Palm Center: U.S. Military Urged to Follow Canada on Transgender Recruits

HUFFINGTON POST CANADA AND CBC -- There are many things that make Canada distinct from the United States but aside from the usual clichés — passion for hockey, maple syrup,and Timbits — There is perhaps a lesser known difference when it comes to our militaries. The Canadian Forces has something the American military does not: a policy that allows transgender people to serve. In the U.S., Pentagon rules prohibit transgender members and if they're discovered, the military can discharge them. At a conference on Monday in Washington, D.C., Canada was held up as a model for the U.S. to follow, along with other countries that allow transgender members including Australia, the United Kingdom, Sweden and New Zealand. The conference was organized by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Palm Center, a research institute affiliated with San Francisco State University.