Austin Mayor Urges Transgender People To Apply For Police Jobs After Trump Military Ban

AUSTIN, TX — Help wanted: Transgender individuals interested in a law enforcement career to join the ranks of the Austin Police Department.

In the wake of Donald Trump's latest tweeted dictate on Wednesday — this one banning transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military in any capacity — Austin Mayor Steve Adler sent out his own social media communique inviting members of that community to apply for APD jobs.

"If you're qualified to keep our country safe you're qualified to keep Austin safe," Adler wrote on Facebook and Twitter. "Transgender Americans are welcome on our police force. Austin is the safest big city in Texas partly because we know our differences make us a stronger community. If you get kicked out of the service because you're transgender, please apply to join our police force."

In a three-parter on Wednesday, Trump laid out his tweeted decree banning transgender people from military service, citing the medical expense and related logistics of having such individuals among the defense ranks. The tweeted dictate reverses safeguards allowing transgender people to serve their country in this manner outlined by President Barack Obama in 2016.

"After consultation with my Generals [sic] and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government [sic] will not accept or allow Transgender [sic] individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military [sic]," Trump wrote. "Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender [sic] in the military would entail. Thank you.

Despite Trump's claims of having consulted with generals and "military experts," before implementing the transgender ban, officials at the Pentagon reportedly were surprised and taken aback by the unexpected measure.

In contrast to Trump's missive, Adler's was succinct yet got the point across — both as political statement and genuine help wanted ad of sorts. The APD has distinguished itself as a law enforcement agency with its outreach efforts to the transgender community. The force also makes a point to outfit one of its patrol cars with the rainbow colors and emblems of gay pride during the annual parade celebrating that lifestyle.

In terms of its outreach to transgender members, the APD's effort began in earnest a year and a half ago, and borne of tragedy. A year and a half ago, Austin City Council members passed a resolution directing the APD to evaluate its delivery of services to transgender and gender non-conforming residents in the wake of the murder of transgender woman Monica Loera.

Toward the aim of revamping its outreach, the APD joined forces with Equality Texas — the state’s largest organization advocating for LGBT rights — to raise awareness of hate crimes and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender members of the community. Members of Equality Texas and hate crime survivors staged a presentation at police headquarters, 715 E. 8th St., as part of National Crime Victims’ Rights week. The event served as an opportunity for police to unveil their policy initiatives related to outreach to the LGBT community.

Related story: Austin Police Launch Training Guidelines Dealing With LGBT Community

The efforts launched in earnest after the killing of Loera, who earned the grim distinction of being the first transgender woman to be killed in the U.S. last January. At the police demonstration outlining its new initiative, former Police Chief Art Acevedo (now the chief of police in Houston) praised the Michael Dominguez who provided testimony related to a savage beating he endured by perpetrators disapproving of his lifestyle.

"You started off as victim, but you're tough as nails, my friend," Acevedo told Dominguez. "Your will to survive, but more importantly your will to become a survivor and your courage to take your story and share it with others is going to serve our diverse community not just here in Austin and Dallas, but for the entire state."

By sheer coincidence, the timing of Trump's transgender ban comes as the APD is poised to unveil new procedures intended to protect and respect victim identities. At the time of Loera's death, the APD was criticized by the community for consistently referring to the victim as a male in its updates on the case rather than the transgender woman that she was in life.

In an earlier email, APD invited Patch to attend a presentation on the content of the training. The presentation is the culmination of an extensive process of gathering stakeholder input, a police representative said via email. Those attending will have an opportunity to provide feedback before the final report is finalized, with opportunities for discussion and written critique scheduled to be offered.

That presentation is scheduled on Monday, July 31, at Austin City Hall from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The gathering will take place at the Boards & Commissions Room.

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