A Republican congresswoman is trying to prevent the military from using taxpayer dollars to pay for trans service members’ transition-related health care.
U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), who wants to ban all transgender people from serving in the military, has filed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would prohibit the military from providing hormones or gender confirmation surgery, or insurance coverage for such treatments, reports The Washington Examiner.
U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) proposed an almost identical amendment, which would have barred the military from providing coverage for gender confirmation surgery or anything else thought to “promote the transgender agenda,” but it was withdrawn.
But Republican fears of transgender health care costs eating up the military budget may be unfounded. A 2015 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that providing hormone therapy or surgery for trans service members would cost about $5.6 million each year, or “little more than a rounding error in the military’s $47.8 billion health care budget,” according to study author Aaron Belkin.
Last month, Hartzler attempted to ban any transgender service members from serving openly. She later withdrew the proposed amendment, but raised concerns about privacy in restroom and shower facilities.
“Is it fair to recruit our sons and daughters to fight for our nation and, instead of being able to focus on the enemy, subjecting them to disturbing distractions of very personal privacy issues involving sleeping and showering with individuals born of the opposite sex?” Hartzler said during a debate in the House Armed Services Committee, on which she serves. “It is not. Military service is a privilege, not a right.”
Under the current policy, which lifted a widespread ban on transgender service members, only those that are already serving are allowed to express themselves according to their gender identity.
The various service branches were expected to have made adequate preparations so they could begin accepting out transgender recruits beginning on July 1. But Defense Secretary Jim Mattis imposed a six-month delay after the heads of the various branches said they needed more time to study the issue and see if they would need to provide any special accommodations for transgender service members.
On the other side of the aisle, U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) has introduced an amendment that would commend all LGBTQ service members, including transgender personnel, for their service to the United States.
If Republicans vote against Schneider’s amendment, or the Rules Committee refuses to allow it to receive a floor vote, Democrats will likely pounce on Republicans for denigrating the service of military members — making it a wedge issue that could be used during the 2018 elections.
Following her critically acclaimed performance as trans teen Jules Vaughn in Euphoria, Hunter Schafer says she no longer wants to play transgender roles.
Speaking with GQ magazine, the 25-year-old actress, who is herself transgender, noted that she has turned down "tons of trans roles" because she doesn't want to be typecast and prefers her gender identity not define the rest of her career.
"I don’t want to be that, and I find it ultimately demeaning to me and what I want to do," Schafer said. "I worked so hard to get to where I am, past these really hard points in my transition, and now I just want to be a girl and finally move on."
Sacramento, California, has been designated a "sanctuary city" for transgender individuals.
Last week, the Sacramento City Council approved a resolution ensuring that city resources -- including law enforcement resources -- are not used to aid in out-of-state prosecutions of people who come to California seeking out gender-affirming mental health care, hormone therapy, or surgery.
The resolution prohibits city funds from being used to cooperate with any individuals or out-of-state agencies who are investigating people for pursuing treatments that are legal in California.
A federal judge rejected a request from New York's Nassau County to block New York Attorney General Letitia James from taking legal action against the county for its law prohibiting transgender athletes from using county-owned sports venues.
In February, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican, issued an order denying permits for all county-run parks and sports facilities to any female-designated sports team that cannot provide evidence, including original birth certificates attesting that all their members were assigned female at birth.
Days later, James, a Democrat, sent Blakeman a letter telling him to rescind the order, on the grounds that it violates New York State's law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. She called the order "transphobic and blatantly illegal."
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