Just before the Pentagon’s new ban on transgender individuals serving in the military went into effect on April 12, the American Medical Association (AMA) issued a statement blasting the ban. Authored by AMA President Barbara McAneny, the statement reads, in part, that the Association “is troubled that the Department of Defense (DoD) characterizes the need to undergo gender transition as a ‘deficiency.’ The DoD regulation also instructs service secretaries to add gender-dysphoria to service-specific lists of ‘administratively disqualifying conditions’ that DoD regulations label ‘congenital or developmental defects.’”
She continued, “The only thing deficient is any medical science behind this decision. The AMA has said repeatedly that there is no medically valid reason—including a diagnosis of gender dysphoria—to exclude transgender individuals from military service. Transgender service members should, as is the case with all personnel, receive the medical care they need. There is a global medical consensus about the efficacy of transgender health care, including treatment for gender dysphoria.”
The statement concluded, “The AMA has played a lead role in educating the military—and the public—about the fact that sexual orientation and gender identity are not psychological or medical disorders. The estimated 14,700 transgender military personnel are qualified and willing to serve. Rather than stigmatizing and banning these patriots, DoD should let them serve.”
The statement follows a letter from the AMA that was sent directly to the DoD last year ( https://bit.ly/2wRgKRv ).
The National Center for Transgender Equality is asking those against the ban to write to their Representative and Senators to support the bipartisan bill that would “stop the transgender ban once and for all—no matter how it’s dressed up.” See this page for more information: https://bit.ly/2UWUvXl
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