Conservative leaders strongly support the principle of peace through strength and therefore the need for immediate action to return the priority of the Department of Defense to restoring America’s military readiness and ending costly and distracting social engineering.
President Trump has mandated that his Administration restore the strength of our military. We, and most Americans appreciate the steps taken to reinstate the priorities Secretary of Defense (James) Mattis noted during his confirmation hearing: mission readiness, command proficiency, and combat effectiveness.
The process of strengthening our military will not succeed, however, if military service personnel have to contend with problematic military/social policies imposed by the Obama Administration – policies that actually impede mission readiness, command proficiency, and combat effectiveness.
Conservative leaders urgently suggest that the Trump Administration review and rescind the Obama-era policies that hinder military readiness and overall effectiveness.[1] Politically correct policies have been imposed largely through administrative fiat. They can be removed in like manner while further study and congressional guidance is obtained. The most problematic policies in this category are those addressing the presence of transgender individuals in the military.
Transgender issues have become especially prominent since various Obama Administration decisions holding that as of June 30, 2016, transgender service members would no longer be discharged from military service, and as of July 2017, transgender recruits would be accepted into the military. Obama’s Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter adopted these policies, even though such personnel are likely to need costly medical, surgical, and psychological care that may undermine readiness by rendering these service members non-deployable.
The policies adopted require our Armed Forces to officially assume the risks of recruiting and retaining persons who are suffering with a condition[2] requiring long-term medical and perhaps, surgical treatment, with uncertain results often associated with higher rates of depression and suicide.[3] The accommodation of such individuals in the military indicates that the U.S. Department of Defense will bear the cost of hormone treatments, surgery, and post-operative care to facilitate “gender transitioning.”
Furthermore, the time taken away from commanders’ combat-related duties while they essentially take on the responsibilities of medical case workers will be significant. It represents a tremendous opportunity cost to take these men and women away from duties that would improve combat readiness and require that they instead master the nuances of a complex psycho-sexual medical sub-specialty, and initiate or approve procedures for which they have no formal training.
It must be difficult to suffer from gender dysphoria and confusion about one’s sexual identity, but concerns about these individuals do not justify mandates on military medical doctors and nurses to approve, provide, or participate in life-altering transgender treatment or surgeries. Many object to these experimental treatments on grounds of medical ethics or sincere religious convictions.
With these points in mind, we welcome the Pentagon’s recent nullification of an October 1, 2016 Defense Department directive imposing “open-door” shower and bathroom guidelines on all Department of Defense schools. However, continuing implementation of the Obama transgender policies for service members would ignore the strongly-felt concerns of women particularly, who do not want to be exposed to individuals of the opposite sex in facilities which offer minimal privacy. This grave problem must be taken seriously when the incidence of sexual assaults and rape in the military is so severe.
We reiterate that these sweeping policy changes have been made without any statutory direction from the Congress.
Secretary Mattis should suspend and, upon further careful study, rescind Defense Department and military service directives permitting transgender individuals to serve. Such directives would include the following items, together with the dozen or more associated training manuals, handbooks, and military service implementation plans:
- Directive-Type Memorandum (DTM-16-005), issued by Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on June 30, 2016, prescribing procedures for accession, retention, in-service transition, and medical coverage for transgender personnel.
- DoD Instruction 1300.28, signed by Defense Secretary Carter on June 30, 2016, setting forth complicated procedures for changing a service members “gender marker” in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).[4]
Further, the Trump Administration should discontinue funding and directing personnel resources for special-interest events, including LGBT-Pride Month events in June, which do not strengthen military readiness.
Because people are policy, we encourage President Trump to appoint qualified people who will assign highest priority to military effectiveness, not social transformation, to high-level Defense Department policy positions.[5]
We will support officials and initiatives taken to end politically-correct social agendas, and look forward to more changes that will strengthen the armed forces and restore America’s military readiness.
