No One is Disposable: Going Beyond the Trans Military Inclusion Debate
Seattle Journal for Social Justice, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 459-514 (2015)
Northeastern University School of Law Research Paper No. 220-2015
58 Pages Posted: 29 Mar 2015
Date Written: March 26, 2015
Abstract
This article explores the issue of how to advance justice for trans people in relation to the U.S. military, considering a much wider array of potential interventions than the one the media focuses on: formal inclusion. The author works from the premise that no one is disposable, and that those most impacted by this issue ought to be at the center of the analysis. With that grounding, the author explores the interests of various stakeholders: trans people and others whom the U.S. military harms; trans people and others who do not wish to join the military; and trans people and others involved in the U.S. military as aspiring service members, current service members, or veterans. The author concludes with recommendations involving demilitarization, decarceration, reparations, reinvestment, and support for stakeholders, arguing that these approaches would create the greatest benefit for those with the most at risk.
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