The Social Work Profession Within The United States Military

PART I: PUBLIC POSITIONS The Social Work profession adheres to the belief that there is diversity in gender expression; rather than being static, gender expression is fluid and variable among our population. Regardless of gender--including those who are transgender--everyone should be afforded the same respect and rights that all citizens are entitled to--this includes the right to serve openly in the United States military. Discrimination and prejudice aimed at anyone due to their gender identity or gender expression is damaging to the social, emotional, psychological, physical, and economic well-being of the affected individuals, as well as society as a whole. Discriminatory legislation and regulations denying transgender people the†¦show more content†¦Military regulations effectively prohibit service by transgender people. There are two general brackets of regulations that apply to transgender individuals: medical and conduct regulations. Transgender people will be rejected by invocation of medical or psychological rationales (medical regulations), or they may be rejected for behavior that is deemed to reflect negatively on themselves or the military (conduct regulations.) As per medical regulations, transgender individuals may be disqualified from joining the military as a result of any type of genital surgery, since this is an area of assessment and examination during the initial medical evaluation. Medical support necessary for transitioning service member is not provided. If a current transgender service member seeks treatment from civilian healthcare providers, they still must report such treatment to the military. Failure to abide by these regulations will result in criminal prosecution by the military. As per conduct regulations, there are strict regulations for uniform and grooming standards by sex. Any cross-dressing or anything perceived as cross-dressing, even in the context of following medical protocol in advance of full transition, will be considered a violation of military regulations and result in discipline, discharge, or criminal prosecution. However, even if an individual has not had surgery, but identifies as transgender, this