WASHINGTON, DC - The American Military Partner Association ( AMPA ) released the following statement today in response to the news that the Army is considering a policy change regarding dismissal of transgender service members, who are still prohibited from serving openly.
According to documents obtained by USA Today, any decision to discharge a transgender service member will soon need to be adjudicated by an Assistant Secretary of the Army, rather than through normal procedures.
"This is a positive indication that the military is now considering a more comprehensive review of transgender inclusion," says AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack. "However, we are still waiting on Secretary Carter and the Department of Defense to call for full inclusion. Our transgender service members will still risk separation until the Department updates outdated policy to permit open and honest service."
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."
From a Palm Center Press Release:
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — According to a story published earlier today, official documents obtained by USA Today show that the decision to discharge transgender soldiers from the U.S. Army must now be made by an Assistant Secretary of the Army. However, transgender personnel are still unable to serve openly in the United States military.
Aaron Belkin, Director of the Palm Center — an independent research center publishing state-of-the-art scholarship on transgender personnel in the military - and a leading expert on the military's ban on transgender service is quoted in the USA Today story stating:
"This is a welcome step toward inclusive policy, but transgender troops must still serve in silence until more is done to dismantle the ban," said Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center, which has published research on sexual orientation issues in the military."
Last year, the Palm Center released a study, "Report of the Planning Commission on Transgender Military Service," which found that allowing transgender personnel to serve in the military "is administratively feasible and will not be burdensome or complicated". The study also provided a detailed roadmap for the policy change, showing that implementation could proceed immediately and will be successful in its execution. It also suggests the change is inevitable, noting the US will "likely" join the 18 other countries that already permit transgender service.
