As U.S. military leadership’s promotion of LGBT Pride Month draws attention and some controversy, the Texas Military Department (TMD) seems to be charting its own course.
When a “Unit Fun Run” honoring an activist group targeting LGBTQ youth at Camp Mabry in Austin drew public and media attention this month, the event was canceled.
As reported by The Dallas Express, the office of Gov. Greg Abbott explained, “This event was not sanctioned, approved, or authorized by the Texas Military Department and is not occurring.”
Chuck DeVore, the chief national initiatives officer for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, explained to The Dallas Express that TMD’s position reflects the broad authority states retain over the recruiting, direction, and character of the guard.
“It’s not surprising to me that Texas would choose a different path in relation to this and the vaccines, because it’s Texas,” said DeVore, who retired from the California National Guard as a lieutenant colonel.
DeVore has suggested that the national military’s alleged push toward “woke” ideology will undermine America’s military readiness and jeopardize national security.
In one notable instance, Air Force General Charles Q. Brown’s 2020 claim that he “hire[s] for diversity” has drawn renewed attention amid the latest Pride Month controversies.
“This will kill combat effectiveness and kill servicemembers,” DeVore claimed of Brown’s position. “Recruit for warfighting. Period.”
Brown’s view, however, is shared by many in the upper echelons of U.S. military leadership.
“Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III recently said, “I remain dedicated to making sure that our LGBTQ+ personnel across the Joint Force can continue to serve the country that we all love with dignity and pride.”
Austin also asserted that LGBT inclusion in the military improves the country’s warfighting capabilities, contrary to DeVore’s assertions.
“Their proud service adds to America’s strength. Their contributions to our security are powerful,” Austin claimed. “Members of this community have deployed to combat zones around the globe, held high-ranking positions in the Pentagon, and fought and died alongside their teammates.”
“Militaries that do not avail themselves of the best possible talent of their citizenry put themselves at a strategic disadvantage. We would be rendering ourselves less fit to our weighty task if we excluded from our ranks people who meet our standards and who have the skills, the guts and the devotion in uniform,” he added.
The U.S. military has repeatedly missed recruitment goals in recent years, leading some politicians to suggest a growing adherence to “woke” ideology is driving young people away from the prospect of service.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) suggested, “… the DoD’s insistence on promoting individual identity and self-actualization in recruitment and retention efforts, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community, is dangerous. The appeal to self is corrosive to unit cohesion.”
Variance between the Texan and federal military apparatuses also made headlines recently at the Fifth Circuit Court, which struck down the Biden administration’s attempt to punish Texas guardsmen who refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine, as reported by The Dallas Express.
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