appears to be the one that enables a witch-hunt. Anyone who "looks trans" or "acts trans," according to the opinion of absolutely anyone, can be said to be exhibiting dysphoria-like "symptoms" of transness. Because the government knows very well it's initiating a witch-hunt, it also wants a way to turn off the witch-hunt if the fire gets too hot and burns too many people. Some people will be falsely "accused" (::cough::) of being trans, and the government wants a way to "exonerate" them and bring them back into the fold. Hence, the so-called "waiver". The accused person simply has to demonstrate that, despite whatever "symptoms" they were accused of exhibiting, they never had any real intention of transitioning nor do they feel any current dissatisfaction with their gender, so it was all a big misunderstanding, and then the government will say, "I see, and indeed we have a compelling interest in retaining you." The waiver is designed to keep cis people who were briefly misidentified as trans by some act of malice or mix-up. It's a method of taking an oath that you aren't trans, disavowing whatever testimony or other evidence the government has collected against you.
Sorry, my reference to a "fifth definition" was obscure. The memo's working definitions of transness are "current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria" and "a history of cross-sex hormone therapy or sex reassignment or genital reconstruction surgery". There, I count a total of five ways of being trans: a currently valid dysphoria diagnosis, a past diagnosis (discarded as a misdiagnosis or otherwise no longer real), past hormones, past surgery, or exhibiting whichever unspecified "symptoms" sure do make you look trans. The first four are in the medical record, but that last one is in the eye of the beholder.
A quick, easy and dirty way for Putin's poodle to harm the readiness of the US military to take on any adversary, not just losing the trans soldiers themselves, but demoralising their friends and allies.
I'm unsurprised, but no less disgusted, that this ban is exactly as despicable and cruel as might be expected from the orange one. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to trans servicepeople and their families, and I wish all Republicans a very kick in the face.
Thank you for for your journalism Erin
When I was 20 I decided not to transition and stayed closeted because I didn't think I was "trans enough". When I was 39 I couldn't take it any more and I transitioned.
If I had been in the military under this rule, I probably would have accepted the waiver. Or just not said anything to where I'd have to get the waiver in the first place. And then I probably would have ended up killing myself over it.