| The Honorable Edwin Meese III Former Attorney General President Ronald Reagan |
The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop Chairman, Conservative Action Project Former White House Advisor, President Ronald Reagan |
| Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Ret.) Executive Vice President Family Research Council |
The Honorable David McIntosh U.S. House of Representatives Former Member, Indiana |
| The Honorable Bob McEwen U.S. House of Representatives Former Member, Ohio |
William L. Walton Vice President Council for National Policy |
| David Bozell President ForAmerica |
Alfred S. Regnery Chairman Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund |
| The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. Former Domestic Advisor President Ronald Reagan |
Tony Perkins MPA President, Family Research Council President, Council for National Policy |
| Elaine Donnelly President Center for Military Readiness |
Robert K. Fischer Meeting Coordinator Conservatives of Faith |
| Charles J. Cooper Former Assistant Attorney General President Ronald Reagan |
Belden Bell Co-Chair Heritage Legacy Society |
| L. Brent Bozell, III Founder and President Media Research Center |
Ambassador Henry F. Cooper Former SDI Director and Chief Defense and Space Negotiator |
| Willes K. Lee President, National Federation of Republican Assemblies |
Col Francis X. De Luca USMCR(Ret) President Civitas Institute |
| Peter J. Thomas Chairman Americans for Constitutional Liberty |
Rod D. Martin Founder & CEO The Martin Organization, Inc. |
| Sherri R. Martin Executive Vice President The Martin Organization, Inc. |
Haley E. Martin President The Martin Foundation |
| Evelio Silvera Campaign for the American Future |
Nicholas Stehle Campaign for the American Future |
| Anthony Allen President Hannibal LaGrange University |
Shawn A. Mitchell National Chaplain, National Federation of Republican Assemblies |
| Jerry Melvin President Florida Republican Assembly |
Rick Manning President Americans for Limited Government |
| Lee A. Beaman Chief Executive Officer Beaman Automotive |
Ted Baehr Chairman and CEO Movieguide® |
| Michael J. Bowen CEO Coalition For a Strong America |
Eunie Smith President Eagle Forum |
| Tim G. Echols Commissioner, State of Georgia Founder, TeenPact Founder, William Wilberforce Fellowship |
Ed Martin President Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund |
| Rebekah Gantner Executive Director, Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund |
Judson Phillips Founder Tea Party Nation |
| T W Herrick COB Herrick Foundation |
J. Keet Lewis Co-Founder Lewis Group International |
| Ann L. Drexel A Strong Military for a Strong Nation Council for National Policy |
Linda L. Bean Vice Chairman of the Board Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund |
| Kay R. Daly President Coalition for a Fair Judiciary |
Russell J. Ramsland, Jr. Founder Park Cities/Preston Hollow Leadership Forum |
| C. Preston Noell III President Tradition, Family, Property, Inc. |
Douglas H. Napier Sr. Vice President, Alliance Relations Alliance Defending Freedom |
| Penna Dexter Radio Host TDA |
The Honorable Gary L. Bauer President American Values |
| Tim LeFever Chairman Capitol Resource Institute |
Kevin Freeman Founder NSIC Institute |
| Melvin Adams Past President RENEWANATION |
Floyd Brown Chairman Western Center for Journalism |
| Samuel B. Casey Managing Director & General Counsel Jubilee Campaign |
The Honorable Penny Pullen Former Ass’t Minority Leader Illinois General Assembly |
| James P. Backlin Vice President of Legislative Affairs Christian Coalition of America |
The Honorable Mike Spence Founding President Conservative Republicans of California |
| The Honorable James C. Miller III Former Director of OMB under President Ronald Reagan |
The Honorable Helen Marie Taylor Chairman Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund |
| Ken Boehm Chairman National Legal and Policy Center |
Roxanne Phillips Executive Committee Council for National Policy |
| The Honorable Tom DeLay Former Majority Leader U.S. House of Representatives |
Anne Schlafly Cori Chairman Eagle Forum |
| Adm. Jerry Johnson, USN (Ret.) Former Vice Chief of Naval Operations |
Maj. Gen. Kenneth W. Weir, USMCR (Ret.) |
| Admiral James “Ace” Lyons, Jr., USN (Ret.) Lion Associates LLC |
Brig. Gen. John Zierdt Jr., USA (Ret.) USA Forces Command |
| Brig. Gen. James Mead, USMC, (Ret.) | Michael R. Long State Chairman NYS Conservative Party |
