military

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Transgender Military Ban Just Another Attempt at Deflection

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Whenever reality begins to intrude upon their self-made facts, you can count on Donald Trump and the perpetually shifty Steve Bannon to concoct something so egregious that the entire world’s attention is distracted. This morning’s tweeted news of a ban of transgender military personnel is the perfect example. Like all bullies, Trump and Bannon are masters of manipulation, deflection, deceit and denial—and with the ongoing fight for America’s healthcare and Trump’s inner circle talking to the Senate Intelligence Committee about the Russians, they must have gotten pretty desperate to take the heat off themselves.

How stupid do they think we are? Do they think the bald-faced appeals to their base designed to enrage progressives has anyone fooled? Pushback has been massive. Highly decorated transgender Navy Seal Kristin Beck fired back, “Let’s meet face to face and you tell me I’m not worthy.” U.S. Senator John McCain (AZ-R) issued a statement as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee pointing out that the Defense Department is already studying the effect of supporting transgender military personnel: “I do not believe that any new policy decision is appropriate until that study is complete and thoroughly reviewed by the Secretary of Defense, our military leadership, and the Congress.” But my favorite response was the one tweeted by my country’s Canadian Forces:

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Leadership in Unique Workplace Cultures

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It’s no secret that discrimination is not at all foreign to the workplace – but this particular case, with women integrating into Marie Corps Combat Units, is unique in that the cultural ideas about gender seem to operate differently in a workplace structured around traditionally male tasks. The women working to join these units are admirable, as are the leaders who try their best to keep harmful hazing and bullying from occurring. However, the negative reactions many soldiers have had to the integration cited in this article are cause for concern. This extreme case is evocative of a larger trend in the workplace at large – discrimination, preconceived notions, and bullying are oftentimes not discouraged by people in leadership positions. With stronger and more empathetic leaders at the helm of military and private industry cultures alike, there’s a chance that workplace (and societal) discrimination can erode for all historically disenfranchised groups of people. Read the full story at the New York Times.