Tag: military

Tag: military

Gender Nation: Military Ban is stayed, once again

April 30, 2018 ·

Gender Nation is a bi-weekly column by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, the founder of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, reviewing news affecting the trans, intersex, and genderqueer community. Military Ban is stayed, once again In yet another rebuke of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, a federal judge has once again barred the implementation of the administration's ban on transgender people serving openly in the United States Military. The Government had been arguing that their ban on transgender service members… Read more.

Gender Nation: Catholic Bishops & Trump’s DOJ are liars

December 19, 2017 ·

Gender Nation is a bi-weekly column by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, the founder of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, reviewing news affecting the trans, intersex, and genderqueer community. Department of Justice caught fibbing about trans troops In yet another "last-ditch" effort to continue their ban on transgender troops, the Trump administration has been caught in a lie. In seeking a stay of the most recent order to left transgender people serve openly beginning on the 1st of January, the United States Department… Read more.

Gender Nation: Rape, Segregation, & Justice

November 16, 2017 ·

Gender Nation is a bi-weekly column by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, the founder of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, reviewing news affecting the trans, intersex, and genderqueer community. Molesting & Raping Inmates as "Justice" A 52-year-old trans woman has filed a federal lawsuit against the Massachusetts Department of Corrections. The case cites harassment suffered by both guards and other inmates due in part to her being housed in the Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Norfolk, an all-male prison. She is seeking to be… Read more.

Thoughts On Chelsea Manning’s Coming Out

August 24, 2013 ·

I have some thoughts on how Pvt. Chelsea Manning's gender dysphoria was rolled out. Let me begin by saying I'm going to give, and I'm going to advocate for, respect for Manning's chosen name and publicly embraced gender, and I'm going to use female pronouns and call her Chelsea. That; however, comes with a mixed bag of emotions. I'm going to respect Chelsea's public request in part because of the Biblical teaching I learned as Pentecostal youth that I still… Read more.

A Bathroom Story That Doesn’t Involve The “Bathroom Bill” Meme

May 22, 2013 ·

There's an interesting, but sad story found on the Army Times website entitled West Point sergeant charged with filming naked female cadets. From the article: A sergeant first class on the staff of the United States Military Academy at West Point faces charges for allegedly filming numerous female cadets without their consent, sometimes when they were in the shower, according to the Army. The suspect, Sgt. First Class Michael McClendon, faces charges under four articles of the Uniform Code of… Read more.

Changing My Recorded Gender With The Department Of Defense

May 21, 2013 ·

fter my surgery and later issuance of a new birth certificate last November, I wanted to apply to the Department of the Navy (DON) to change my recorded gender. The Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) keeps track of servicemembers and retirees genders, so I wanted, for gender affirmation and DOD acknowledgement, my gender reflected in my Department of Defense (DOD) records. There is no gender marker on military identification cards, so it's not an issue of being outed by… Read more.

Seven Goals Of Trans Activism

May 1, 2013 ·

There are whys to transgender activism, but beyond the whys of transgender activism there are the whats: there are the goals of transgender activism. Here are seven goals of trans activism with some explanation as to why these are trans activism goals. Employment antidiscrimination protections. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE)/Task Force report Injustice at Every Turn A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, trans and gender non-conforming respondents experienced double the rate of unemployment: Survey… Read more.

Trans Inclusion In The Military Panel Discussion

March 25, 2013 ·

As I, the Transgender American Veterans Association, and a host of other people and organizations continue to point out, the 2011 repeal of DADT doesn't include the trans portion of the community. Trans people still have to hide who they are if they want to remain in the military, and for those of us who already transitioned, we can pay taxes, but are not allowed to sign up at the armed forces recruiting centers to serve our country. That's fundamentally… Read more.

DADT Dies Today, But Not For Transpeople

September 20, 2011 ·

While today is a historic and monumental day for GLB people who serve in the military with the death today of the odious Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, there's one part of the rainbow family who still will not be able to serve in our military openly and proudly in the transgender community. Never mind the fact that one of the people who was chained to the White House fence and arrested for protesting the DADT policy was transwoman Autumn… Read more.

Thai Army Ordered By Court To Halt Problematic Trans Classification

September 14, 2011 ·

I talked about this issue that Thai transpeople face when they are disqualified for military service by labeling them as mentally ill. There has been a lawsuit filed, activism centered on the issue and changes to that policy are being discussed in the 'Land of Smiles'. Because the birth records of Thai transwomen are not changed to reflect the persons they are now, after age 18 they are subject to being conscripted into the Thai military.  The Thai army routinely… Read more.

Thai Transwomen No Longer Considered ‘Insane’ By Military

September 4, 2011 ·

While United States transpeople are gearing up for a battle to openly serve in the military long since won in other nations such as Canada, Israel, Spain, the Czech Republic and Australia, our Thai transsisters recently won one just to not be labeled insane by their military for being themselves. In Thailand all males starting at age 21 until age 30 are entered into a subscription lottery to serve two years in the military.   Because as of now in Thailand… Read more.