Space Force General Calls State Laws Banning Gender Transitions for Minors a ‘Threat’ to Military Readiness
A Space Force Lieutenant General, while acting in her official capacity at a Department of Defense-sponsored pride event, claimed that state laws banning medical transitions for minors are a “threat” to military readiness.
While speaking at the Department of Defense’s (DoD) 12th annual pride month celebration, Space Force Lt. Gen. DeAnna M. Burt claimed that such laws also affect her decisions when considering officer promotions.
Lt. Gen. Burt’s opening statements asserted, “As a cis-gender woman in the Department of Defense I can personally attest to the importance of allies and advocacy.”
The General stated that the increase in laws outlawing drag shows for minors and child transition drugs or procedures is a “trend that could be dangerous for service members, their families, and the readiness of the force as a whole.”
“When I look at potential candidates, say for Squadron command, I strive to match the right person to the right job,” she said, “I consider their job performance and relevant experience first. However, I also look at their personal circumstances, and their family is also an important factor. If a good match for a job does not feel safe being themselves and performing at their highest potential at a given location, or if their family could be denied critical health care due to the laws in that state, I am compelled to consider a different candidate, perhaps less qualified.”
Matthew Lohmeier, former commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron in Colorado, was relieved from duty after authoring his book “Irresistible Revolution” detailing the infiltration of Marxism in the U.S. military. He was officially discharged after appearing on a podcast in which he spoke in a personal capacity, not on behalf of the DoD, and criticized Marxist ideology and warned against it.
After watching Lt. Gen. DeAnna M. Burt make explicitly partisan political statements while in uniform, in violation of DoD policy, Lohmeier stated, “I was once fired from command in the [Space Force, DoD] for allegedly ‘being politically partisan while acting in an official capacity.’ That allegation was totally false. Lt Gen Burt here demonstrates what being politically partisan while acting in an official capacity really looks like.”
Lomeier’s Twitter biography makes light of his experience, stating, “My views are (still) not those of the Defense Department; 1st veteran of the Space Force.”
Rudy Coots, an operations research analyst at the DoD who acted as the pride event’s moderator, told the small room of people that transgender service members “truly embody resilience.”
Coots added, “There’s another part of our community that I hope will be resilient — and that’s drag performers. Drag isn’t dangerous, it’s entertaining. If you’re a fan, I say, tip your local drag queen.” He told the audience that drag is a part of “American culture.”
The Navy recently enlisted the help of drag-performing service members in a pilot program aimed at increasing recruitment numbers which have fallen to alarming lows in recent years.
The speaker who followed Coots, Dixon Osborne, opened by “shamelessly plugging” a book he authored which details his experience repealing the military’s former “don’t ask, don’t tell,” policy. Osborne then told the audience that he wanted them all to become “a little bit more like Tina Turner.”
The event was presented by the Pentagon’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Lomeier posted another statement to Twitter clarifying that “Senior military leaders can’t help themselves from now driving away talented recruits and their most qualified service members. Ideologues will never attract sane patriots to join or stay in an all-volunteer force.”
