LGBT and human rights advocacy groups reacted swiftly and favorably to today’s Department of Defense’s (DoD) decision to lift the ban on transgender people openly serving in the military. As the U.S.’s largest employer, the DOD’s decision today will allow the approximately 15, 000 transgender active and reserve service members (as well as countless veterans)…
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter today announced that transgender individuals will now be able to openly serve in the U.S. armed forces. The DoD policy announced today also establishes a construct by which service members may transition gender while serving, sets standards for medical care and outlines responsibilities for military services and commanders to develop…
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has proposed a new rule change that will lift the “regulatory prohibition that categorically excludes all treatment of gender dysphoria,” thereby extending crucially needed medical care to transgender service members, veterans, and military family members covered under Tricare. The proposed change would not include surgical care which remains prohibited…
Today the same-sex spouses of military service members become eligible to receive a range of federal benefits, thanks to a Department of Defense policy change that was announced last month implementing the U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Starting today, spousal and family benefits will…
WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Department of Defense announced Thursday that it will be commemorating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride later this month. The event will be the first of its kind for the Pentagon. “The Defense Department is planning an LGBT Pride Month event for later this month,” Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Laniez said in…
Following is a letter, reprinted with permission from its author, sent to U.S. District Court Judge John M. Facciola late last month in support of Lt. Choi, who was, as he puts it, singled out for arrest during a protest because of his vocal challenging of the now defunct policy known as Don’t Ask Don’t…
