The issue is not about hermaphrodites in the military. It is about MEN and WOMEN that think they are not that which they are. The issue is that they want to be afforded an equal opportunity to serve and expect everyone to adopt their delusion and make special allowances for it.
In that case, the right diction needs to be used. Transgender has been used as such an all-encompassing umbrella term that it has no clear meaning. This only helps to confuse issues like this.
A person who has a sex change operation really isn't "trans" anything. Such a person was born with a definite gender, as you have pointed out. Just because they have altered the physical shape of their anatomy does not alter their biological gender. At a genetic level, they are still the same gender as they were born, regardless of how they identify mentally or psychologically. They cannot procreate as anything but their original gender, and once the surgery/transformation is complete, they cannot even do that. They no longer have the equipment to do so. Therefore, when it comes to physical standards, fairness necessitates that they be held to the same standards as their pre-op gender. As far as bunkhouses go, yeah....it can cause problems. Deeper problems than just "homophobia". It has psychological effects for both sides, and generates self-doubt for both parties in an unhealthy way. But that doesn't mean they should be discriminated against.
Somebody here mentioned that serving in the military is a privilege, not a right. Tell that to all the people who have been pressed into the military as recently as Vietnam. I'm not just talking about the draft. I'm talking about the people who were facing jail time. They were given a choice: go to jail, or enlist in the military. So if it is a privilege, then why is it good enough for thieves, rapists, and murderers, but not for law-abiding citizens who simply have a different sexual preference, gender identity, or were just born physically in-between? And before questioning the level of criminal offense for dismissal, take into account that there actually was a time when such hardened criminals really were sent into the military because they were expendable, not just in the U.S. but all throughout Europe too.
Serving in the military **should be viewed as** a privilege and an honor, but that does not make perception a reality. Furthermore, prior to development of a standing army in this country, military service actually was a right and an obligation. The definition of "militia" at the time of framing of the Constitution was "all able-bodied males between ages 16 and 65". The age range is fluid and subject to amendment as needed, but otherwise that definition still stands as the basis for the draft whenever it is enacted. If it were a privilege, there wouldn't a random lottery for the draft. It would be much more selective than the process actually is.
Back to the original topic though, I personally find "gender identity" to be an over-romanticized and over-politicized concept. Even though I have known people who struggled with such an identity, I have also known people who had no such struggle but consciously chose to alter their sexuality or identity. I believe that such choices undermine and obfuscate the problems of those who really do struggle. It confuses the issue, and diverts attention from what truly needs address. There was a cover article in Time Magazine about this a few months back. I did a facepalm while reading it because the amount of indoctrination happening on this subject was practically oozing off the pages. It sickened me, not because of the people who legitimately struggle, but because of the people who hop on the bandwagon like it's the next "in thing". And that's due to a level of brainwashing that it happening unnoticed. Anyone who actually has real gender identity problems should be shocked, dismayed, and outraged by this.
Now if someone has an operation, then enters the military as something other than his or her birth gender, that person should not use gender as the basis for his or her objections. There is no black and white. They are in a grey area. As such, they will be fighting a losing battle so long as they focus on gender. If they instead argued competency to be a mechanic, or transport pilot, or medic, or some other support role, then they could generate a much more persuasive argument for circumventing prejudices and stereotypes.
There are professors and advocates who lecture that "gender" is not a biological fact. You can view the lectures on TED Talks. Their lectures do not hold up to logical scrutiny because their underlying premise is false. Right away they begin by altering the definition of "gender" to suit their purposes. They denounce and then ignore biology and physiology. Gender and identity are really two different things. A person may identify as a different gender, but that does not actually alter the person's gender. Nor does an operation or hormone treatments. You can change the clothes and the equipment, but you cannot change the chromosomes. I understand that they want to get people to change the way they think, but they take such an irrational, unsound, radical approach that they can only convince people who are desperate for something to believe in. And that's how brainwashing begins.
Edited by
actionlynx
on Tue 08/08/17 05:33 PM