A Supreme Court order that could clear the way for the Trump administration’s policy barring transgender people from serving in the military has drawn the ire of Juneau’s LGBTQ community.<\/p>\n
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning Juneauites and their allies said they are generally displeased with a Tuesday’s 5-4 Supreme Court order. The order <\/a>would allow the ban on transgender people serving to go into effect while lower courts challenge the policy.<\/p>\n “Personally, I am very disappointed in this decision,” said Southeast Alaska LBTQ+ Alliance Board Chair Melissa Hill in an interview. “Citizens of the United States of America want to protect and serve our country. These are people willing to die to protect our rights. Gender of any kind should not play into this decision.”<\/p>\n [LGBTQ community and allies gather for Transgender Day of Remembrance<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n SEAGLA Vice Chair JoLynn Shriber shared a similar idea during SEAGLA’s Meet Up, Eat Up event Wednesday night at V’s Cellar Door.<\/p>\n “I’m disgusted,” Shriber said. “I’m disappointed in my government. That’s about all I can say.”<\/p>\n A member of Juneau’s transgender community at the Wednesday meetup expressed disappointment with the decision and marginalization of transgender people. They declined to be identified because of their place of employment.<\/p>\n They said the order creates an obvious parallel to “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the Department of Defense’s longtime policy that ended in 2011 and barred openly non-heterosexual people from serving.<\/p>\n SEAGLA board member Elaine Bell said it’s disappointing that people already serving could be affected by the policy.<\/p>\n “If they took that as a career, they should be able to be who they are,” Bell said. “It’s unfortunate that people have to make rules based on their opinion.”<\/p>\n Uncertainty in Juneau and the rest of the country<\/strong><\/p>\n The exact impact the order and policy will have in Juneau is unclear.<\/p>\n Capt. Allison Caputo, who is a transgender person and Chief of Maritime Law Enforcement for Sector 17 of the United States Coast Guard, declined to comment.<\/p>\n “Unfortunately, my guidance is I cannot provide any statement at this time,” Caputo said.<\/p>\n The Coast Guard directed media inquiries to a Coast Guard headquarters email address, which did not respond in time for this article.<\/p>\n [Holidays can be hard for the LGBTQ community<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n Things are murky for the rest of the country as well, because the policy has been held up for almost two years while it lurched its way toward being put into effect.<\/p>\n President Donald Trump announced the controversial policy on Twitter in 2017, and it was subsequently reworked by then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis and rolled out again in 2018.<\/p>\n After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow……<\/p>\n — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n