"It is estimated that there are more inter-sexed people than left handed people."
I am not sure where you are getting your facts from, but left-handed people represent 10% of the population, while transgenders equate to 0.6% of the population.
That is a huge part of the problem. The way the media showcases the "T" portion of the LGBTQ (xyz) along with a lot of propaganda in America has people thinking that this abnormality within society is now the new "normal". If a person wants to cut off a limb to identify as an amputee, you would call that a mental illness. When a person wants to cut and mutilate their genitalia, you call that heroic.
It is more of a distraction than anything. How long does it take to recover from this surgery? How many visits to a shrink do they have to do in order to get the surgery approved? All those appointments represent lost training, and possibly missed deployment time.
This is a headache that civilians that will never serve this country are bickering over, and for what? The supposed "right" for an extreme abnormality within society to serve? Let me explain to you that the military is not a "right" in this country. They discriminate openly against fat people, disabled people, and mentally ill people. The military is not a damn social experiment...
rant off.
Sorry if I came off a little harsh, but I am passionate about this topic as it is distracting to the ones actually serving, not just to me. This subject has been ran down the back of their throats ever since Obama did what he did while in office. His attempt to turn our war apparatus into a circus side-show....
I used the intersex example because as a nurse I have worked with patients with this condition as well as those who are lgbt, transsexual, etc. One person i knew was someone in the military. This person was born with parts from both genders and hated that but served honorably. Now that person is living a very happy life once getting the "wrong parts" removed. sorry about the vagueness but I am still responsible for patient confidentiality.
My point is that a inter-sexed person with "ambiguous genitalia" can be treated much like trans-people in that their condition is not understood. They still serve. I wish i could explain the joy I have seen in the eyes of someone when they feel that they are as they should have been. I know many productive and hardworking people who you would never guess where transsexual that you would also see as fit to serve in the military. I have also not know of one person who decides to get reassignment surgery because they are bored or want attention. I am sure there may be an example somewhere. I do feel that standing up and being comfortable with yourself is heroic by the way. I also do not feel this is the new norm. The fact that there are so many people who are not familiar with the issues of these groups is the issue. They are judged without being completely understood.
I do think about transitioning and such and the time it can take but if a person who has fully transitioned and is deemed fit for service wanted to keep this country safe would you then deny them that? What if they have served honorably and are not fat and do not have a physical disability, and then you find out? Do you point to a few pages in a book, tell them they must be ill and have to go.
I did not get to join the military. I am a civilian but I do serve my patients, a large amount of them are veterans, and I am proud to do so. I will always advocate for any patient and I will always try to help in the understanding between them and those who have objection to them.