US Department of Defense officials have decried new laws in various states that push back against LGBTQ activism \u2013 such as bans on sex-change surgeries for children \u2013 arguing that the legislation could undermine the readiness of America\u2019s military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLGBTQ+ and other diverse communities are under attack just because they are different \u2013 hate for hate\u2019s sake,\u201d chief DOD diversity officer Gil Cisneros said on Wednesday at a Pentagon event celebrating Pride Month. \u201cBut we must stick together, and we must be prepared to confront any such challenge directly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cisneros was referring to bills passed or proposed in more than a dozen Republican-controlled states on LGBTQ-related issues. Some US states have outlawed giving hormone blockers or sex-change surgeries to minors and prohibited schools from counseling children on gender identity without parental consent. Florida has banned classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation, targeting curriculums that Governor Ron DeSantis has condemned as \u201cindoctrination.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
US Space Force chief of space operations, Lieutenant General DeAnna Burt, argued that such laws could weaken the nation\u2019s military, and \u201cdemonstrates a trend that could be dangerous for service members, their families and the readiness of the force as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alex Wagner, the US Air Force\u2019s top manpower and reserve affairs official, raised similar concerns at an event on Tuesday, saying troops at some bases had to be relocated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf servicemembers are thinking and concerned about the experience their kids are having, they\u2019re not going to be focused on their jobs,\u201d Wagner said. \u201cThey\u2019re not gonna be focused on their mission.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Republican lawmakers have criticized the Pentagon for adopting \u201cwoke\u201d policies, such as teaching cadets critical race theory and promoting transgender ideology, since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. Conservatives also have argued that the DOD\u2019s diversity and inclusion programs have contributed to recruiting struggles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Citing a 2020 poll claiming that 20% of Americans ages 18 to 25 identify as LGBTQ, Burt warned that military recruiting efforts could be hurt by improper policies and messaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThose barriers are a threat to our readiness, and they have a direct correlation to the resiliency and well-being of our most important operational advantage: our people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The DOD has responded to some of the conservative backlash, drawing the ire of LGBTQ activists. Pressed by US Representative Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, on why military bases were hosting \u201cdrag queen story hours\u201d for children, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said such events wouldn\u2019t be allowed on DOD properties. A drag show scheduled for earlier this month at Nevada\u2019s Nellis Air Force Base was canceled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n