House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has called for elimination of the ban that prohibits transgender people from openly serving in the United States military.
Leader Pelosi believes there is no place for discrimination in the U.S. Armed Forces, including on the basis of gender identity
--Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill
In a later statement Hammill added that Pelosi had never previously opposed transgender military service and has articulated her support before. A previous statement of that support has yet to be located.
Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA), ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee has said she backs eliminating the ban.
Transgender individuals should not be denied the opportunity to serve in our nation’s military solely on the basis of their gender identity. As with the end of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the Department of Defense will need to make personnel policy adjustments. It makes sense for the DOD leaders to review the entirety of this matter.
A key component of this issue is to ensure workplace protections for transgender individuals. America must continually strive to advance equality for all of its citizens. In keeping with that, Congress needs to pass ENDA with strong transgender protections. We, as a country, should be well beyond using traits, characteristics or gender to qualify individuals for employment; if your job performance makes you the most qualified for employment, then you should be allowed to do the job.
--Susan Davis
Transgender people are prohibited from serving in the U.S. military under a medical regulation put in DOD Instruction 6130.03. That rule, put in place before 1980, states disqualifying conditions for military service include change of sex and a “current or history of psychosexual conditions (302) including but not limited to transexualism…exhibitionism, transvestitism, voyeurism and other paraphilias.
It should be noted that Psychologists and psychiatrists no longer classify being transgender as a paraphilia.
In May Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the policy should be reviewed. The White House has said it supports his efforts. But there has no movement forward since that time.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest deferred to the Pentagon on the issue Thursday and said he’s unsure if Obama would call for a change in policy, but nonetheless said his boss believes equality “makes our armed forces stronger.”
Washington Blade
The Williams Institute has estimated that 15,500 transgender people are currently serving in the military...in silence.
Military service for transgender people is right morally and, very importantly, it’s right for military.” Leader Pelosi is correct of course. The outdated, discriminatory ban on open trans service is bad for trans people, bad for military readiness, and bad for America.
We are 100 percent confident that open trans military service is as inevitable as the military bureaucracy that seems to have stalled progress once again.
--Mara Keisling, National Center for Transgender Equality
In August the Washington Blade polled House Armed Services Committee members to gauge support of transgender service. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Scott Peters (D-CA)and Niki Tsongas (D-MA) support eliminating the ban, while Jim Langevin (D-RI) said the Pentagon should review the ban. No Republicans commented on the issue.
On Monday there will be a forum in DC hosted by the ACLU and the Palm Center featuring transgender service members. Among the speakers will be Landon Wilson, who was dismissed from the Navy for being transgender and retired Navy Seal Senior Chief Kristin Beck.