| Maj. Gen Don Infante, USA (Ret.) | Brig. Gen. Thomas C. Pinckney, USAF (Ret.) |
| The Honorable Donald Devine Senior Scholar The Fund for American Studies and Former Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management under President Ronald Reagan |
Allen Hébert Chairman American-Chinese Fellowship of Houston |
| RADM J. Robert Lunney, NYNM (Ret.) NY Naval Militia |
Jack Park Conservative Activist and Donor |
| James C. Dobson Ph.D. Founder & President Family Talk |
William Shaker President Rule of Law Committee |
| RADM John A. Moriarty, USN (Ret.) | Lt. Gen. Sam Wetzel, USA (Ret.) |
| Maj. Gen. Mel Thrash, USA (Ret.) | Maj. Gen Jackson L. Flake Jr., USA (Ret.) |
| Brig. Gen. John C. Arick, USMC (Ret.) | Gen. Frederick J. Kroesen, USA (Ret.) |
| Martha Boneta Executive Vice President Citizens for the Republic |
Steven D. Brown President Associated Gospel Churches |
| Lt. Gen. E.G. Shuler, Jr., USAF (Ret.) | Maj. Gen. Tom Cole, USA (Ret.) |
| Joseph R. John, USNA ‘62 Capt. USN (Ret)/Former FBI Chairman, Combat Veterans For Congress PAC |
Susan Carleson President American Civil Rights Union |
| Brig. Gen. Russell J. Kilpatrick, USAF (Ret.) | Maj. Gen. John R. Farrington, USAF (Ret.) |
| The Honorable Tidal W. McCoy Acting Secretary of the Air Force U.S. Air Force |
Lew Uhler President National Tax Limitation Committee |
| Brig. Gen. William A. Bloomer, USMC (Ret.) | Rebecca Hagelin Board of Directors Dr. James Dobson’s FamilyTalk |
| Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D. Washington Bureau Chief Infowars.com |
Tricia Erickson President Angel Pictures & Publicity, Inc. |
| Cindy Honcoop State Director Washington Eagle Forum |
Hugh Scott Retired Navy Physician Consultant |
| LTC Kenneth J. Benway, USA (Ret.) Co-Founder Special Operations Speaks |
Capt. Peter A. Hewett, JAGC, USN (Ret.) |
| Kris Mineau President Emeritus Massachusetts Family Institute |
Maj. Gen. Bentley B. Rayburn, USAF (Ret.) |
| Sandy Rios Director of Governmental Affairs American Family Association |
Paul Weber President & CEO Family Policy Alliance |
| Maj. Gen. James C. McElroy, USA (Ret.) Former DCG First US Army |
Richard Waling Vietnam Veteran Wellness Chiropractic |
| Randy M. Long CEO Long Buisness Advisors, LLC |
Jon Gibson CEO Jon Gibson Company |
| Penny Young Nance CEO and President Concerned Women for America PAC |
[1] This document mentions only a few such documents; more examples are available on request.
[2] The American Psychiatric Association describes “gender dysphoria” (ICD-10-CM code F64.0 in the DSM-5) as follows: “Gender dysphoria involves a conflict between a person’s physical or assigned gender and the gender with which he/she/they identify…People with gender dysphoria may often experience significant distress and/or problems functioning associated with this conflict between the way they feel and think of themselves (referred to as experienced or expressed gender) and their physical or assigned gender.” American Psychiatry Association, “What is Gender Dysphoria?” https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/gender-dysphoria/what-is-gender-dysphoria, accessed April 28, 2017.
[3] In a May 13, 2016, Wall Street Journal Commentary article titled “Transgender Surgery Isn’t the Solution,” Dr. Paul McHugh, the Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at John Hopkins University, explained that in the 1960s, Johns Hopkins pioneered “sex-reassignment” surgery for persons who did not identify with their biological sex. The hospital discontinued the practice when follow-up studies in the 1970s found that operations on healthy tissue did not improve psycho-social adjustments. Brief of Dr. Paul R. McHugh, M.D., Ph.D., Dr. Paul Hruz, M.D., Ph.D., and Dr. Lawrence S. Mayer, Ph.D. as amici curiae in Support of Petitioner, Gloucester County School Board v. GG, No. 16-273 (U.S., October Term 2016).
[4] There is no rational reason to believe that a bureaucratic “gender marker” is the equivalent of human DNA. True DNA gender markers exist in pairs of human chromosomes – XX in females and XY in males. Gender is identified at birth, not “assigned,” and human chromosomes cannot be changed with outward appearances or radical measures such as surgery on healthy organs. Claims that transgendered people are “trapped” inside a body different from the gender they wish to be are based on what psychiatric specialist Dr. Joseph Berger called “feelings, not science.”
[5] See pro-defense planks in the Republican National Platform adopted in Cleveland, 2016, pp. 41-44.
