Transgender discrimination in the military: The new don't ask, don't tell

Psychology, Public Policy, and Law

Volumn 18, Issue 3, 2012, Pages 500-518

  Kerrigan, Matthew F ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI   (United States)

Author keywords

Discrimination; Gender nonconforming; LGBT; Military; Transgender

Indexed keywords

EID: 84874141266     PISSN: 10768971     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1037/a0025771     Document Type: Article

References (71)

1. 10 U.S.C. § 654 (2010).
2. Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Obama Signs Away "Dont Ask, Don't Tell," N.Y. Times, December 22, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/us/politics/23military.html.
3. 10 U.S.C. § 654, the statute that created the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, refers only to homosexual and bisexual conduct. There is no mention of transgender persons.
4. Karen Moulding et al., Transgender Persons in the Military, 1 Sexual Orientation and the Law § 7:57 (2010) (citing U.S. Dep't of Defense, Dir. 6130.4, Criteria and Procedure Requirements for Physical Standards for Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction in the Armed Forces para. E1.29 (2 Apr. 2004) [hereinafter DOD Dir. 6103.4] (stating that the Department of Defense considers transsexualism a psychosexual condition that is a cause for rejection for appointment, enlistment, or induction).
5. Karl Bryant & Kristen Schilt, The Palm Center, Transgender People in the U.S. Military: Summary and Analysis of the 2008 Transgender American Veterans Association Survey 7 (2008), retrieved from, http://www.palmcenter.org/system/files/TGPeopleUSMilitary.pdf.
6. Monica F. Helms, Transgender Military People and Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Trans Universe, http://www.monicahelms.com/blog/veterans/transgender-military-people-and-don't-ask-don't-tell.htm (Oct. 5, 2010 16:00 EST).
7. Tarryn M. Witten, The Palm Center, Gender Identity and the Military: Transgender, Transsexual and Intersex-identified Individuals in the U.S. Armed Forces 1-2 (2007). Retrieved from http://www.palmcenter.org/files/active/0/TransMilitary2007.pdf.
8. Nan D. Hunter et al., The Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: American, Civil, Liberties, Union Handbook 172 (4th ed. 2004).
9. See also Margaret Schneider et al., Answers to Your Questions About Transgender Individuals and Gender Identity, American Psychological Association, 2 (2006), http://www.apa.org/topics/sexuality/transgender.pdf (providing a concise overview of basic transgender and gender identity topics).
10. See, for example, 10 U.S.C. § 934, art. 134 (2010).
11. U.S Dep't of Army, Reg. 40-501, Standards of Medical Fitness para. 2-14(s) (14 Dec. 2007) [hereinafter AR 40].
12. For example, someone who is a nonoperative cross-dresser is at risk of discharge only if they engage in cross-dressing and are caught. Someone who desires to physically change his or her gender through sex-reassignment surgery would be discharged is they spoke about this desire or actually underwent surgery while enlisted.
13. 10 U.S.C. § 934, art. 134 (2010).
14. The Palm Center, www.palmcenter.org/about (last visited Nov. 4, 2010).
15. Shannon Price Minter, Do Transsexuals Dream of Gay Rights? Getting Real about Transgender Inclusion, Transgender Rights, Transgender Rights, 142 (Paisley Currah et al. eds., 1st ed. 2006).
16. See, for example, Department of Veteran Affairs VA Boston Health care System, Patient Care Memorandum 1 (2008). Retrieved from http://www.tavausa.org/Management%20of%20Transgender%20Veteran%20Patients_7.08.pdf.
17. See generally World Professional Association for Transgender Health, http://www.wpath.org/index.cfm (last visited Nov. 4, 2010) (supporting that The Harry Benjamin Standard of Care is the international standard of care for transgender persons and including information and resources).
18. 38 C.F.R. § 17.38 (c)(4) (2010) (stating that gender alteration surgery is explicitly forbidden by VA health care).
19. Department of Veteran Affairs VA Boston Health care System, Patient Care Memorandum 1 (2008). Retrieved from http://www.tavausa.org/Management%20of%20Transgender%20Veteran%20Patients_7.08.pdf.
20. 38 C.F.R. § 17.38 (c)(4) (2010).
21. As noted earlier, the Palm Center study shows that 86% of those surveyed were honorably discharged.
22. See, for example, Kingsley R. Browne, Women at War: An Evolutionary Perspective, 49 Buff. L. Rev. 51 (2001).
23. Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948, Pub. L. No. 80-625, 62 Stat. 356 (1948).
24. Krystyna M. Cloutier, Marching Toward War: Reconnoitering the Use of All Female Platoons, 40 Conn. L. Rev. 1531, 1552 (2008).
