President Barack Obama made history last month when he nominated Eric Fanning, a gay man, to be secretary of the Army. If confirmed by the Senate, Fanning will continue the integration of gay soldiers in this post-"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" era.
Fanning is not new to the administration nor to the Defense Department. He is currently serving as acting undersecretary of the Army and serves as special assistant to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. He has acquired the experience of a long list of other civilian positions within the military, including a stint two years ago as acting Air Force secretary, and deputy undersecretary in the Navy. In short, Fanning has exceptional qualifications for the top civilian Army post and should be swiftly confirmed.
That said, there are two issues we'd like him to make initial priorities.
First, coordinate with Carter and the other service branches to open up the armed forces to transgender people as the Pentagon formalizes such service and changes rules that Carter has called "outdated." A few months ago, the Pentagon announced the change, which will likely occur next year. Carter is proceeding slowly, as officials did when they decided to call on Congress to scrap DADT. Unlike that battle, however, allowing trans people to serve openly in the military does not require congressional action, and can be accomplished within the Pentagon. The change in rules is an acknowledgment that trans people already serve in the military, although they cannot be public about their authentic identities.
"We have transgender soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines �" real, patriotic Americans �" who I know are being hurt by an outdated, confusing, inconsistent approach that's contrary to our value of service and individual merit," Carter said in June. "The Defense Department's current regulations regarding transgender service members are outdated and are causing uncertainty that distracts commanders from our core missions."
As Army secretary, Fanning can help facilitate the process in that branch, showing his colleagues that sexual orientation and gender identity do not harm unit cohesion �" one of the main objections military brass had to overcome during hearings over DADT repeal.
The second issue is the treatment of Chelsea Manning, a former Army intelligence analyst serving 35 years in a military prison at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas for providing secret documents to WikiLeaks. Shortly after her conviction, Manning came out as transgender, although she was diagnosed with gender dysphoria in 2010. In February, prison officials agreed to allow Manning access to hormone therapy. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents Manning, the military has also agreed to provide Manning with speech therapy and cosmetics as recommended by her providers at Ft. Leavenworth.
Recently, however, the military denied �" again �" Manning's ongoing request that she be allowed to follow female grooming standards, including growing her hair. The ACLU is expected back in court this week to establish a plan for moving the case forward.
This summer, Manning lost prison privileges for 21 days and was threatened with solitary confinement because she had an expired tube of toothpaste in her cell and possessed "prohibited property," including the issue of Vanity Fair with Caitlyn Jenner on the cover. Punishment for old toothpaste is inexplicable and petty. But we suspect the Army, particularly officials at the prison, will do everything it can to make an example out of Manning and delay recommended medical treatment for her at every turn. We have other terms for the military's behavior toward Manning: harassment and transphobia.
When Fanning takes over, he should meet with Ft. Leavenworth officials and direct them to follow the various court orders that allow Manning to receive proper treatment. He should take an active role in this case and insist that officials allow Manning to practice female grooming standards, and that she receive other care as necessary. It's ridiculous that the Army is sticking to this rigid gender binary for prisoners even as it allows gays and lesbians to serve openly and will likely soon allow transgender people to serve openly as well. The integration process of trans troops is a good time for the military to review all of its procedures for prisoners and adjust them accordingly.
Once confirmed, Fanning will be in a pivotal role to expand equality in the Army by actively promoting the issue of transgender service and improving conditions in military prisons for transgender inmates.