"A house divided against itself cannot stand." I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved - I do not expect the house to fall - but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other. Did we brave all then to falter now? - now - when that same enemy is wavering, dissevered, and belligerent? This result is not doubtful. We shall not fail-if we stand firm, we shall not fail. Wise counsels may accelerate or mistakes delay it, but sooner or later the victory is sure to come.”
— Abraham Lincoln, Illinois Republican State Convention, Springfield, Illinois June 16, 1858
The American flag, the Stars and Stripes, has fifty stars, one for each state, in a country envisioned from scratch over two centuries ago as “united,” not divided. It is the flag for 330 million of us now, in all all our differences, and in all our similarities. Much has been said of the blood spilled for it, and blood from a large diversity of Americans have been shed for it to wave above our heads in the winds from so many places across this continent and offshore. No one individual, state, political party nor religious group is the only arbiter of it, it belongs to all of us, and laws provide for guidance. It is not a token status symbol for any one individual, state, political party or religious group, and to only wave the flag and not do our duty as outlined in the US Constitution, is not necessarily patriotic. The flag is not large enough to shield the workings of the undemocratic forces of today from the vision of all who stay vigilant. This flag serves primarily as a symbol to unite us in common cause, using it to divide the country in any way is antithetical to this democratic republic ideal given to us so long ago. They did not wish for the “Divided States,” to live on in perpetuity, but rather the “United States.”
WWII
“I suppose that every realist knows that the democratic way of life is at this moment being directly assailed in every part of the world–assailed either by arms, or by secret spreading of poisonous propaganda by those who seek to destroy unity and promote discord in nations that are still at peace.”
“As men do not live by bread alone, they do not fight by armaments alone. Those who man our defenses, and those behind them who build our defenses, must have the stamina and the courage which come from unshakable belief in the manner of life which they are defending. The mighty action that we are calling for cannot be based on a disregard of all things worth fighting for.”
— Franklin D. Roosevelt Annual Message (Four Freedoms) to Congress (1941)
I wished to estimate the number of transgendered and gender nonconforming who might have served during World War II. A certain fellow who I know, a MAGA Republican continues to post “lib-owning” memes on social media, as he seems to find pleasure in. He has a preference to stoak division, as he has been trained to do by the sources of information he chooses to consume. He posted a meme of the Stars and Stripes, somehow inferring that the flag would upset Liberals because Muslims do not fly the flag. A ridiculous meme on all accounts. I wrote the statement above in reference to his assisting in dividing the country with the US flag, to me a very unpatriotic action, but one we see often these days.
My thoughts went to the transgendered community, so much under assault in this state of Montana, as elsewhere. This group certainly took part in World War II, I surmised. I wished to get a back-of-napkin idea of the numbers of these American patriots, of who the Stars and Stripes should certainly represent and honor. So I did some basic research to estimate the possible numbers. I have carried these numbers out more than might be warranted from the assumptions I had to make. But focus on the relative value, only meant to give one some idea of the contributions and sacrifices made by a disparaged group.
I first wished to have an understanding how gays and lesbians were treated during enlistment and draft for WWII. This might lend some understanding to me about the transgendered and gender nonconforming who lived and wished to serve their country at that time. The following is from an article which lends some idea
From the National WWII Museum the following is about gay and lesbians in WWII, and after.
“Whatever attitudes we had about non-involvement immediately disappeared [after pearl harbor] and we became as much a part of the war effort as everyone else.”
Tom Reddy, US Marine Corps
The United States military, hoping to screen out mentally ill individuals, asked every potential service member questions on their sexuality. People who were gay and lesbian were forced to answer questions vaguely, or lie about their sexuality, in order to be allowed to serve; otherwise, they would run the risk of being sent home and branded as “sex perverts.”
By the middle of the war, the military sought new ways to target and expel homosexuals. Instead of charging individuals with sodomy, a court-martialed offense, the military began identifying suspected homosexuals as psychopaths. In other words, instead of charging service members with a crime of behavior or action, the military charged service members with a crime of being. Such a move created an efficient system of discrimination and prosecution of homosexual members of the military.
