Question

Joe Biden says trans women born male must join the military.

Answer 1

This statement is true, but I think how it is worded is somewhat misleading. It is not that trans women are forced to join the military, but can serve without being barred because of their gender identity.

According the White House, President Biden signed an Executive Order that set the policy that all Americans who are qualified to serve should be able to serve. He "believes that gender identity should not be a bar to military service, and that America's strength is found in its diversity." The fact sheet further says how it is in the nation's interest for this policy to enact itself because it provides a more inclusive force than what the military is as of now.

President Biden repealed former President Donald Trump's ban on transgender Americans joining the military, according to BBC News. The ban took effect in 2019 and was lifted by Biden in early 2021. Trans personnel who were already within the military were allowed to continue their service, but new recruits were unable to do so. 

According to CNN, those who were discharged on the basis of their gender identity will have their cases reexamined. A Human Rights Campaign president, Alphonso David, said that "the greatest military in the world will again value readiness over bias, and qualifications over discrimination."

The ban being lifted appears to be good news for the transgender community, whereas this statement makes it seem like they will be forced to join; however, it is now a choice for them to do so if they want -- it was not a choice beforehand.

Comments

Nice answer! The issue we see very often with news spread on social media is people take pieces of information and twist the words to the point where it is highly exaggerated or even straight up false. As a trans person myself, it's nice to see that people interested in serving the country won't be barred from it, but it's not like the US is trying to form a transfem army by forcing all those people in without choice. Wild how these stories get twisted.

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I really enjoyed how you fact-checked this assignment because you showed why the claim made by the author is true but also misleading. I liked how you used in-quote citations and I enjoyed the links you provided to explain your claim.

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Great use of sources and great explanation and analysis of the source and making the answer credible.

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Great answer. I think one of the biggest problems with social media is the lack of context that often accompanies certain categories of media posts. What makes your answer so good, is that you pulled from multiple different sources that all have a lot of credibility. The source's credibility helps boost yours, which favors the strength of your answer.

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Straight to the point! I like how you incorporated sources and pointed out how the title could be misleading when taken out of context.

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Could not have been better put. A lot of people highly exaggerate what the media is actually saying, because where they make it out to be that Biden is forcing them into the military or forcing them to at least enter the “draft” it was rather that they can serve without feeling set apart because of their identity. The military and specifically the US Army has something called equal opportunity and that is that no matter gender, identity, sexual preference, religion, color of skin, etc, that we are called to not look at those things at all. If Biden was to truly sign that or even if he tried it would go against the whole principle and basis of the Military and what they are about as a service.

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https://www.army.mil/article/247785/change_to_policy_allows_transgender_soldiers_to_serve_openly

The Army made it more clear that it has allowed someone who identifies as transgender to enlist in the military. Bidens statement was not meant to seem as though the need to and are required to enlist but it is more that the need to still register with the selective service system.

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Technically, this claim is false. It is obvious you understand that the circumstance around the claim, as you referenced how the mandate is that transgender women  must register for the draft, not join the military. The claim that transgender women must join the military is therefore false, not misleading.

Answer 2

This statement is true, yet poorly worded. Biden said that trans women who fall within the draft age of 18-25 must register with the Selective Service System to be drafted for the military. So, the integrity of the statement is valid, but it's not to say that trans females "must" join the military. The army directive 2021-22 changes made it so transgender personnel and individuals with gender dysphoria can enlist in the military. Discrimination of LGBTQIA+ individuals in the military will no longer be tolerated.

https://www.gendergp.com/trans-women-are-mandated-to-register-for-the-military-draft/

https://www.army.mil/article/247785/change_to_policy_allows_transgender_soldiers_to_serve_openly

Comments

Good factcheck! You effectively cleared up any confusion from the original statement that trans women "must join the military," which incorrectly makes it seem that every trans women is being sent to the military.

Your factcheck is also supported by the Selective Service System website (sss.gov), which states that any US citizen or immigrant assigned male at birth must register for the Selective Service, not that they must join the military. The following quote is from the top of the sss.gov page titled, "Who Needs to Register": "It’s important to know that even though he is registered, a man will not automatically be inducted into the military."

Also, the original statement uses Instagram as its only source, a notoriously unreliable website.

https://www.sss.gov/register/who-needs-to-register/#p7

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Good work with clearing this up. It seems that the claim is slightly misleading. Is there a direct article where Biden specifically talks about gender and military requirements?
This claim is confusing by using the word "must," they just get to go through the same process as everyone else.

Answer 3

Claim: Joe Biden says trans women born male must join the military

Background: An Instagram account with the username “mandatetheconstitution” posted a video that contained an image of a CNN story with the headline, “Biden to Sign Executive Order Lifting Transgender Military Ban.” That clip is then followed by a screenshot of the Who Needs to Register page on the Selective Service System’s website reading, “US citizens or immigrants who are assigned male at birth and changed their gender to female are still required to register. Individuals who are assigned female at birth and changed their gender to male are not required to register. OPM notes that “transgender” refers to people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from the sex assigned to them at birth (e.g. the sex listed on an original birth certificate).” The video is accompanied with added text that reads, “Trans women BORN MALE ARE REQUIRED to join the US military.”

Fact Check: This claim is false. Trans women born male are required to register with the Selective Service in order for the U.S to have a prompt draft if the country should need it. Joe Biden did not create the rule nor does he have the ability to change the rule. The Selective Service System’s website reads, “US citizens or immigrants who are assigned male at birth and changed their gender to female are still required to register. Individuals who are assigned female at birth and changed their gender to male are not required to register.” The Military Selective Service act was passed by Congress on May 18, 1917. Changes to the Military Selective Service Act (MSSA) regarding Selective Service registration requires Congressional action and cannot be changed through Presidential Proclamation or Executive Order.

MSSA Date: https://www.archivesfoundation.org/documents/mobilizing-war-selective-service-act-world-war/#:~:text=On%20May%2018%2C%201917%2C%20Congress,expand%20the%20military%20through%20conscription.

Selective Service System: https://www.sss.gov/register/who-needs-to-register/#:~:text=Changes%20to%20the%20MSSA%20involving,the%20assigned%20gender%20at%20birth.

Comments

I really like how organized your fact-checks are and that you include background for readers who are new to the topic/subject. Good work!