Military Readiness or Transgender Mandates: Who is Making Personnel Policy in the Pentagon?

1. LGBT Activists Pressing Transgender Agenda

For many weeks since the 2016 election, President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense James Mattis have been under tremendous pressure to retain and expand transgender mandates imposed by President Barack Obama and former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.

We have been working hard to alert the White House and Pentagon leaders about the high political and military risks of continuing Obama's politically-correct but harmful LGBT mandates. As we predicted, the issue is now front and center, due to Obama holdovers misusing their position to proclaim and celebrate LGBT Pride month in June.

CMR has released a new article highlighting reasons why the Trump Administration should review and revoke Obama-era mandates for transgenders in the military:

• CMR: Holdover Transgender Mandates Impede Efforts to Strengthen Military

On May 16, major conservative leaders signed a strong Memo for the Movement stating that military readiness should not be weakened by transgender mandates. (See below)  Last week, Military Times reported that resistance may be developing within the Pentagon:

• The Military is Building a Case to Block Transgender Applicants - at Least for Now

CMR has learned that President Trump has not proclaimed June to be LGBT Pride month, which is good news.

Activists and Obama holdovers in the Pentagon, however, are proceeding anyway, as if the election never happened.

This is a link to the Defense Department's LGBT Pride event announcement, quietly issued last Friday afternoon by Anthony M. Kurta, who is "Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary for Personnel & Readiness."

• DoD: Defense Department Observes LGBT Pride Month 

The Kurta Memo encourages LGBT events in all the services, during duty hours.  This is the invitation to an LGBT Pride event in the Pentagon courtyard or auditorium on Monday, June 12, which will feature Mr. Kurta and possibly Obama holdover Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work.

This special interest event is more than symbolic; it is a means to an end -- the "end" being issuance of more LGBT mandates before June 30.

There have been several stories about LGBT groups' disappointment that the White House has not issued a proclamation, including these:

• The Hill: LGBT Groups Brace for New Fight Over Transgender Troops

• Politico: Trump's Failure to Issue Pride Month Proclamation Called 'Deeply Disappointing 

It is interesting to read that the Army has joined the Marine Corps in questioning the transgender mandates.  This is something new, but it will not matter unless Secretary Mattis acts to intervene.

The quoted spokesman for DEOMI, (Defense Equal Opportunity Military Institute), a Defense Department outfit long famous for conducting nutty role-playing sessions, says that nothing stands in the way of local groups having LGBT events.  Will labor unions and other special interest groups be allowed to start organizing during "company" time on military facilities also?

The media is focusing on a few unnamed transgender military academy graduates who were allowed to attend the academies even though they are not eligible to serve under current regulations.  They are not talking about how policies to accommodate transgender recruits after only 18 months would serve as a magnet for confused individuals who suffer from a psychological condition called gender dysphoria.

According to AP, The National Center for Transgender Equality wants military medical professionals to authorize, participate in, or perform body-altering treatments and surgeries on minor dependent children, even though children are not capable of giving informed consent.

As in previous years, LGBT Pride festivals will serve to lobby for even more deeply flawed policies before the end of June.  (Most Obama LGBT mandates were announced on June 30.)

Serious questions come to mind:

• Regardless of what the issue is, do holdover officials in positions such as this have authority to implement or celebrate the previous administrations' policies, even if President Trump has not authorized them?

• In the case of Anthony Kurta's memo, probably issued with the knowledge of Deputy Secretary Bob Work, why is this not a firing offense?

• If this is not a firing offense, are President Obama and Ashton Carter still making policy at the Pentagon?

Ultimately, the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary Mattis are responsible for everything the Obama holdovers do.  The buck stops there.

These recent articles also address the issue persuasively:

• Thomas Spoehr, Heritage Daily Signal: Mattis Should Hit Pause on Obama-Era Decision to Let Transgender Individuals Serve in Military

• Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin, Breitbart: Secretary Mattis: Focus on War Fighting, Ditch the Social Engineering

• Rebecca Hagelin, Washington Times, Peace Through Diversity?

2. Donnelly Speaks on Conservative Action Project Panel

On May 18, CMR President Elaine Donnelly was pleased to address leaders of the Conservative Action Project (CAP), headed by Becky Norton-Dunlop of the Heritage Foundation and former Attorney General Edwin Meese III.

Donnelly thanked the CAP for circulating a powerful statement called the Memo for the Movement: Restoring America's Military Strength: Military Readiness or Transgender Politics.  Founded in 2008, the Conservative Action Project is designed to facilitate conservative leaders working together on behalf of common goals.  The latest memo, signed by 85 organizations and leaders, unequivocally states,

The process of strengthening our military will not succeed 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.

3. CMR Website Redesign Nearing Completion

On April 20 CMR spent the day with WMTek, Inc, based in Vero Beach FL, to discuss and design plans for our new website.  We are very excited about the new contemporary format, which will be more attractive, productive, and cell phone- or tablet-user friendly.  Watch for developments -- our new website will be going "live" soon.

4. Mourning Kate O'Beirne

The news that Kate O'Beirne passed away on April 23 was difficult to believe and hard to accept. This is a personal tribute that describes her important role on the 1992 Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces:

• Going Into Combat Alongside Kate O'Beirne

Kate was a dear friend who was always there for me.  I miss her very much.

Elaine Donnelly
President
Center for Military Readiness
www.cmrlink.org
734/464-9430

The Center for Military Readiness is an independent public policy organization, founded in 1993, which reports on and analyzes military/social issues.  More information is available at www.cmrlink.org.