Ben Carson says trans people in the military are ‘a distraction’
US Presidential hopeful Ben Carson has said he thinks that the issue of transgender people in the military is “a distraction”.
The Republican retired neurosurgeon, has said he thinks that the military shouldn’t be used as a “social experiment” to deal with “the transgender thing”.
He also suggested that a ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ style policy could be the answer.
Speaking in Waterloo, Iowa yesterday, he said: “I do not appreciate using our military as a laboratory for a social experiment.
“You know, we have too many important things to do.”
His comments were made as the Pentagon prepares to begin allowing out trans people to serve in the armed forces from 2016.
“When our men and women are out there fighting the enemy, the last thing we need to be doing is saying what would it be like if we introduced several transgender people into this platoon,” he said.
Continuing, he said: “Give me a break. Deal with the transgender thing somewhere else.”
Of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, which was repealed in 2013, he said: “I mean, why do you have to go around flaunting your sexuality? It’s not necessary, you don’t need to talk about that, we need to talk about how to eliminate the enemy.”
While an estimated 15,000 people are currently serving in the US military, they are currently banned from revealing their gender identities.
Following his speech on Saturday, Carson spoke to reporters, to say: “The military has a very important job, their job is to protect us,” Carson said. “The last thing they need are a bunch of distractions.”
