The Transgender Contradiction & the US Military
By Sonny Hernandez
But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female (Mark 10:6)
President Donald Trump has officially implemented a new policy on transgenderism in the military that Americans should take the time to read. According to BuzzFeed News:
President Donald Trump finally got to implement a ban on transgender people in the military on Friday — nearly two years after he shot off tweets declaring the military “will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity.”
Lt. Col. Carla M. Gleason, a Pentagon spokesperson, told BuzzFeed News, “We are pleased that we are able to create and implement our own accessions policy,” adding that she is “not aware of any anecdotes up to this point” of military applicants or service members being penalized under the new rules.
There are several reasons why the so called “transgender” notion is not only disconcerting, but is also contradicting.
First, a servicemember’s duty is to defend the country. Therefore, if a man or woman has an aspiration to serve in the military, they need to prioritize and emphasize their identity as servicemembers, rather than the opposite sex.
With the current environment of sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military today, any servicemember who brazenly flaunts their sexual preferences while on duty could be disciplined if someone reported their besetting and fulsome behavior – regardless of their “preferred” sexuality. Servicemembers are supposed to perform their duties, not flaunt their sexual preferences (or complain about others that will not support their lifestyle choice, as homosexuals are notable for doing).
The Armed Forces has strict guidelines on sexual assault. For example, if a male exposed himself to a woman, that individual could suffer serious consequences, as “flashing” or otherwise “indecent exposure” is widely considered a form of sexual harassment or even assault. So, if a man exposed himself in a women’s locker room, it would seem the women would have every right to file a complaint. But how can they file a complaint if a man who identifies as a woman is allowed to use a women’s locker room as a result of official policy, as it would have been in the military?
In February 2018, the Pentagon released its new policy on military lethality that provided separation procedures for members of the military who had been non-deployable for the last 12 months or more. Military.com reported on the DOD’s new ‘deploy or get out’ policy:
“This new policy is a 12-month deploy or be removed policy,” Robert Wilkie, the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, told a Senate panel Wednesday. “However, there are exceptions.”
Because of this new policy, it would be self-refuting to welcome aspiring transgender individuals to join the military if their plan is to go through a medical procedure that would make them non-deployable for an extended period of time.
Finally, the updated Department of Defense policy is welcome because it recognizes there are reasonable limitations placed on military service – it is not a “right”. Without boundaries, entropy would reign supreme and one day lead to moral anarchy, which would interfere with military readiness and effectiveness and would be flaunted in the faces of servicemembers who just want to serve. The US military is not a social experiment. It is the world’s greatest fighting force.
In closing, it is important for Christians to remember that, like all unrepentant sinners, men and women who identify as transgender are lost – but they are also made in the image of God, and they are to be loved. Christians must share the Gospel to them, and pray that God would open their eyes to accept the purity of Scripture and to abhor their sins and sexual perversions. The Gospel is their only hope!
Dr. Sonny Hernandez is the Director for Reforming America Ministries. He earned a Doctorate from Tennessee Temple University, and is active in public debates on theological topics, and the Constitution.
The opinions expressed here are solely his and do not necessarily represent the views of any government, military, or religious organization. Sonny Hernandez wrote this article as a civilian on his own time on an issue of public interest.
ADVERTISEMENT
I want to appreciate Trump for moving in the right direction here, but this comes with much compromise. His new policy is tantamount to the incrementalism seen amongst much of today’s “pro-life” legislation. Though life begins at conception, one bill suggests, ‘Ah you can kill babies up until six weeks, just not after that.’ Another recent “pro-life” bill will certainly cause an increase of ‘false rape’ accusations. My policy would be to ban ALL homosexuals within the military, and ALL fornicators and adulterers. I would then lobby to have the same laws put in place amongst the civilian population. But no, we can’t do that, that would look too much like God’s Ten Commandments.
Good article. I also am concerned about emotional stability because of all of the unnatural sex hormones transgenders take. How can they pass a mitary medical eval with all of those experimental drugs in their systems?
I would not have wanted to serve in combat with anyone taking drugs and unnatural hormones. When I served this was one problem we didn’t have.