Every few months a media outlet will quietly float the topic of the prohibition on “transgender” individuals (the “T” in the traditional LGBT) in military service to see what traction the subject brings. To date each article has faded as quietly as it arose, due largely to other world events distracting the news. Given reality, however, it is likely only a matter of time before it becomes a serious contender for everyday conversation.  For example, it took a just a few words from the Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, saying the ban on transgender service should be “continually reviewed” for the media to declare the issue was “gaining momentum” in the run up to the military’s newly recognized sexual pride month in June.

For the uninitiated, a person who describes themselves as “transgendered” is biologically one gender but mentally or emotionally claims the opposite. In writing, the media often uses terms like “transgender male,” which means a person who is biologically female (she has XX chromosomes) but describes herself as male.

The military has long banned Read more