What it's like to be a transgender Jew in the military now
Now it looks like one of those doors has closed.
That’s because Fisher, who enlisted four years ago and serves as a hospital corpsman on a ship stationed outside San Diego, is transgender.
In July 2017, President Donald Trump announced via Twitter that he was banning transgender people from serving in the military. He cited “tremendous medical costs and disruption” as the reasons for the move, which drew criticism from LGBTQ activists, civil rights organizations and some former military leaders.
The ban was put on hold amid challenges in courts across the country, but last week the U.S. Supreme Court allowed it to go into effect while the cases are being tried. So most transgender people are now excluded from serving in the military, though exceptions include service members who started their transition before the policy was announced.
According to his understanding of the policy, Fisher would be allowed to serve through the completion of his contract since he started transitioning prior to the policy. However, he says he would not be able to join the medical officer’s program that he had been seriously considering because he would be evaluated as a new enlistee.
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