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.

A Historic Moment....

Well, as of noon Eastern Standard Time on January 20, 2009, our country has a new President. And this was a moment of major historical significance as it represents the first time that an African-American has become President. It is an exciting time for the country. There has been a lot of speculation about what this means for various factions, including the "transgender" community.

Personally, I wonder what Obama's taking office means for those who have Harry Benjamin Syndrome. It has become obvious that more often than not, that which is sought by the "transgender" activists may not be acceptable to those who have HBS, and may even be detrimental. Obama has already stated that there will be no discrimination in his administration's hiring on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. It will be interesting to see how that works out in actual practice. Of course, for most with HBS, this would not be that much of an issue, as they would not want that fact made public.

And I know, during the transition, one local "transgender expert" was called to meet with the transition team to provide advice for the Department of Health and Human Services. I don't know exactly what actual advice was offered, but I have concerns since this person has strong links to some who represent the more extreme elements of the "transgender community."

There are, of course, more practical issues of concern to those with HBS. For example, how will the new administration implement the Real ID act? This law caused a lot of concern because it appeared that it might lead to problems for those who had left their previous lives behind. It has somewhat faded as an issue, since full implementation has been put off until 2011.

Another area of concern regards passports. There was some talk, early in the Bush administration, that the policy of issuing temporary passports with the sex marker changed for those traveling overseas to have sex reassignment surgery would be ended. Apparently this did not happen. Again, it seems likely that this will not be a problem under Obama's administration. But there is a possible danger that the laws might be loosened too much.

The bottom line is, what those with HBS most need is simply the right to be recognized as being members of their reassigned sex, and to have their privacy protected. Unfortunately, that is a not at all a priority for the transgender crowd, who are more interested in forcing society to accept men as women, and vice versa.

One thing is clear, this is a time of renewed hope. Many are more than willing to give Obama the benefit of the doubt, and to look ahead with optimism. Only time will tell whether he will be a great President, or a major disappointment.

But I have to say, I am very disappointed in the behavior of many who did support him. There has been a lot of nasty comments about George Bush. Bush was certainly not a great President, and there were certainly a lot of mistakes made. But he was hardly the monster he has been made out to be. And he was hardly the worst president ever. At least two others come to mind that I would consider worse, one Republican and one Democrat. Those attacking Bush would no doubt be among the first to be offended at the least slight against Obama. Once again, it appears that irony is dead. No one likes a sore loser, and a sore winner is even more offensive. It remains to be seen if Obama represents a major change in American politics, or if we will return to the conservatism that has dominated before. Only time will tell.