Service members who were persecuted by a section 8 blue discharge were purged from bases and units and sent to mental institutions and make-shift quarantined brigs where they suffered from isolation, depression, and humiliation, and were stripped of their rights and dignity.
Despite the threat of persecution, gay and lesbian service members thrived during World War II. As with most young soldiers, many had never left their homes before and the war provided them an opportunity to find community, camaraderie, and, in some cases, first loves. These new friendships gave gay and lesbian GIs refuge from the hostility that surrounded them and allowed for a distinct sub-culture to develop within the military. Service members on every warfront enjoyed drag show entertainment; an entire gay lexicon was developed from the writings of Dorothy Parker; and eventually an underground queer newspaper emerged. The “Myrtle Beach Bitch” or “Myrtle Beach Belle” covertly shared news and stories between bases and units.
For many, World War II marked only the start of life-long struggles with their identity. The systematic purges of bases and units ripped apart the communities and relationships that had been developed over shared sacrifices. Blue discharges followed veterans their entire lives and made them ineligible for all veteran services. In 1953, President Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10450, that banned homosexuals from federal employment. Over 5,000 federal employees lost their jobs over accusations of homosexuality. These federal discriminatory actions drove LGBTQ people further into the shadows of society and emboldened law enforcement and politicians, who became more violent toward gay and lesbian citizens
Also from the National World War II museum is an article about a transgendered service member. She was able to work at a desk job during the war. And became famous after the war after transitioning in Europe. It’s an interesting read, the link is found below for the entire article.
From GI Joe to GI Jane: Christine Jorgensen’s Story
WWII veteran Christine Jorgensen became the first American transgender woman to attain fame for having sex reassignment surgery. Her story has influenced many others and helped redefine gender identity.
June 30, 2020
After Jorgensen graduated high school during World War II, she tried to enlist in the Army, but she was denied because of her dainty size and weight. However, a couple of months later she was drafted into the Army and stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey. During Jorgensen’s service, she kept mostly to herself and concealed her attraction to men. At the time, many service members feared being exposed or labeled as a homosexual, which could get a soldier prison time, a dishonorable discharge, or court-martialed. Jorgensen explained that, “I wanted to be accepted by the army for two reasons. Foremost was my great desire to belong, to be needed, and to join the stream of activities around me. Second, I wanted my parents to be proud of me.” She labored as a clerical worker, managing thousands of discharged soldiers after VE Day for 14 months until she herself was honorably discharged in December 1946.
The transgendered in the military has been a topic of discussion in the last years, particularly during the Trump presidency. The following from Wikipedia sums up the modern military and the transgendered who are over represented it seems . I do not wish to get into the discussion today of the modern military, but this is quite illuminating in the importance the transgendered play in our national security.
Transgender people are significantly more likely to serve in the US military than the general US population. According to 2014 estimates from the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy, despite the ban on military service, about 21.4% of the total transgender population in the US is estimated to have served in the military. In May 2014, an estimated 15,500 transgender individuals served on active duty or in the Guard or Reserve forces.
About 32% of transgender individuals in the US who are assigned male at birth serve or have served in the military, compared to 5.5% for transgender individuals who are assigned female at birth.[21] According to the 2014 study, "[t]he American military employs more transgender people than any other organisation in the world: around 15,500...more than 6,000 of whom are on active duty."
A 2016 workplace and gender relations survey found 9,000 US military service members consider themselves transgender individuals. In 2019, the United States Department of Defense states that 1,400 service members have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and fewer than 10 service members were receiving gender reassignment surgery.
I wish to estimate the number of transgendered and gender nonconforming in the general population and using these ratios to estimate the numbers for WWII
in the military has been a topic of discussion in the last years, particularly during the Trump presidency. The following from Wikipedia sums up the modern military and the transgendered who are over represented it seems . I d
UCLA School of Law, Williams Institute
How Many Adults and Youth Identify as Transgender in the United States?
June 2022
Of the 1.3 million adults who identify as transgender, 38.5% (515,200) are transgender women, 35.9% (480,000) are transgender men, and 25.6% (341,800) reported they are gender nonconforming.
