One of the paramount problems in obtaining equal rights is that quite often people refuse to believe that they don't already exist.
A survey by the University of Illinois Research Office has found that 62% of respondents reported that they did not know if transgender people are allowed to serve openly in the military.
Fifty-four percent of respondents support allowing transgender people to serve openly in the military and 58 percent supporting other military branches adopting the U.S. Air policy that states transgender airmen and airwomen will not face “separation” — release from active duty — for openly identifying as transgender or receiving a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. In addition, 66 percent of respondents report that there is no medically valid reason to exclude transgender persons from US military service.
The poll was conducted under the auspices of the American Military Partner Association (AMPA), the nation's largest organization of LGBT military families.
It's clear that the majority of fair-minded Americans agree that when it comes to military service, what matters is the ability to get the job done, not someone’s gender identity. We are eager for the Department of Defense to complete its review of the outdated regulations that currently prevent transgender service members from serving openly and honestly. Our military families look forward to the day when all of our service members are supported and treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
--AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack
The most recent estimate is that there are nearly 13000 transgender service members currently serving.
The current ban on open transgender service has been reportedly been scheduled to end on May 27, 2016.
There has been backlash. Retired General Paul Vallely has notably published Push for transgender troops shows misunderstanding of military's purpose, but then again, this loony also has said that President Obama should be arrested for "treasonous activity."