Soldiers know inclusiveness creates a better fighting force. Donald Trump should listen to them.
A soldier’s effectiveness — not identity — is what matters. On Aug. 25, President Trump signed a memo banning transgender people from enlisting in the military. He justified his decision by citing concerns about military effectiveness, the disruption of unit cohesion and the cost of medical treatment. Yes, it is step backward in terms of civil rights, as LGBTQ activists have pointed out. But both transgender veterans and military leaders have challenged Trump’s rationale for
‘I thought like a female, I felt like a female ... but I had to play it off’
James Kester carried a secret for more than 40 years. Through growing up in small-town Alabama to serving 20 years in the military, being married twice, raising three children, and working in the radio business, he kept that secret until the burden became too heavy to carry. So James became Molly. “When I finally got my last child out of the house, I started really concentrating on my own happiness and I started realizing I was actually faking being happy,” Kester said. “I st
