On Thursday, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter lifted the Pentagon’s ban on transgender people serving openly in the military.
The change is part of a year-long plan that Carter initiated, which includes opening all combat roles to women and the first appointment of an openly gay army secretary.
Last July, Carter announced the rule changes to change “outdated” policies.
“If realized, the plan would end what is seen as one of the last discriminatory rules about who can enlist or be commissioned in the American military,” Matthew Rosenberg wrote for The New York Times. “It would also be a tacit recognition that thousands of transgender people are already in uniform.”
In a statement made at the Pentagon, Carter expressed the necessity for the plan to be put into action.
“We have transgender soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines — real, patriotic Americans — who I know are being hurt by an outdated, confusing, inconsistent approach that’s contrary to our value of service and individual merit,” Carter said. “The Defense Department’s current regulations regarding transgender service members are outdated and are causing uncertainty that distracts commanders from our core missions.”
With estimates that more than 15,000 transgender individuals serve in the military, lifting the ban will allow for thousands of women and men to stop living a secret life, making it publicly acceptable to declare their sexuality.
Although a positive change for thousands of transgender individuals, opposition to the change was voiced by high-ranking individuals in the military.
They have “expressed concerns over what they consider a social experiment that could potentially harm the military’s readiness and effectiveness in combat,” Rosenberg reported. “Several studies have reached the opposite conclusion … finding that lifting the ban is unlikely to have any appreciable effect on the readiness of the armed forces.”
However, lifting the ban will require heavy costs agreed upon by the Pentagon to allow for individuals to make a gender transition.
“Providing medical care to those seeking to transition would cost $2.9 million to $4.2 million a year for the Pentagon, which spends about $6 billion of its $610 billion annual budget on medical costs for active-duty service members,” according to a study by the Rand corporation.
Despite opposition by military men and women, and significant medical costs for the Pentagon, Carter stands by his decision.
“Americans who want to serve and can meet our standards should be afforded the opportunity to compete to do so,” Carter said. “After all, our all-volunteer force is built upon having the most qualified Americans. And the profession of arms is based on honor and trust.”
