In 1993, President Bill Clinton introduced the now-infamous "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" (DADT) policy, a compromise that allowed gay and lesbian service members to remain in the military as long as they kept their sexual orientation private. At the time, it was criticised from all sides: conservatives called it too permissive, while LGBTQ+ advocates called it a betrayal. Yet with the benefit of hindsight, DADT may now be seen as a pragmatic, if imperfect, attempt to hold space for dignity within a divided nation.
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Saturday, May 17, 2025
The War Against Transgender Service Members: A Step Backwards for America’s Military and Moral Compass
That fragile balance has long since been replaced. In recent years, the rights of transgender Americans in the military have become a political football, kicked around not based on evidence or readiness, but on ideology and fear.
From the Obama administration’s decision in 2016 to allow transgender individuals to serve openly, to the Trump administration’s abrupt reversal in 2017, and now to the renewed pressures facing transgender service members under various state and federal initiatives, the issue has become a litmus test for whether America’s military is truly inclusive—or just selectively tolerant.
This current chapter is a troubling one. Despite the Defence Department’s own studies finding no negative impact on unit cohesion or operational readiness, political forces continue to push for the marginalisation of transgender personnel. Legislation, executive orders, and policy proposals have sought to undermine their right to serve, not because of their capabilities, but because of who they are.
This is more than a military policy debate; it is a moral failing. The targeting of transgender individuals, many of whom have volunteered to risk their lives for a country that questions their legitimacy, is a disgrace. It tells our soldiers that truth and authenticity are liabilities in uniform, and it tells the world that America’s values are negotiable.
At its core, military service is about honour, courage, and commitment. None of these values is diminished by a soldier’s gender identity. What diminishes them is institutional hypocrisy —the notion that someone can be deemed good enough to die for their country, but not good enough to serve it openly.
It is a sad era indeed for the U.S. Defence Department, not just because it may once again turn its back on its transgender personnel, but because it does so knowing better. This is not a matter of uncertainty; the data is in, the moral arc has bent, and history will not be kind to those who stood in its way.
May 16, 2025
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