The American Medical Association (AMA) passed a historic resolution declaring that "there is no medically valid reason to exclude transgender individuals" from U.S. military service.
The voting delegates of the 222,000-member AMA urged that transgender service members be provided with necessary medical care "according to the same medical standards that apply to non-transgender personnel."
The AMA resolution, which concluded that the military's medical rules governing transgender service are "out of date with respect to medical consensus about gender identity," was passed by a unanimous vote at the group's annual meeting in Chicago.
Prior to the vote, three former and one current U.S. surgeons general—Dr. Joycelyn Elders, Dr. David Satcher, Dr. Regina Benjamin and Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu (acting)—issued a statement of support.
"With the American Medical Association weighing in, the pressure continues to build for Secretary Carter to take action and implement a fair and uniform standard across the branches—one that lifts the ban on open and honest service by transgender troops," said American Military Partner Association President Ashley Broadway-Mack said in a statement.
"We urge Secretary Carter to order a comprehensive review and implementation of the important and necessary changes to the outdated regulations that continue to harm our brave transgender service members and their families. The time for this unjust ban to end is now."
From the AMA: No medical rationale for military to exclude transgender individuals
CHICAGO - June 8, 2015 - There is no medically valid reason to exclude transgender individuals from service in the military of the United States, according to new policy adopted by the nation's physicians at the American Medical Association's Annual Meeting. The new AMA policy also affirms that transgender service members should receive care according to the same medical standards that apply to all other military personnel.
The new policy is intended to help modify the military regulations that bar transgender individuals from the military and prohibit providing medical necessary care as determined by a doctor. An estimated 15,500 transgender individuals serving in currently in the U.S. military face being discharged if discovered during military service.
The new AMA policy adds to a growing public consensus, including former public health and military officers, which questions the military's policies toward transgender individuals, and the negative impact these policies have on the health of transgender service members," said AMA President Robert M. Wah, M.D.
Press releases:
From GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality (formerly known as the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association)
Earlier this afternoon ( June 8, 2015) , the American Medical Association's House of Delegates unanimously passed a GLMA-led resolution stating "there is no medically valid reason to exclude transgender individuals" from US military service.
"The AMA has taken the stand that there is no medical justification to exclude transgender people from military service or provide different standards of care to transgender military service members," said Brian Hurley, GLMA's Delegate to the AMA HOD and a GLMA board member. "I'm proud that the AMA has made an important contribution toward ending transgender military exclusion and advancing transgender equality."
Four former US Surgeons General, including Joycelyn Elders, David Satcher, Regina Benjamin and Kenneth Moritsugu ( acting ), signed a statement in support of the AMA policy.
GLMA has been working on this resolution and building a campaign for support within the AMA for almost one year. This is the first-ever resolution GLMA has introduced since earning its seat in the HOD in 2013.
During GLMA's Annual Conference last year, the Stanley Biber Memorial Lecture on Transgender Health was devoted to discussion of military service for transgender individuals. Paula Neira, a former US Navy Lieutenant and transgender veteran who is now a nurse and lawyer, led the plenary discussion, which focused on the military's medical standards that bar service of transgender individuals.
Neira, who serves on the Transgender Military Advisory Committee of the Palm Center, which studies sexual minorities in the military, said the AMA resolution "acknowledges that the current exclusionary regulations are unsupported by modern medicine and prevent the military from taking care of our troops by denying them medically necessary care."
Hurley along with Jeremy Toler, GLMA's Alternate Delegate to the AMA HOD and a GLMA board member, and many other AMA and GLMA members, including Jesse Ehrenfeld, the first openly gay member of the AMA Board of Trustees, championed these efforts within the AMA. GLMA also extends its appreciation to the Palm Center, an invaluable partner and leader on military service for LGBT people.
This policy change highlights how GLMA works with health professionals associations to advance health and equality for LGBT people. GLMA is extremely grateful for the AMA's support and stands ready to continue our work with the AMA and other health professional associations to ensure healthcare equality for LGBT people.
From the Palm Center
CHICAGO, IL — The American Medical Association (AMA), the nation's oldest and largest physicians group with nearly 220,000 members, made history today by passing a resolution declaring that "there is no medically valid reason to exclude transgender individuals" from US military service. The voting delegates of the AMA urged that transgender service members be provided with necessary medical care "according to the same medical standards that apply to non-transgender personnel." The AMA resolution, which concluded that the military's medical rules governing transgender service are "out of date with respect to medical consensus about gender identity," was passed by a unanimous vote at the group's annual meeting in Chicago.
Prior to the vote, four former US Surgeons General issued a statement of support: "We agree with the proposed American Medical Association resolution that there is no medically valid reason to exclude transgender individuals from military service. Transgender service members should, as is the case with all personnel, receive the medical care that they need." The four former Surgeons General include Dr. Joycelyn Elders, Dr. David Satcher, Dr. Regina Benjamin and Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu (acting).
