Now is the time for all good transgender Americans to come to the aid of their country. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter recently announced the military would no longer discriminate against transgender troops. All LGBT troops can serve openly without concerns over expressions of their sexuality.
“This is the right thing to do for our people and for the force,” Carter announced, adding, “We’re talking about talented Americans who are serving with distinction or who want the opportunity to serve. We can’t allow barriers unrelated to a person’s qualifications to prevent us from recruiting and retaining those who can best accomplish the mission.”
Secretary Carter explained the military needs access to all Americans in order to serve and defend our nation. Pfc. Chelsea, formerly Bradley, Manning is the transgender trooper who has received the most public attention in recent years. Manning is in military prison, where she is transitioning, for leaking thousands of classified government and diplomatic documents to international fugitive Julian Assange’s anti-secrecy Web site WikiLeaks.
In addition to lifting the ban on transgender military service, Carter has ordered a review of all pending military discharges on grounds of gender dysphoria. The Pentagon has spent millions of dollars studying open military service for transgender troops and it is time for the study to come to an end.
Pentagon estimates range from 1,320 to 6,630 transgender troops serving in active-duty military roles. As many as 150 want hormone treatment and as many as 130 want sex change surgery. Transgender healthcare is currently estimated as $8.5 million annually. Healthcare costs per service member would start at $50,000. Married transgender partners and children would also be eligible for treatment.
Carter said the Pentagon owes transgender servicemembers the dignity of healthcare for their needs and that of their families. Post-service transgender families would have access to Veteran’s Administration healthcare. This is a big change to VA healthcare and no immediate estimate was available for health treatment for transgender veterans and their families.
This potentially large change in healthcare services for transgender veterans would have to be met by increases in funding and services by VA offices and hospitals across the country. Congress is already considering changes in the VA structure and services due to the poor quality of care by VA physicians in meeting the growth in demand, especially for mental health services, by veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The recent Dallas and Baton Rouge killers who ambushed police were disturbed veterans.
Provision of healthcare for transgender troops could speed efforts to combine the VA with private sector medical care. President Obama requested $182.3 billion to fund the VA for FY 2017. Since Obama took office the VA’s budget has increased nearly $70 billion and the president has emphasized increased spending for mental health services.
During Congressional appropriations hearings, the next VA secretary could face detailed questions on transgender healthcare. This is the job of Congress but politicians could hinder transgender service by restricting funding for transitioning and other healthcare needs.
The LGBT community will have to closely watch the budget allocation process to assure fairness for transgender medical needs. The best outcome of VA budget allocation would be increased funding and improved access to care for all veterans. To achieve this, LGBT healthcare advocates could find new and important allies among active-duty and well-established and well-funded associations representing veterans. Such an alliance could also reduce Congressional resistance to VA funding of transgender healthcare.
Jim Patterson is a Washington DC based writer, speaker and political activist. JEPCapitolHill@gmail.com
