historyandmemes:

This morning President Trump announced via Twitter that transgender individuals are banned from serving in the United States Military under any capacity, citing “tremendous medical costs and disruption” as a threat to military strength. So let’s pull some receipts, shall we?

In 2016, the Pentagon tasked RAND Corporation (a non-profit research institute) with investigating the related costs and potential readiness impacts associated with allowing transgender service members into the military. Here are their findings:

• An estimated 0.13% increase in healthcare costs for transition-related care, ranging from $2.4 to $8.4 million. For some more perspective, the general budget is in the billions. 

• In studying eighteen other countries that allow transgender personnel to serve openly, “in no case did the RAND team find evidence of an effect on operational effectiveness, operational readiness or cohesion.” Also, to ban trans service in “any capacity,” seems to directly contradict the notion that this ban has to do with performance and capability concerns. 

The true reasoning that fueled this decision seems to lie well beyond reason. One-100th of a percent increase in costs is not “tremendous,” it’s completely negligible. As we can see, concerns over operational readiness are seeded in ignorance not observed issues.
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This trafficking of bigotry in the guise of strength or patriotism is a disgrace. To call into question an able-bodied transgender individual’s right to service, especially “in any capacity,” is a direct attack on civil rights. The LGBTQ community deserves better, humanity deserves better. 

(Written by: @historyandmemes – sources linked)