Trump Gets One Thing Right

I am not remotely a fan of Donald Trump.  I went in to the Presidential election expecting, as much as I hated the  idea, that Hillary Clinton would be elected.  I didn't vote for either, choosing to writing in Bernie Sanders, who I knew would not win, but who I found less objectionable than either of the two clowns running at the top.   Early on during the returns, I was mildly surprised to see Trump take an early lead.  I figured it was just a fluke.  Then as the night went on, it was obvious that something very odd was happening.  Finally, it became clear that Trump would likely win.  As I had figured, I would be unhappy no matter what happened, and I was right.  The next morning, he was the winner.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from a Trump presidency.  I figured he would overturn some of the things Obama had done.  Some of Obama's changes I approved of, some I thought were absurd.  Especially his extremist views on transgender issues.

One of the worst of those decisions was his allowing openly transgender personnel to serve in the military.  The military is not a place for social experimentation.  Its primary purpose is to provide for the defense of our nation.  It requires disciplined, functional troops, who are ready to stand firm against all enemies of our nation.  They need to be able to work together and form bonds that allow them to operate as a well prepared unit.

Allowing males to enlist as women, and be in women's barracks, where there is inevitable nudity, or likewise to allow females to serve in men's unit is not acceptable.  It is simply not fair to those subjected to such an intrusion.  For someone who is actually transsexual, such a situation is unthinkable.  But we are not talking about transsexuals here.  We are talking about men, who enjoy living as women, but who wish to retain a strong connection to being a man.  They may in some cases, even choose to go so far as to have SRS, but they still want people to know they were born male.  Or, they are females who want to live as men, but have everyone know they were born female.

It would have been one thing if Obama has instituted a policy similar to "don't ask, don't tell," where transgender personnel would have been allowed to serve, but would be required to not engage in certain behaviors on duty, on base, and such.  But instead, they were allowed to serve as their "target" gender, as indicated in this rather extreme policy statement:

0.                        Policy Highlights
   

• Service members with a diagnosis from a military medical provider indicating that gender transition is medically necessary will be provided medical care and treatment for the diagnosed medical condition, in the same manner as other medical care and treatment. 

• Gender transition in the military begins when a Service member receives a diagnosis from a military medical provider indicating that gender transition is medically necessary, and concludes when the Service member’s gender marker is changed in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) and the Service member serves and is recognized in the preferred gender. 

• At that point, the Service member is responsible for meeting all applicable military standards in the preferred gender and will use berthing, bathroom, and shower facilities associated with their gender. 

• Any discrimination against a Service member based on their gender identity is sex discrimination and may be addressed through the Department’s equal opportunity channels. 

 In the past, I suggested that transsexuals who had undergone diagnosis, and SRS could be allowed to serve as long as they were not open about their past history.  But that is nowhere near what this policy provide for.  It should also be noted that among people who identify as transgender, they do not generally have a medical condition as such.  They are seeking a lifestyle change, not an actual medical transition.  Unfortunately, far too many therapists are quick to grant them a claim to being transsexual, even when it clear that they are not, because of political pressure from activists who seek to use transsexuals to further their own demands.

Trump has, during his time in office, exhibited bizarre behavior, a general lack of understanding of history, and the role of the president, and an appalling lack of ethics, but in regards to this issue, he is doing the right thing.

Defending the Indefensible

Some people cannot seem to comprehend why those who have HBS or who are true or classic transsexuals might not wish to be included under the "transgender" umbrella. A perfect example of this can be found in "Autumn" Sandeen's posting on Pam's House Blend entitled "Georgia's North Cobb HS Sees Gender Conformity As More Important Than Educating Students."

This article concerns a Georgia high school student who "chooses to wear clothes that express himself." Jonathan Escobar wears, among other things, skinny jeans, wigs, "vintage" clothing and makeup. Escobar has an interesting take on how he dresses:

"I don't consider myself a cross-dresser. This is just who I am."

Now, according to remarks from a video linked to from Mr. Sandeen's article, Escobar sees himself as making some sort of artistic statement.Escobar, choose to leave school after being told by an assistant principal that he should dress more "manly" or consider being home-schooled. This came after a fight broke out when one student chose to defend Escobar after another student made derogatory remarks.

The school's dress code contains the following provision:

Administrators and teachers shall enforce the dress code Rule, and the principal or designee shall be the final judge as to the appropriateness, neatness and cleanliness of the wearing apparel, or whether or not apparel is disruptive, unsafe, or in violation of the dress code.

Now, obviously, Escobar's "artistic expressions" are intended to garner attention. I don't think anyone can seriously argue otherwise. And it would be impossible to argue that a student who presents as a male, dressed in such style, would not be disruptive.

The situation might be different if Escobar identified as a female. If he were transsexual, and was planning to complete transition, and wished to present as a girl, then then I would defend his right to do so. I would hope that such a student would work hard on being as presentable as possible, and would not be "out, loud, and, proud," and quite frankly would be far less inclined to be supportive if such was the situation, as that would raise questions as to actual motivation.

No, Escobar simply wants to force an issue...in this case, that students have a right to be different. Rhe problem is, like all rights, that one is limited. I certainly believe students have a right to be individuals. I support student's rights to free speech. I oppose overly restrictive dress codes, though I do see merit in some school's decision to impose a uniform policy. My daughter attended two public schools that had such policies, and the effect was generally positive. In her case, the rules were simple. white or oxford blue tops, and navy or khaki bottoms. There were also, as I recall, some restrictions on footwear to prevent students from expressing gang affiliation in that manner.

And, I would like to add, the issue would be the same if a student chose to attend school in any other sort of outlandish costume. For example, if a student decided to attend school dressed in some sort of costume, or period dress.

Of course, Mr. Sandeen is beside himself. How dare the school try to insist on some sort of gender conformity! What is lost in this discussion is the fact that schools are specialized institiutions. Some restrictions are necessary to ensure good order to facilitate the learning process. Escobar is not being denied an education. He is simply being denied the right to interrupt other students efforts to learn.