Gainesville veterans react to recent transgender policy

Roughly a year after the U.S. legalized same-sex marriage for all 50 states, the Department of Defense announced plans for the military to allow transgender service men, women and enlisting recruits to openly serve.

According to the Associated Press, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced June 30 that over the next three months, policy will go into effect to be more inclusive and provide medical services to transgender service members and new recruits.

UF graduate student and Marine Corps veteran Randall Martin said transgender recruits should be allowed to openly serve only after completing their boot camp training.

During training, recruits do everything together, including showering, Martin said. After training is complete, transitioning men and women should be able to openly serve with proper medical paperwork, he said.

With the new policy, service members still need 18 months of doctor-confirmed therapy to enlist as their chosen genders, and they will still be required to wear the uniforms for their birth-genders.

Jonathan “Seth” Smith served in the army for 11 years, running a nonprofit, called Silently Serving, while in the military. The organization provided LGBTQ+ service members with support and therapy during the years of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”

As society becomes more educated and inclusive, policies will continue to slowly change, even through initial backlash, Smith said.

“Being in the foxhole, you don’t care who is next to you,” he said. “As long as you know they’re going to fight for you.”

Defense Secretary Ash Carter listens to a question during a news conference at the Pentagon, Thursday, June 30, 2016, where he announced new rules allowing transgender individuals to serve openly in the U.S. military.