First waiver to Trumpian DOD transgender prohibition granted

The Acting Secretary of the Navy recently granted a surface warfare officer the first waiver within the Department of Defense (DOD) to DOD's remarkable (remarkable, that is, in its depth of treachery to transgender personnel honorably serving the military, never mind its sheer stupidity) 2018 policy prohibiting service of transgender personnel "if they have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria or have yet to transition to an identified gender." The 2018 prohibition does, at least, grandfather in those whose diagnosis or transition occurred prior to the policy going into effect, and allows for case-by-case waivers -- and this is the first such waiver granted since the policy went into effect in spring 2019.

But before you totally blame Trump for the 2018 about-face to President Obama's 2016 policy that rightly allowed transgender personnel to openly serve our nation, there are others to share the blame
 -- like Secretary "I not-so-secretly wish all those in uniform were heterosexual men" Jim Mattis, who chartered this lovely gem of a report that falls back on the old tropes of "risks" to national security if transgender personnel are allowed to openly serve.

Yeah, we've heard fear-mongering of "risks" to the armed forces before,  like the risks of allowing African Americans to serve, of allowing women to serve, of allowing homosexuals to serve.... The real risk to U.S. national security is the continued ignorance of those like Mattis and Trump who fail to capitalize on the amazing contributions all such Americans can make in uniform.

Good on acting Navy Secretary James McPherson for rising above such ignorance and recognizing the incredible contributions this naval surface warfare officer will continue to make to U.S. national security  -- and good on the officer for have the fortitude to sue DOD in the interim.