APA QUESTIONS ANNOUNCEMENT TO BAR TRANSGENDER PEOPLE FROM U.S. MILITARYCites research showing no ill effects of open service on military readiness, harmfulness of discrimination to health, well-being WASHINGTON – The American Psychological Association questioned President Trump’s announced ban on transgender people serving “in any capacity” in the U.S. military, a reversal of the previous administration’s decision to allow transgender military personnel to serve openly. Trump’s concerns about the “tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail” echo arguments underlying the Defense Department’s previous “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, Puente said. He cited research by Aaron Belkin, PhD, a leading scholar and director of the Palm Center, which has found no overall negative impact on military readiness or its component dimensions, including cohesion, recruitment, retention, assaults, harassment or morale. “Indeed, Dr. Belkin has found that the repeal of don’t ask, don’t tell appears to have enhanced the military’s ability to pursue its mission,” Puente added. A 2016 RAND report commissioned by DoD found that the health care costs of letting transgender people serve openly in the military would increase by no more than a mere 0.13 percent. Research has shown that discrimination is a significant source of stress for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and has substantial adverse effects on their health and well-being. For decades, APA has been engaged in applying psychological science to improve the health and well-being of LGBT people. APA has urged |