What is the military's policy on transgendered people serving?

Are there any policies regarding transgendered people's service in the US military, similar to DADT? What about other countries?What is the military's policy on transgendered people serving?I'll speak to the Canadian Military's policy... since I'm the self appointed residence Canadian transition know-it-all! (Also, I am on the top of the Canadian GLBT Y!A chart, so meh!)



If you are already serving in the military, and are diagnosed with GID (the official diagnosis of being trans) at any point WHILE IN SERVICE you are given two years to undergo the medical process before you are either put back on active duty or honorably discharged. And yes, the military pays for all costs. They particularly wish for transmen to undergo phalloplasty, not for the sake of the Canadian troops, but in case a soldier is captured they want to avoid him being raped or killed.



If you are diagnosed with GID before entering active service, you are considered unfit for duty until your transition is completed. Afterward you may join up.



Treatment of transfolk inside the armed forces varies from installation to installation. The official policy is to be all inclusive, but there is some bull from grunts and such. Any complaint is taken and investigated properly though.



How do I know all this? My main source is my own "gender therapist". She is the military's go-to gal for the bases ranging across Ontario, and sometimes out of the province. They entrust her to diagnose, treat, and ready their soldiers for active duty under the two year timeline. And she manages.



Another source is a friend, who does maintenance on aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force.



Also, a former member of the armed forces (I forget the branch) I know is a transwoman. She wishes she had stayed in active duty now, rather than leave to transition.



And, locally I know a transman who is waiting to finish his transition so he can join a military marching band in the Nation's Capital (which is considered active service so I assume there is military training in there too).What is the military's policy on transgendered people serving?Transsexual people are considered incompatible with military service. If they know a person is transsexual they are not allowed to join. If they are already in the service and come out they are administratively discharged. Hopefully that will change, but that is the current policy.





edit: You might find this paper of the Palm Center interesting:



http://www.palmcenter.org/files/active/0鈥?/a>







Chris: In Canada you can actually transition while in the military IF you are considered a career (20 year) minded individual. However, from what I hear you do have to put up with some harassment from other service personnel.What is the military's policy on transgendered people serving?If you're physically intersexed or transsexual then you are considered unfit for duty. If you're a cross dresser I don't think that it would matter much as long as you don't let them know and did it on leave or something.What is the military's policy on transgendered people serving?
They're considered as having a mental disorder therefore not fit for service. You're discharged if outed. Not sure what the policies are in other countries, I think Canada has given the thumbs up.