Not sure if this is the right community to post this, but I’ll give it a shot.
One of my very good friends is planning on going into the Navy in about a year. He’s generally a moderate left leaning kinda guy, but is trans. He comes from a navy family which is part of the reason he decided to go in the first place. He’s going into mechanics and stuff and not combat which is slightly better I guess, but it’s very concerning to me that he’s planning on joining especially because he’s trans. I also feel that ethically, actively participating in that system is bad.
How can I dissuade him from joining? I don’t wanna go full force argument mode because it’s ultimately his choice but I would like advice on how to softly nudge him away from it without affecting our friendship negatively. Thanks.
You can explain your argument to them, plead your case, but then you just have to let them decide. I’m sure if they’re 18+, they’re fully aware of how hard it is to be trans, no matter where they are in America. Being trans in the military though is still an opportunity for them, and not just for the military benefits. For a trans person, it’s an opportunity for them to potentially help in “normalizing” their lifestyle (making it more mainstream and accepted) and showing people that they can do anything that anybody else can do. It’s bound to be tough for them, but they’re showing alot of bravery putting themselves out there like that.