Banned Again? |
|
February 18th, 2023 - by Bree Fram
This week, Senator Rubio and Congressman Banks introduced legislation that would re-ban all transgender people from serving in the military. Frighteningly, it goes even further. The bill would forcibly detransition anyone currently serving. I wrestled with whether or not to respond to the news and give it any oxygen, but the implications are too serious to ignore. This bill, and the rhetoric surrounding it, claim that my existence is somehow a threat so dangerous, and something to be so feared, that I and thousands of other service members need to be erased.
Though there is a near-zero chance the bill passes in the next two years, it's a marker for what may occur in 2025. Despite the overwhelming evidence of exceptional service provided by openly serving trans troops since 2016, our future is far from secure. We remain the boogeyman that will be used to stoke fear and anger in an attempt to translate that into votes. It won't even take legislation to reverse course on trans service. A future president's pen is all it takes to sign an executive order reimposing institutional discrimination.
We must counter the disingenuous narratives about our ability to serve with the stories of the transgender service members accomplishing their missions around the world. Their examples repudiate every argument thrown our way.
This week, Senator Rubio and Congressman Banks introduced legislation that would re-ban all transgender people from serving in the military. Frighteningly, it goes even further. The bill would forcibly detransition anyone currently serving. I wrestled with whether or not to respond to the news and give it any oxygen, but the implications are too serious to ignore. This bill, and the rhetoric surrounding it, claim that my existence is somehow a threat so dangerous, and something to be so feared, that I and thousands of other service members need to be erased.
Though there is a near-zero chance the bill passes in the next two years, it's a marker for what may occur in 2025. Despite the overwhelming evidence of exceptional service provided by openly serving trans troops since 2016, our future is far from secure. We remain the boogeyman that will be used to stoke fear and anger in an attempt to translate that into votes. It won't even take legislation to reverse course on trans service. A future president's pen is all it takes to sign an executive order reimposing institutional discrimination.
We must counter the disingenuous narratives about our ability to serve with the stories of the transgender service members accomplishing their missions around the world. Their examples repudiate every argument thrown our way.
|
Trans Troops
|
|
Transgender service members have passed every test thrown at them and succeeded wildly as their authentic selves in the military. We as a a nation and as a military are stronger for it. Just as we gained critical skills, capabilities, and people as we integrated other minority groups into the military so to have we done so with trans troops.
We also must recognize our fight for service is happening amidst a wider context of anti-trans, anti-LGBTQ+, and anti-bodily autonomy legislation and rhetoric at the national, state, and local levels. There is incredible work being done to create safe-havens, advocate for trans youth, and provide positive examples of transgender people nation-wide. Trans troops contribute to the wider effort to secure the right and opportunities of trans people everywhere by being visible examples of what's possible, proving that trans folks can do anything, including the most demanding jobs their nation can offer. We also show that we care about the values this country espouses and are willing to pay any price to defend them.
Trans troops put our service before ourselves to fight for a better world. We have not taken the easy road and we will not abandon what we believe in or who we are. Don't expect us to go anywhere quietly.
For many more amazing stories of transgender service members check out With Honor and Integrity: Trans Troops in their Own Words and SPARTA's Commitment to Serve series.
We also must recognize our fight for service is happening amidst a wider context of anti-trans, anti-LGBTQ+, and anti-bodily autonomy legislation and rhetoric at the national, state, and local levels. There is incredible work being done to create safe-havens, advocate for trans youth, and provide positive examples of transgender people nation-wide. Trans troops contribute to the wider effort to secure the right and opportunities of trans people everywhere by being visible examples of what's possible, proving that trans folks can do anything, including the most demanding jobs their nation can offer. We also show that we care about the values this country espouses and are willing to pay any price to defend them.
Trans troops put our service before ourselves to fight for a better world. We have not taken the easy road and we will not abandon what we believe in or who we are. Don't expect us to go anywhere quietly.
For many more amazing stories of transgender service members check out With Honor and Integrity: Trans Troops in their Own Words and SPARTA's Commitment to Serve series.
Bree Fram is a Lt Col in the US Space Force and the President of SPARTA, a Transgender Military Advocacy and Education Organization.
The opinions expressed in this essay are hers and do not necessarily reflect those of the US Space Force or the Department of Defense.
The opinions expressed in this essay are hers and do not necessarily reflect those of the US Space Force or the Department of Defense.