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AMSA Condemns President Trump’s Attack on Transgender Military Service Members’ Civil Liberties
President and Commander-in-Chief Donald J. Trump has once again backtracked on his campaign promises to protect the LGBTQ community. AMSA strongly opposes his latest action: a direct assault on the civil rights of transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military.
STERLING, Virginia – July 28, 2017 – Less than 48 hours ago, President Trump took to Twitter to announce a sweeping policy shift:
“After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.”
The White House has since stated that implementation of this ban will proceed lawfully, in coordination with the Department of Defense.
However, research from the RAND Corporation—the same organization whose analysis helped guide the 2011 repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”—contradicts the administration’s claim that transgender service members impose an undue burden on the military. A 2016 RAND study estimated that between 1,320 and 6,630 transgender individuals currently serve in the U.S. armed forces out of approximately 1.3 million total active-duty personnel. The projected impact of covering health care for transgender service members would amount to just a 0.04% to 0.13% increase in active-component medical expenditures. Furthermore, despite White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ assertion that the ban is about “military readiness, unit cohesion, and resources,” RAND found that as few as 10 service members might experience reduced deployability due to gender transition-related treatment.
Denying transgender Americans the right to serve their country is a clear departure from the values of a just and equitable society. At least 18 other nations, including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, allow transgender individuals to serve openly in their armed forces. AMSA firmly believes that ensuring access to high-quality health care for all military personnel is essential to national security and emergency preparedness. Moreover, discrimination in any form is a public health issue, particularly when it affects access to medical care, fosters social isolation, and deepens systemic alienation.
AMSA has long championed the rights of LGBTQ communities and remains committed to dismantling systemic discrimination, both within medicine and in society at large. We believe that fostering inclusive, healthy environments is fundamental to achieving social justice. AMSA stands in support of allowing transgender individuals to serve openly and undergo gender transition while in the military. We advocate for comprehensive health care for all transgender individuals and insist that transgender service members receive equal pay, benefits, and protections comparable to their cisgender counterparts.
By: Neil Vallabh, AMSA National Vice President for Internal Affairs
About the American Medical Student Association:
AMSA is the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States. Founded in 1950, AMSA is a student-governed, non-profit organization committed to representing the concerns of physicians-in-training. To learn more about AMSA, our strategic priorities, or joining the organization, please visit us online.
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