Not just fewer fighters, but fighters you’ve already invested likely hundreds of thousands of dollars or more into with training.

The religion is just an excuse, what they’re really looking for is a small and weak minority group that they can attack without getting too much pushback. At something like 1.5% of the population trans people are a small enough minority without too much existing case law defending them so they’re an easy target.

Ultimately Republicans have to have a minority to attack because it distracts the public from noticing how everything else the Republicans are doing is hurting everyone but a select few rich people. It’s political slight of hand, watch the rights violations over here so you don’t notice the embezzlement over there.

Come to Australia! The Australian Defence Force allows eligible U.S. citizens to join, and accepts lateral transfers, after some conditions have been met.

The ADF allows LGBTQI+ people to serve openly, and will even support transition for trans members.

And Australia is just awesome. We just re-elected, literally last weekend, a level-headed centre-left government, in what is very likely to be at least for two terms (2 x 3 years), given that the centre-right party was absolutely flogged in the polls. They fucked around with endorsing ‘MAGA’ politics and then found out, by winning less than half the seats required to form majority again.

Our electoral system generally keeps our politicians sane and centrist: mandatory voting for citizens (you get fined if you don’t - we don’t care who you vote for, just as long as you do); full preferential voting (aka ranked choice voting - where every candidate must be ranked), and a balanced Senate (different kind of ranked choice voting). No first-past-the-post shit that leads to extreme fringe parties gaining any serious power.

Criteria:

• be a New Zealand citizen, a citizen of the United Kingdom, United States of America or Canada
• be a permanent resident living in Australia or holding a 444 sub-class visa
• have lived in Australia for at least one year immediately prior to applying to join the ADF and
• have not served in a foreign military in the two years prior to applying to join the ADF

Overseas applicants with relevant military experience may be eligible to start a new career in the ADF and a new life in Australia through a lateral transfer. To be eligible, you must:

• be a current serving member, or separated less than 3 years ago from a foreign military service
• have no less than 5 years’ military experience
• hold qualifications, skills and experience that can be recognised by and directly transferred to the ADF
• meet the minimum academic and military educational standards required by the ADF
• be less than 55 years of age at the time of visa nomination
• be able to demonstrate ‘Competent English’ ability at the time of application, as defined on the Department of Home Affairs website.

https://www.adfcareers.gov.au/careers/joining/eligibility?side-tab=citizenship