The Public Record
Jackie Speier is a former U.S. Representative from California, serving in the House of Representatives from January 3, 2008, until January 15, 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented California's 14th congressional district. Speier is known for her advocacy on issues such as women's rights, healthcare, and gun control. She gained national attention for her work on the Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights and her efforts to address military sexual assault. Speier's political career began in the California State Assembly, where she served from 2002 to 2006 before moving to the U.S. Congress.
So I think the concern that many of us have is that, if you are going to put a subsequent layer of assessment that is subjective, it could easily be twisted in a manner that could allow for the decision to be made to discharge individuals…
I am sorry but okay well, we will go through, but it sounds like this decision was not one that people took part in and that that is a problem.
So much like Don't Ask, Don't Tell, you can serve if you are transgender but you're going to only be able to serve in your birth gender so you are going to have to hide the fact that you are transgender, you are not going to be able to…
Transgender service members around the world have done the same thing, add to the readiness and lethality of the United States military.
You are the first five transgender service members ever to testify openly in front of the House of Representatives.
I think that what--you are invoking a privilege but has the court upheld it?
Transgender service members have been serving openly and deploying for the last 2½ years.
Yes or no, are you aware that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and all four service chiefs testified to Congress last year that there were no, I repeat, no issues related to cohesion, discipline, or morale due to open transgender…
Did the Department of Defense perform any systematic surveys or comparisons of the actual experiences of military units with or without transgender personnel?
So to somehow suggest that they suffer from depression would be, they suffer from depression just like other service members may suffer from depression?
You know, I am truly astonished by your presentation so I must say, you have just had the opportunity to listen to 5 transgender service members, 10, 15 years, many of them leaders, many of them deployed multiple times and can you honestly…
There is simply no rigorous evidence that transgender service members hamper unit cohesion or readiness.
Transgender troops have the right to serve as their full selves and shouldn't have to live in fear of being found out.
Not allowing transgender service members to join the military would cost us recruits at a time so few Americans are willing to serve.
I believe that the transgender service ban is discriminatory, unconstitutional, and self-defeating.
I feel strongly that any transgender person who can meet occupational standards should be allowed to serve in our Armed Forces.
And how has the administration thanked you? By treating you like a liability, not an asset; by maliciously jeopardizing your careers and trivializing your sacrifice.
Despite living in a nation where many discriminate against you, you made a choice that fewer and fewer Americans make, you joined the military and risked your lives and your families' well-beings for our safety.
Being here in the same room as senior Defense Department officials, in front of the Congress, representing yourselves and your fellow transgender service members, even in your civilian capacities, takes tremendous courage.
This bogus policy has no business in the policies of the military or the United States of America.
I can't think of a panel of witnesses that have come before this House that I have participated in, that have showed more talent, courage, willingness to put forth a position that is truly appropriate and do so with the kind of clarity and…
Politicians like Jackie Speier
