New research funded in part by a Chicago foundation will determine if and how transgender service members could serve openly in the U.S. military.
The Palm Center, which conducted years of research leading up to the repeal of the military's ban on openly gay and lesbian service members, has announced 11 studies on military readiness and transgender service. The multi-year research is funded in part by the Tawani Foundation, a Chicago-based funder dedicated to military history and awareness. Wells Fargo is also a funder.
The 2011 repeal of "Don't Ask., Don't Tell," allowed gay and lesbian members to serve openly, but transgender people largely remain barred for myriad reasons.
"Unlike the ;don't ask, don't tell' law, however, regulations governing transgender service are not written in statute,"the Palm Center pointed out in a statement. "As a result, the Obama administration could unilaterally modify them via executive action."
The new research will be conducted by 16 scholars. It will examine military dress codes and trans medical needs, among other things.
Project Director Indra Lusero said in a statement that militaries around the world are amending their policies on trans inclusion and that Palm Center has already been researching the impact of inclusion in other countries like Canada, Britain and Australia.
"This academic research will inform an important public conversation by providing facts and evidence about transgender military service and gender expression in armed forces," said Lusero in the statement.
The studies will also look at trans inclusion in police and fire departments.