By Caleb Miller | 3 Generations Intern
On July 26th, Donald Trump announced via Twitter that transgender men and women would no longer be allowed to serve in the military. In his own words, “the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you.”
Trump’s move against Transgender soldiers is a blow to the rights of soldiers and the rights of Americans. Transgender people have fought and given their lives for the American military, and consensus has shown that they give more to the military than they take from it.
Yet, under the guise of “unit cohesion” and “military readiness,” the Trump administration has taken a hard stance against Transgender troops. Military experts are warning against the degrading and disruptive effects of the ban — precisely the opposite of the intended effect. If that is the case, then what does Trump’s ban really mean?
3 Generations’ mission as a platform for Veterans rights has now been expanded by Trump’s marginalization of Trans veterans and soldiers. We must allow people to learn directly from those affected by Trump’s marginalization. We must tell the stories of Transgender veterans affected by the ban, and currently serving transgender soldiers who are working to fight against the ban. We must tell these stories.
Currently, 3 Generations is working to connect with several transgender veterans and soldiers and recording the oral histories and opinions of those affected by the ban. We will continue to work against the marginalization of Trans veterans and soldiers by disseminating their words and allowing them a space to be open and resist.
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