WASHINGTON DC (April 11, 2019) — Statement attributable to: Barbara L McAneny MD, President, American Medical Association:
“With the Pentagon’s new ban on transgender individuals serving in the military going into effect on Friday, the AMA is troubled that the DoD characterizes the need to undergo gender transition as a ‘deficiency.’ The DOD regulation also instructs service secretaries to add gender-dysphoria to service-specific lists of ‘administratively disqualifying conditions’ that DoD regulations label ‘congenital or developmental defects.’ The only thing deficient is any medical science behind this decision. The AMA has said repeatedly that there is no medically valid reason — including a diagnosis of gender dysphoria — to exclude transgender-individuals from military service. Transgender service-members should, as is the case with all personnel, receive the medical-care they need. There is a global medical-consensus about the efficacy of transgender health-care, including treatment for gender-dysphoria.
“The AMA has played a lead role in educating the military — and the public — about the fact that sexual-orientation and gender-identity are not psychological or medical disorders. The estimated 14,700 transgender military-personnel are qualified and willing to serve. Rather than stigmatizing and banning these patriots, DoD should let them serve.”
About the AMA
The American Medical Association is the powerful ally and unifying voice for America’s physicians, the patients they serve, and the promise of a healthier nation. The AMA attacks the dysfunction in health-care by removing obstacles and burdens that interfere with patient-care. It reimagines medical education, training, and lifelong-learning for the digital age to help physicians grow at every stage of their careers, and it improves the health of the nation by confronting the increasing chronic-disease burden. For more information, visit ama-assn.org.