Members of GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality (formerly known as the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association), an organization advancing the health needs and concerns of LGBT people, played the lead role in sponsoring the resolution and advocating for a successful vote.
"The AMA has taken the stand that there is no medical justification to exclude transgender people from military service or provide different standards of care to transgender military service members," said Dr. Brian Hurley, GLMA's Delegate to the AMA, and a champion of the effort who spoke at the annual meeting in support of the resolution. "I'm proud that the AMA has made an important contribution toward ending transgender military exclusion and advancing transgender equality."
The AMA vote and statement by the former Surgeons General reflect a professional consensus that the military's transgender ban lacks a credible medical rationale.
Rear Admiral Alan M. Steinman, USPHS (Ret.), former Coast Guard Director of Health and Safety (equivalent to the Surgeon General of other military branches), testified at the AMA meetings in support of the resolution. Steinman called the AMA resolution "significant" because it "puts the premier medical association in the United States on the side of current medical thinking on this topic. It's a positive step that the AMA has recognized that transgender men and women have the same ability to function in high-stress military environments as any other qualified service members."
Paula Neira, a former US Navy Lieutenant and transgender veteran who serves on the Transgender Military Advisory Committee of the Palm Center, which studies sexual minorities in the military, said the AMA resolution "acknowledges that the current exclusionary regulations are unsupported by modern medicine and prevent the military from taking care of our troops by denying them medically necessary care." The AMA, she added, "has once again taken a stand recognizing that medical standards should reflect science and foster best practices based on evidence."
Researchers at the Palm Center believe the AMA vote undermines the military's rationale for firing transgender personnel. Diane Mazur, Vice President of Legal Research at the Palm Center and a retired law professor and former Air Force officer, has conducted extensive research on the transgender regulations. "The military disqualifies transgender personnel without any chance to show fitness for duty," she said, "and it denies them medical care it would provide to other service members. It's an arbitrary over-reaction to something the military simply does not understand well."
The AMA resolution cites a number of Palm Center reports, including a 2014 study by Mazur referenced in an editorial last week by The New York Times on transgender military service. The study, titled Arbitrary and Capricious: Six Inconsistencies Distinguishing Military Medical Policies for Transgender and Non-Transgender Personnel, compares how the military treats transgender and non-transgender individuals in need of comparable or even identical medical treatment (for instance, hormone therapy), and finds that medical regulations affecting transgender personnel are inconsistent with the military's regulation of medical conditions in general.
Dr. Aaron Belkin, Director of the Palm Center, welcomed today's resolution. "The military's transgender exclusion policy is sustained by claims that transgender individuals require more burdensome medical care in the field than other members of the military," Belkin said. "Citing mounting research to the contrary, the AMA has now joined a chorus of expert voices showing this assertion to be false. The evidence illustrates that the military has no sound reason for this discriminatory policy that bans transgender troops who simply want to serve their country."
Sdditional background on the AMA's resolution, data on transgender persons and information on the ban on transgender military service at the link: www.palmcenter.org/files/Press%20Sheet%20FINAL.pdf .
From The American Military Partner Association
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the American Military Partner Association (AMPA), the nation's largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) military families, responded to the news that the American Medical Association (AMA) passed a resolution saying there is there is no medical rationale for firing transgender personnel from the military.
"With the American Medical Association weighing in, the pressure continues to build for Secretary Carter to take action and implement a fair and uniform standard across the branches - one that lifts the ban on open and honest service by transgender troops," said AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack. "We urge Secretary Carter to order a comprehensive review and implementation of the important and necessary changes to the outdated regulations that continue to harm our brave transgender service members and their families. The time for this unjust ban to end is now."
In March, AMPA released a joint report with the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) highlighting the tremendous harm that the transgender ban causes the entire military family unit. The joint report notes, "As long as the military continues to enforce antiquated medical regulations, the entire family is subject to the ban's harmful impact. They are exposed to the same levels of risk, discrimination, and humiliation that transgender service members face, left with no choice but to serve in silence along with their service member. The entire family unit shares in the burden of having to live a double life, forced to keep their loved one's true gender identity concealed. Often times, they remain helpless, witnessing the pain and torment their loved one experiences as a result of overwhelming pressure from the ban."
There are an estimated 15,500 transgender service members currently serving in silence.
For more information about the American Military Partner Association and LGBT military families, please visit our home on the web at www.MilitaryPartners.org .
The American Military Partner Association, a non-profit and non-partisan organization, is the nation's largest organization for the partners, spouses, families, and allies of America's LGBT service members and veterans. Based in Washington DC, AMPA is committed to education, advocacy, and support for our modern military families.
