With a stroke of the pen, the People’s President Biden, repealed Trumpzilla’s ban of inclusion of Transgender service members in our military.
Since our nation’s inception, every marginalized group incorporated into the military has had their rights challenged. Each faced prejudicial barriers questioning their patriotism and capability. African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities faced segregation and overt racism. Women were told they were incapable of serving in combat, even while they were in the middle of it. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual troops had their integrity tested when told to lock their authenticity deep in a closet.
For the past three and a half years, transgender service members were tested on their resiliency and faithfulness. Declared a disruptive burden on the military that could not be accepted or allowed by their own commander in chief, we were caught between a military that valued our proven capability for mission accomplishment and an administration set on erasing us. Our continued existence was resistance. Buoyed by our oath, sworn to the Constitution and the ideals it represents, and the necessity to continually prove our worth, we laced up our boots and got the job done. We were determined to pass the test and come out stronger.
Yet, despite 25% of LGBTQIA voting for Trump, for the past four years he and his administration has waged a war on LGBT Americans. Aided by a then limitless twitter arsenal.
After all this bigoted discrimination, condoned by 74 million Americans, it was all repealed by Biden on first day in Office as promised.
For the past four years, majority of our community advocacy was aimed at this repeal. Many worked diligently to see it’s demise. Pushing back on this policy was not something we did lightly, but we believe in the maxim Sen. Carl Schurz spoke in 1872: “My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.” Convinced by thousands of examples of honorable service, we took a principled stand to set it right. We each believe in the value of our service, that of every other trans troop, and what those yet to serve will bring to the military.
Philosopher John Stuart Mill argued that only through the collision with error can the truth be refined. Mill said that if someone disputes our position we should “thank them for it, open our minds to listen to them, and rejoice that someone will do for us what we otherwise would have to do for ourselves, with much greater labour.” (On Liberty, 1859) Because of that, and perhaps ironically, we’d like to thank President Trump. He directed a spotlight onto the accomplishments of transgender service members, dramatically swayed public and military opinion in our favor, and made us hone the arguments countering his position.
The administration trotted out the same charges levied against every previous minority group: unit cohesion disruption, cost, and inability to accomplish assigned missions. Just as everyone beforehand, when faced with those recycled fallacies, transgender troops were steadfast. Relying on data and the power of our examples, we invalidated the administration’s assertions.
Yet, while our community is celebrating, the MAGA crowds are crying fowl. This executive order in their view, plays right into their conspiracy of an Elite Trans Agenda. Ignoring the fact these are the last group in America to receive the same rights as everyone else. Most recently this week, South Dakota #Republican lawmakers revived a proposed law that would ban people from changing the sex designation on their birth certificates, even after a House committee rejected the bill that #LGBTQ advocates decried as an attack on #transgender people.
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