Trans Issue in the Public Sector

There are numerous issues facing the Trans community at this time. These include representation in government and the military, equality in sports, physical safety threats, and, lesser known, representation on IDs and licenses. Some of these issues (like sports) could simply be solved by getting the government out of the situation. Other ones are more complicated. Issues like IDs and the military are especially complicated, because they, at least in theory, go against the ideals of Libertarianism. You will often find a lack of sympathy among Libertarians for Trans people in the military, or who wish for updated IDs, because “no one should be in the military” and “all IDs/licenses are invalid.” This, to me, is a problematic way of thinking about things. Sure, we would prefer that such institutions and requirements didn’t exist, but while they do, we must fight for equality within and around them.

Although military issues are for now unimportant due to the reversive actions of the Biden Administration, it is still a cause for debate in the political world. Libertarians, as a whole, are anti-war. That doesn’t mean, however, that we are anti-military. Many Libertarians aspire to replicate 2020 Presidential candidate Dr. Jorgensen’s plan to make America “One Giant Switzerland, Armed and Neutral.” And even the more extreme sects of the Liberty movement should be against all forms of public sector discrimination while said sector exists. I talked to activist Brianna Coyle about the subject, her take being that “…we should absolutely stand against any discriminatory actions taken against transgender people in the military. Just like everyone else in this country’s armed forces, they want to serve and protect its people.” The Libertarian position is clear. The military may not always be a force for good, but it must be a place for tolerance and social acceptance.

Another, often overlooked issue is government IDs and licenses. Having the wrong gender on a license or ID can feel invalidating for Trans people, and there is absolutely no reason the government should be able to dictate a person’s gender. The LP platform makes our position quite clear when it says that “[g]overnment should neither deny nor abridge any individual’s human right based upon sex…,” and yet, too often, I observe people saying that the solution is simply to “privatize IDs,” rather than correcting their discrimination while they exist. I believe it is a much more pragmatic and realistic way of dealing with this serious issue.

So what’s the solution? The answer, in my opinion, is to put aside our purity tests in favor of pragmatism. Many Progressive politicians also believe that new gender options need to exist on government IDs, that Trans people are entitled to the same rights in the public sector as anyone else. We must build an accepting coalition with them to win on these critical issues. The solution, in short, is to fix this short term problem of public sector inequality, despite our traditional opposition to the public sector as a whole.

The LP is known for its social progressivism, and we firmly believe there is no reason to allow the government to discriminate against any individual. I therefore find it depressing and unhelpful to see any Libertarian arguing from a Utopian, “privatization” standpoint rather than a pragmatic one when it comes to Trans issues.

By Gus Joseph

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