Friday, June 16, 2023

A proposed U.S. military ban on transgender healthcare

old military uniform

As Erin Reed explains today: Military personnel are required to access healthcare through the military, or else receive authorization to go elsewhere. Thus it is a problem that Republicans are proposing eliminating military coverage of hormones and surgery as part of gender-affirming care, while simultaneously many U.S. states also restrict or ban it.

They've stuck this proposal in the defense appropriations bill. Will they dig in their heels and refuse to pass an enormous spending bill unless they can ban transgender people's healthcare? Maybe:

"In Nebraska, for instance, Republicans were willing to go 81 days without passing any legislation in order to get an anti-trans bill through. In Oregon, Republican legislators walked out en masse over a gender affirming care and abortion protection bill and will likely not be able to run for reelection due to a constitutional amendment against legislative walkouts."

If it passes in the full House and Senate, President Biden could veto it.


Relatedly, see this documentary short: "Transgender, at War and in Love" (September 8, 2023)

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