Assume gender nonconforming is equal between men and women
525,200 women
480,000 men
341,800 non-conforming
Given:
Population 2019 is 328,239,523
About 78% over age 18
Women are 51.1%
328,239,523x.78= 256,026,828
256,026,828x.511= 130,829,709
256,026,828-130,829,709=125,829,709
525,200/130,829,709= 0.00401437872 or 1 in every 249 transgendered women
480,000/125,829,709= 0.0038146794 or 1 in every 262 transgendered men
(341,800x.5)/130,829,709= 0.00130627822 or 1 in every 765 gender nonconforming women
(341,800x.5)/125,829,709= 0.00135818481 or 1 in every 736 gender nonconforming men
Assume these ratios are the same for all adults in population regardless of age.
Now look at the United States census in 1940, with other sources used for WWII casualties
Based upon review of demographics.
Age range of draft WWII 21-45 about 40% of total population
16,000,000-350,000= 15,650,000 men
GIVEN:
Population 1941 was 133,402,471
Assume 75% over age 18
Assume 50% women
133,402,471x.75x.5= 50025926.6
50,025,927 adult men
50,025,927 adult women
Assume (based on demographics) that WWII graft age, or fighting age (21 to 45) was about 40% of the adults
133,402,471x.4x.5=26,680,494 draft age men
133,402,471x.4x.5=26,680,494 military service age women
50,025,927/249=200,907 transgendered adult women
50,025,927/262=190,939 transgendered adult men
50,025,927/765=65,393 gender nonconforming adult women
50,025,927/736=67,970 gender nonconforming men adult men
26,680,494/249=107,151 transgendered adult women military service age
26,680,494/262=101,834 transgendered adult men draft age
26,680,494/765=34,876 gender nonconforming women military service age
26,680,494/736=36,251 gender nonconforming men draft age
GIVEN:
419,400 deaths WWII
671,801 wounded WWII
419,400-543=418857 dead men total
Deaths
Women 543/249=2 transgendered adult women
Women 543/765=0.71 or 1 gender nonconforming women
Men 418,857/262=1,599 transgendered men
Men 418,857/736=569 gender nonconforming men
Total for all four is 2,171
2,171/419,400=0.00517644253
Wounded women estimate 0.00129470672x671,801=870
Same ratio as women deaths to men deaths
671,801-870= 670931
Wounded
Women 870/249=3 transgendered women
Women 870/765=1 gender nonconforming women
Men 670931/262= 2,561 transgendered men
Men 670931/736=912 gender nonconforming men
Total for all four is 3,477
Given:
16,000,000 total Americans served in WW II
During World War II, approximately 350,000 U.S. women served with the armed forces. As many as 543 died in war-related incidents, including 16 nurses who were killed from enemy fire - even though U.S. political and military leaders had decided not to use women in combat because they feared public opinion.
Served in military WWII
15650000 men
350,000 women
About 59% of the draft age men served during WWII
About 1.3% of military age women served during WWII
350,000/249=1,406 transgendered men
350,000/765=457 gender nonconforming women
15,650,000/262=59,783 transgendered men
15,650,000/736=21,264 gender nonconforming men
Total for all four is 82,910 who served in WWII
82,910/16,000,000=0.005181875
Given:
Montana population in 1940 was 556,000
From 1940 to 1943, Montana's population dropped by 15% and Gallatin County's by 18%. During the war, 57,000 Montana men and women (approximately 10% of the population) served in the military; almost 1,900 servicemen were killed or missing-in-action.
57,000x0.005181875= 295 approximate number transgendered or gender nonconforming who served MT.
1,900x0.00517644253=10 approximately transgendered or gender nonconforming killed or missing from MT.
From my home county in Montana 12 servicemen were killed in action in WWII, including my father’s oldest brother, 33 at the time. Many Americans appreciate the sacrifices of others in maintaining our way of life. It was a nationwide effort certainly to prevail in WWII, and all different people helped in the effort. Both Lincoln and FDR knew that to be divided was not an option, and to denegrade one group who too did their part in the past is reprehensible for our citizens. We’re all in this together, and one can only look at the actions of Russia to realize that we live in a critical time. So, the Stars and Stripes is everyone’s flag, that is my whole point to this.
38th Posting, May 13, 2023.