Monday, June 19, 2017

Pregnant Transgender Male Soldiers - A religious right fear tactic coming soon!

From the religious right and anti-LGBTQ groups which brought you:

Marriage equality will corrupt the innocence of children



Gay men want to recruit children




And the recent transgender women are predators out to harm children



comes a new meme which will attack the right of transgender men and women to serve openly in the Armed Forces:

Pregnant Transgender Male Soldiers:

Oklahoma Representative Steve Russell was an Army ranger and decorated infantry officer who now serves on the House Armed Services Committee. During an appearance on American Family Radio's "Washington Watch" program, he expressed several concerns about this issue. "It assumes that the rights of conscience of the overwhelming majority of commanders, military physicians, and lawyers are no longer protected," the congressman stated. And he cited a particular scenario: "A soldier did not have a sex reassignment surgery and recently stopped taking male hormones in order to try and start a family. Today the soldier approached 'his' commanding officer to discuss 'his' newly confirmed pregnancy." - The 'monkey wrench' that is special rights

The Army has begun mandatory transgender sensitivity training for soldiers. The training covers everything from "transfemale" soldiers to transgender shower etiquette to dealing with a male soldier who becomes pregnant. Yes, good readers. Within the ranks of the greatest fighting force known to mankind – the baby's daddy could also be the baby's momma. "That pregnancy scenario is beyond words," Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty executive director Ron Crews told me. "This is an example of how this social policy can be used simply to promote personal agendas at the expense of taxpayers with no regard for being what the military is all about." The matter of male soldiers with child is tucked away inside the Army's "Policy on the Military Service of Transgender Soldiers Training Module, Tier 2: Commanders and Leaders." - Army's transgender training addresses male pregnancies

That's two articles run on the same day by the same online source (American Family Association's One News Now) exploiting a hypothetical outcome of transgender men and women serving in the Armed Forces for the sole purpose of manipulating people via shock and disgust.

To be fair, the Army has developed a plan as to what to do should a situation like this arises (which is to treat the soldier like any other soldier in that condition), but it's a far cry from how I'm suspecting religious right and anti-lgbtq  groups will portray it. Don't be surprised to see and hear situations involving possible transgender male pregnancies being blown way out of proportion via these groups and their cohorts in the media (such as Fox News, etc), and others like Franklin Graham.

And unfortunately these efforts will most likely be aided by transphobic members of our community and other lgbtqs who will waste time with philosophical discussions instead of creating a united front against a common enemy. Consumed by their own self-righteousness, they will fail to realize that if one segment of our community goes down, we all will follow.

So don't surprised if horror stories and scare tactics about pregnant transgender male soldiers dominate news cycles as the new "problem that's not really a problem, but will be presented as such anyway."

All I can say is be prepared. And be ready to fight.

1 comment:

Frank said...

It's a brave and beautiful new world and the transphobes and homophobes need to just get over it.