White House sends email linking to article saying being trans is a mental disorder
The White House has continued its assault on the transgender community, sending an email blast with links to an article suggesting being trans is a mental disorder.
West Wing Reads is an email blast sent out by the White House each day with links to articles of interest.
Apparently trying to bolster its position that transgender people are not fit to serve in the US Military, the email blast, accompanied by tweets, links to an article in the Daily Signal.
In it, Walt Heyer writes: “I was once transgender. Why I think Trump made the right decision for the military.”
In the article, Heyer continues: “Gender dysphoria, the common diagnosis for one who feels at odds with his or her birth gender, develops from prolonged anxiety and depression. People are not born that way.
“The ‘proof’ for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria having strongly held feelings – but feelings can and often do change over time.”
Adding: “The Military is expected to prepare its members in warfare: To kill, destroy, and break our enemies. The most important factors in preparing a strong military are not hormone therapy, surgical sex changes, or politically correct education.
“We need psychologically fit, emotionally sound, highly trained troops to protect our nation from its enemies.”
This comes just a day after President Trump sent a number of tweets saying transgender people would be banned from military service.
But a new poll today by Reuters found that 58 percent of Americans support transgender people’s right to serve openly.
In June of last year, President Obama asked the Pentagon to lift its long-held ban on transgender soldiers serving openly in the military.
The Department of Defense was given until July 1 of this year to implement the policy, with LGBT advocates hopeful that transgender soldiers would finally be able to serve openly.
The decision was delayed by Trump’s Defence Secretary James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis – and the President confirmed yesterday that he would reverse the decision put the ban back in place.
Despite the assertion that it would cost the military too much to implement a transgender-inclusive policy, the Department of Defense spent five times more on Viagra in 2014 than it would on care for transgender troops.
Austin Mayor Steve Adler welcomed any trans troops kicked out of the military to apply to be in the police force there.
Out trans former Navy SEAL Kristin Beck challenged President Trump to tell her to her face that she is “not worthy” after he announced the policy.
She also noted the negligible cost of providing the healthcare to trans troops compared to other military costs.
According to reports, the Pentagon was unaware that Trump was about to announce the rolling back of the Obama-era change.
It is not the first time Trump has gone out of his way to reverse a decision on LGBT rights made by Obama.
The GOP leader has already scrapped protections for transgender school kids, ceased government opposition to state-level anti-LGBT laws, and sought to slash HIV aid funding.
The decisions sour Trump’s previous claims during his election campaign to be a “friend” of LGBT people.
In a speech directly after the Orlando massacre he had claimed: “Ask yourself, who is really the friend of women and the L-G-B-T community, Donald Trump with his actions, or Hillary Clinton with her words.”
He also won endless praise from gay Republicans for waving a Pride flag on stage, while making no pledges on LGBT rights.