25. It should be noted these limitations on women serving in combat limit the ability of women to rise in ranks, given the centrality of direct combat to the image of what it means to be a career military person.
26. Kenneth L. Karst, The Pursuit of Manhood and the Desegregation of the Armed Forces, 38 UCLA L. Rev. 499, 500-01 (1991).
27. Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, Inc. (February 18, 2011), http://www.womensmemorial.org/PDFs/StatsonWIM.pdf.
28. U.S. Dep't of Air Force, Reg. 160-43, Standards of Medical Fitness para. 1-1a [hereinafter AFR 160] [superseded by U.S. Dep't of Air Force, Instruction 48-123, Medical Examinations and Standards (24 Sept. 2009)].
29. 10 U.S.C. § 934, art. 134 (2010).
30. Doe v. Alexander, 510 F. Supp. 900, 905 (D. Minn. 1981).
31. Leyland v. Orr, 828 F.2d 584 (9th Cir. 1987).
32. U.S. v. Davis, 26 M.J. 445 (C.M.A. 1988).
33. "Though not specifically mentioned in this chapter, all disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces, all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces, and crimes and offenses not capital, of which persons subject to this chapter may be guilty, shall be taken cognizance of by a general, special, or summary court-martial, according to the nature and degree of the offense, and shall be punished at the discretion of that court".
34. 10 U.S.C. § 934, art. 134 (2010).
35. Davis, 26 M.J. at 446.
36. Davis, 26 M.J. at 446.
37. U.S. v. Guerrero, 33 M.J. 295 (C.M.A. 1991).
38. Guerrero, 33 M.J. at 296.
39. Guerrero, 33 M.J. at 298.
40. See U.S. v. Davis, 26 M.J. 445 (C.M.A. 1988).
41. Guerrero, 33 M.J. at 298.
42. U.S. v. Guerrero, 33 M.J. 295.
43. 10 U.S.C. § 934, art. 134 (2010).
44. Doe v. Alexander, 510 F. Supp. 900 (D. Minn. 1981).
45. Leyland v. Orr, 828 F.2d 584 (9th Cir. 1987).
46. See, for example, Elisabeth Bumiller, Service Chiefs Tell Panel of Risks to "Don"t Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal, N.Y. Times, December 23, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/04/us/politics/04military.html.
47. A recent study showed 86% of transgender veterans were honorably discharged.
48. James Dao and Dan Frosch, Military Rules Said to Hinder Therapy, N.Y. Times, December 6, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/us/07therapists.html?pagewanted=all.
49. See Jaffee v. Redmond, 518 U.S. 1 (1996) (holding that federal law recognizes privilege protecting confidential communications between psychotherapist and her patient).
50. This is a complicated matter, as some transgender persons, particularly those who are transsexual, want to be considered to have a disease in order to obtain better access to medical treatment and insurance coverage, whereas other transgender persons may be gender-nonconforming and increasingly thought of by medical professionals as not having any psychological problems.
51. See, for example, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 532-38, (Michael B. First et al. eds., 4th ed. 1994).
52. 10 U.S.C. § 934, art. 134 (2010).
53. Hoege, Major Howard H. Hoege III, Flying Without a Net: United States v. Medina & Its Implications for Article 134 Practice, Army Law., Jun. 2008, 41 (quoting Parker v. Levy, 417 U.S. 733, 760 (1974)).
54. Parker v. Levy, 417 U.S. 733, 760 (1974).
55. 10 U.S.C. § 934, art. 134 (2010).
56. Adam Levine and Michael Martinez, Advocacy group: Navy Stops Discharge of Sailor in Sleepover, CNN.com (April 8, 2011 7:15 p.m.) http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/08/sailor.sleepover/index.html?iref=allsearch.
57. U.S. v. Davis, 26 M.J. 445 (C.M.A. 1988).
58. U.S. v. Guerrero, 33 M.J. 295 (C.M.A. 1991).
59. Davis, 26 M.J. at 447.
60. Guerrero, 33 M.J. at 296.
61. See, for example, Davis, 26 M.J. 445.
62. Guerrero, 33 M.J. 295.
63. Doe v. Alexander, 510 F. Supp. 900 (D. Minn. 1981).
64. Leyland v. Orr, 828 F.2d 584 (9th Cir. 1987).
65. See George Chauncey, Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Makings of the Gay Male World, 1890-194, 13 (1994).
66. Paisley Currah, Defending Genders: Sex and Gender Non-Conformity in the Civil Rights strategies of sexual Minorities, 48 Hastings L.J. 1363,1380 (1997).
67. 10 U.S.C. § 934, art. 134 (2010).
68. See, for example, Guerrero, 33 M.J. 295 (where cross-dressing was wrongly associated with homosexual conduct).
69. Major Sherilyn A. Bunn, Straight Talk: The Implications of Repealing "Don't Ask Don't Tell" and the Rationale for Preserving Aspects of the Current Policy, 203 Mil. L. Rev. 207, 235-6 (2010).
70. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 532-38, (Michael B. First et al. eds., 4th ed. 1994).
71. Parker v. Levy, 417 U.S. 733 (1974).