This work is devoted to the United States of America’s policy to accept representatives of the LGBT community into the ranks of the US Armed Forces. The study examined integrating LGBT people into the army and identified the main points that influenced the formation of acceptance to gays, lesbians, and transsexuals. The most significant change in attitudes towards LGBT people in the US military came under President Obama, who overturned previous decrees that banned publicity of same-sex relationships.
President Trump has overturned many of his predecessors’ regulations and, in particular, banned transgender people from military service. Despite some restrictions in force to this day, using this work’s example, it is possible to trace the positive dynamics to LGBT people in the US Armed Forces. It is assumed that the new US President Biden will make the service for LGBT representatives as safe and accessible as possible.
In the twentieth century, homosexuality and other non-traditional orientation manifestations served as the basis for excluding a soldier from the army. During the Vietnam War, some Americans deliberately pretended to be gay to not get into the military ranks. Transgender people could not serve in the military, enshrined in the corresponding order of 1963, where they were ranked as “people with behavioral disorders manifested in transvestism” (Donaldson et al., 2019, p. 186).
Bill Clinton initiated the lifting of the ban on the admission of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people to the army. Under him, the principle of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” was introduced in the Armed Forces, according to which “homosexuality is not an obstacle to serving as long as homosexuals do not disclose their orientation” (Donaldson et al., 2019, p. 187). That is, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals, and transgender people were forbidden to talk about their orientation – otherwise, they were dismissed from the army. Over time, attitudes towards homosexuals gradually changed for the better, representatives of LGBT people were allowed to serve, and their pressure decreased.
In 2006, the US Department of Defense officially recognized that homosexuality is not a mental disorder. Open homosexuals and other members of the LGBT community were still prohibited from serving in the Armed Forces since, in the military’s opinion, their presence could violate discipline. In 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law repealing the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” rule. Openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual men were allowed to serve in the US Armed Forces. However, transgender people remained in the “gray zone” – their condition was still classified as a “psychosexual disorder” (Donaldson et al., 2019, 188). Therefore, the serving conditions for various LGBT members were different.
In 2014, a particular advisory group organized by think tank Palm Center concluded that there were no medical barriers to transgender service in the military. This was followed by special directives from the Army, Air Force, and Navy to protect transgender military personnel from dismissal. In 2015, the American Medical Association also participated in their protection. Finally, on June 30, 2016, the ban on transgender service in the Armed Forces was officially lifted, as Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced.
The President of the United States decided to repeal the decree on the admission of transgender people to service in July 2017. Politico sources said the president’s decision was influenced by conservatives from the Republican Party, threatening to execute plans to build a wall on Mexico’s border and increase the military budget (Donaldson et al., 2019). In August 2017, the band officially came into force, the president instructed Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke to ensure that the decree is implemented by February 21, 2018 (Donaldson et al., 2019). By this time, the defense department had to decide whether to keep in the ranks of the US Armed Forces transgender people who had entered military service before the publication of the presidential order.
In terms of medical perspective, transgender service does cost the US military millions of dollars. The state is obliged to provide hormone therapy to the soldiery, and, in some states, to cover the expenditures on gender reassignment surgery. However, the share of medical expenses for transgender people is negligible – from $ 2.4 million to $ 8.4 million per year, equivalent to 0.04-0.13% of the total health budget for soldiers (Donaldson et al., 2019).
Members of the LGBT community certainly want an army environment in which their sexual orientation will not negatively impact them. Despite the partial acceptance of gays, lesbians, and transgender people in the US military system, many are still reluctant to reveal their identity due to security concerns. While there are no incidents that indicate a problem, this behavior is driven by feelings and assumptions that recognizing one’s self-orientation may entail risks in the workplace.
Despite legal acts allowing representatives of the LGBT community to serve in the US Army, such service members still do not have complete freedom and confidence in their safety. First of all, this behavior is social prejudice, guided by which people behave aggressively towards those who are different. One of the main problems associated with this fact is the threat of violence and humiliation against LGBT people in the army. Regardless of current legislation, some population segments will have a negative attitude towards people practicing same-sex relationships. To overcome confrontation, first of all, it takes time to accept fully.
The ban on the service of transgender people in the US military is not the first signal that the Trump administration has sent to the American LGBT community. Before winning the 2016 elections, Trump positioned himself as a person ready to listen to the problems of sexual minorities, which, in principle, is not typical for representatives of the conservative Republican Party. But after moving to the White House, the 45th president did a lot to reverse many measures in favor of LGBT people taken by his predecessor Obama (Donaldson et al., 2019). Immediately after the inauguration, the section on the rights of sexual minorities was removed from the White House website.
Then the topic of “Pride” – a month dedicated to the rights of the LGBT community and the fight against homophobia and transphobia – was ignored. In February 2017, Trump withdrew an Obama directive protecting the rights of transgender schoolchildren to use toilets and bathrooms that are consistent with their gender identity.
The new President of the United States is positioning himself as a supporter of openness and equality. Even though at the moment, there have been no directives from the Biden administration regarding the legalization and acceptance of LGBT people into the ranks of the US army, it can be assumed that such a decision will be made during the presidential term. The recent taking can explain the lack of current measures over the presidency. In general, over the past forty years, one can trace an exact positive dynamic towards the LGBT community in the US Armed Forces.
Reference
Donaldson, W., Smith, H. M., & Parrish, B. P. (2019). Serving all who served: Piloting an online tool to support cultural competency with LGBT US Military veterans in long-term care. Clinical Gerontologist, 42(2), 185-191.