Blackadder1916
Army.ca Fixture
- Reaction score
- 2,660
- Points
- 1,160
PuckChaser said:Yep, concur. I think the lesson here is that the CAF is going to do its absolute best to accommodate, but there are going to be bona fide operational requirements where its not possible, so a transgendered member (or member with medical limitations) is not going to be able to deploy to location X or be a member of trade Y.
Maybe my impression is wrong, but I get the sense that some believe that a transgendered individual would have so many MELs that it is the norm that they would (or should) be undeployable. What unique medical (as opposed to adm, social and employment) accommodations do you imagine are required? Are you thinking that they need mandatory intensive medical surveillance? While it may be true during the early stages of transition once that is completed, it seems (according to what I've reviewed) that a standard monitoring regime of every 6 months or even every 12 months is adequate. Seeing a primary care physician once every year and having some blood work done is no more onerous than that of aircrew, women or those over a certain age. Maybe the need to take medication on a regular basis? Yes they do, but so do a lot of other people who deploy, some for rather routine things (like birth control or other gynecological issues) or prophylaxis (malaria). Depending on the medication regime selected for the individual there may be a requirement for weekly injections but that doesn't necessarily mean the individual has to attend a medical facility on those occasions. Even if the trans person is hesitant to inject themselves, the CF deploys medical elements in support of missions at a much greater capability than in the days of yore when I first deployed operationally. And since it was mentioned previously that "sailing" might be a problem, that would likely be no problem since warships have integral medical spaces and staff.