By Jadyn Garchow
Ramparts
Holt HS
1st Place
Division 1, News Writing
Bylined Opinion Articles
What if it was possible for you to be discharged from your job in the near future based on your gender identity? Sounds like discrimination, right?
Well, to President Trump, it’s not discrimination, just a way to save more money. On July 26, Trump created more controversy in his presidency when he tweeted “…The United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military… ”
Trump’s main argument for the ban is that it will save millions of taxpayer dollars that are currently going to the health care needs of transgender individuals.
One hundred and fourty three House Democrats sent a letter to President Trump on August 29, asking him to reconsider the ban.
In the letter, they argued that this ban was discriminatiory and would cause more bad than it would cause good. The ban may have had good intentions to save America millions on health care provided for transgender military personnel, but good intentions aren’t enough in this case.
Yes, it may save money, but the annual cost of transgender related healthcare is estimated to be around $8.4 million, which is a small portion of the $50 million budget according to a 2016 Rand Corp. study that was commissioned by the Defense Department.
Discrimination is discrimination, and it should not be tolerated anywhere, especially in the White House or the military. Just because Trump’s the president, it doesn’t mean he has the right to take jobs away from people who are just trying to be themselves.
Transgender people are no different from anyone else except that they weren’t born with body parts that match their gender identities.
Additionally, the platform on which Trump expressed his new ban, in my opinion, was not the right one. He could have expressed his views through a more professional platform, but he decided to put something this controversial on social media and create a storm of negativity around himself.
The Pentagon will study the issue of the transgender ban in the military with a panel of experts and create a plan for Trump’s ban by February of 2018. Until the plan is finished, transgender individuals currently serving will not be discharged based on gender identity and currently serving transgender individuals can reenlist, but transgender people without prior service cannot enlist until further notice.
For too long, this country has been plagued by discrimination, and although our newest president’s policies provide a vehicle for discrimination, it doesn’t make it okay.
It’s up to us, the people, to make a change and to stop all the judgement and discrimination. This nation was founded on the premise that each individual was created equal, so let’s make that happen.