President Trump’s senseless ban on transgender people in the military went into effect Friday. Here are two recent pieces on transgender servicemembers who are parents and the impact the ban is having on them and their families.
- NPR profiled U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bree “B” Fram and B’s spouse Peg. B secured a diagnosis of gender dysphoria just 10 days before the lack of a diagnosis would have resulted in a discharge from the military. NPR explained, “The more than 14,000 already serving will be allowed to do so openly, so long as they have that formal diagnosis of gender dysphoria filed by the deadline. If not, they must serve under the gender assigned them at birth—or leave the armed forces.” Peg expressed that their two kids, ages six and 10, “see their dad’s gender identity as ‘business as usual,'” but the pressure of the ban has forced her to come to terms with B’s transition faster than she would like. Also, she worries whether the documentation of gender dysphoria could be used against the transgender troops still serving. “Now that they’ve been forced to go into this box, it’s easier to call them out later,” she said.
- Alli Alexander, an Army veteran, mother, and now military spouse, wrote at the American Military Partner Association, “My husband suddenly went from being a valued member of the United States Army to someone they are now trying to erase all together.” She also shares ways you can help fight the ban.
- Bonus third profile: A slightly older article, but still worth a mention, is this 2017 InStyle profile of U.S. Army Captain Jennifer Peace, who is also a parent of three children.
As I’ve written before, the ban on transgender troops is completely groundless and harms not only them, but their families as well. Let’s work to push through legislation that could change this senseless and spiteful act.