Mike Huckabee: The point of the military is to "kill people and break things"

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee doesn't think transgender soldiers should be allowed to serve openly in the military because the military is meant to "kill people and break things," not serve as "a social experiment."

Update: Coverage of the second Republican debate.

"I'm not sure how paying for transgender surgery for soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines makes our country safer," Huckabee said.

The problem with Huckabee's argument is that the question isn't whether trans soldiers should serve, but whether they should be allowed to serve openly. And there's some evidence that not letting trans soldiers get the gender-affirming treatments they need can lead to mental health issues that can then cause problems in the field.

About 15,500 trans people serve in the military, according to the Williams Institute, an LGBTQ think tank. These troops are forced into hiding. As a result, many can't get treatments for their gender dysphoria, a state of emotional distress caused by how the gender someone was designated at birth conflicts with their gender identity. This condition doesn't affect all trans people, but for some it can lead to severe depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.

So all trans soldiers could potentially serve without problems if they were allowed to do so openly and got the care they need. But by blocking access to that care, the military risks pushing trans people into hiding and stops the treatment and prevention of mental health issues that can lead to actual problems when they're on duty.

Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?

Most news outlets make their money through advertising or subscriptions. But when it comes to what we’re trying to do at Vox, there are a couple of big issues with relying on ads and subscriptions to keep the lights on:

First, advertising dollars go up and down with the economy. We often only know a few months out what our advertising revenue will be, which makes it hard to plan ahead.

Second, we’re not in the subscriptions business. Vox is here to help everyone understand the complex issues shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. And we can’t do that if we have a paywall.

So even though advertising is still our biggest source of revenue, we also seek grants and reader support. (And no matter how our work is funded, we have strict guidelines on editorial independence.)

If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today? Any amount helps.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$5/month

$10/month

$25/month

$50/month

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $5/month

Yes, I'll give $5/month

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via