Transgender persons are barred from serving openly in the U.S. military but can do so in the armed forces of 18 other nations worldwide, including NATO allies Sweden and the United Kingdom as well as Australia and New Zealand.
At a conference on transgender military service in Washington, D.C., on Monday, active-duty transgender service members from five foreign militaries offered insight into how the U.S. could integrate transgender troops should the Pentagon change its policies.
Representatives from Sweden, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Australia say it boils down to leadership.
“The main challenge is to change the norms and attitudes of personnel. This is done through direct, firm messaging from leadership,” said Helena Hoffman, a gender equality specialist with the Swedish Armed Forces.
“Our environment is one of tolerance, and personnel not adopting this stick out like a sore thumb,” said Graeme Field, a human resources specialist with the New Zealand Defence Force.
The number of openly serving transgender personnel in foreign militaries is not huge — just two in Sweden with two more expected, one in New Zealand, and a handful in the British military and other countries. But personnel say all members receive gender equality and tolerance training, some annually.
Yet leadership and diversity training aren’t the only keys to successful integration; transgender troops say it’s also up to the individuals to prove themselves to their peers.
“It doesn’t matter your age. It doesn’t matter your gender. You need to meet the standards,” said Sgt. Lucy Jordan of the New Zealand Defence Force.
One issue often raised as an argument against transgender service is privacy concerns — angst over shared bathroom facilities and berthing. But troops at the conference said the “shower argument,” as they call it, is a red herring.
“I’ve obviously missing something because we have the same privacy concerns regarding religious issues and modesty. We have showers with cubicles,” said Canadian Forces Cpl. Natalie Murray.
In many of the foreign militaries, government health plans or the military pay for medical treatment, including gender reassignment surgery, for their members. Several personnel argued that paying $20,000 for surgery is less costly than training a person and then dismissing them.
No U.S. Defense Department officials attended the conference, and one official said Wednesday that no formal review of the policy barring transgenders from serving openly is underway.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Oct. 16 he is not aware of any plans to lift the ban.
However, Earnest added, “I do think that [President Obama’s] commitment to equality is one he has articulated many times. He also believes that a commitment to equality makes our country stronger and he believes it makes our armed forces stronger.”
