While the Trump administration is working furiously to essentially re-implement “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” for transgender military personnel, it’s refreshing to see the California National Guard take a different tack.

One of the highest ranking members of the state’s National Guard, Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers, is a staunch defender of LGBTQ troops.

“Forcing out soldiers and airmen based solely on how they gender identify would have a deleterious effect on our readiness and effectiveness — it’s that simple,” Beevers said in a post published this week on CalVet Connect, a blog of the state Department of Veterans Affairs. “In order to be an effective war fighting and emergency response organization, it’s imperative that we be representative of the citizens we serve. Denying transgender service members the opportunity to serve makes us less representative of the overall population of California, less culturally astute and therefore, less effective. Every service member is an integral part of our organization.”

As members of the LGBTQ community celebrate Pride Month, this is some news that merits celebration. And applause.

Under the Trump administration, in a directive that began in a tweet, transgender troops are prevented from serving openly. The new federal guidelines, implemented in April, also block the Department of Defense from funding gender reassignment surgeries. And transgender individuals who want to join the military cannot if they have a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and have received treatment. (Those who have not received treatment can enlist.)

It’s all very much like a reinstatement of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the 1994 Clinton administration directive that stated LGBTQ military personnel needed to keep their personal lives private. The rule was officially repealed under 2011 under the Obama administration.

Beevers called the policy an “abject failure” on two key counts.

“One, it enabled serving LGBTQ folks to serve openly — and I mean ‘bring your same-sex spouse or significant other to the military function openly,’ And that may be just symbolic, but I think attending a military function with your same-sex partner was a fundamental turning point and had a profoundly positive impact on the culture across the Department of Defense (DoD),” he said.

“And second, with LGBTQ service members serving openly, it enabled LGBTQ citizens who want to serve to do so without having to lie — which ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ insanely required them to do. We have some hurdles to get over to enable transgender folks who want to serve, but I’m confident we’ll get there,” he continued.

The California National Guard has a bit more freedom to buck federal policies because it operates under the control of the state governor when serving within state boundaries. When National Guard troops are deployed out of state, however, that is under the president’s control.

Beevers is adamant that while there are federal guidelines, the California National Guard has no intention of kicking any transgender service members out.

“If you are a member of the National Guard, the personnel policies that apply to you are federal,” Beevers said. “That said, I want to make this absolutely clear — no transgender service member in the Cal Guard will be removed under the current policy.”

He said that Oregon, Washington, New Mexico and Nevada are following California’s lead “on highlighting the fundamental inequities of DoD’s current transgender policy.”

In the current climate under the Trump administration, Beevers’ words should resonate with the LGBTQ community. It’s a breath of fresh air. And it’s another reason to celebrate Pride.

The Eureka National Guard Armory declined to comment on the issue and referred questions to the headquarters in Sacramento. The Sacramento office could not provide comment before the publishing deadline.

OUTspoken publishes (mostly) weekly in the Times-Standard. Ruth Schneider can be reached at 707-441-0520.