You Don’t Get to Call a military purge of trans folks Patriotism.
By Joe Bob Justice & Col. Ezra Stone (Ret.)
dowhatmatas.org | Double Tap Rant
[JOE BOB JUSTICE]
Let me start this fire the right way:
You don’t protect the flag by firing the people willing to die for it.
This week, the Trump machine cranked out another culture war special: a push to remove trans Americans from military service. And while Pete Hegseth still gets a check to cosplay patriot on cable news, real service members—who actually passed the test—are getting pushed out.
It’s not just dumb.
It’s not just wrong.
It’s dangerous.
[COL. EZRA STONE]
It is.
And as a retired colonel, I can tell you: this isn’t new. America has always had moments where it had to choose between its fear and its freedom.
The military purge of trans folks is one of those being done in fear by weak people.
In World War II, Black soldiers were segregated, told they weren’t fit for leadership, and yet the Tuskegee Airmen outflew and outperformed expectations—escorting over 15,000 bombers with unmatched discipline.
Japanese Americans? We locked them in camps. Then asked them to form the 442nd Infantry Regiment, the most decorated unit in U.S. military history.
Gay and lesbian service members were discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell—until we realized we were losing damn good people over fear and fiction.
And now? It’s trans troops. Same story. New target.
[JOE BOB]
And look—I’m not here for no kumbaya drum circle.
But you don’t get to claim you love this country if you’re booting the very people willing to defend it.
I’ve met trans vets. I’ve seen ‘em put in the work. And I promise you—some of them are more loyal, more disciplined, and more capable than the armchair patriots screaming about testosterone from their YouTube studios.
[EZRA]
From a strategic perspective, it’s not just discrimination.
It’s stupidity.
The RAND Corporation found that inclusive service policies do not harm readiness, unit cohesion, or morale.
Read the RAND study here
And the American Medical Association and Department of Defense concluded that trans troops are just as capable, resilient, and mission-ready as anyone else.
The data doesn’t lie—fear does.
[JOE BOB]
You know what else makes us stronger?
Diversity.
The military ain’t a country club—it’s a team. And good teams don’t win by cutting players based on who they are off the field. They win by training together, bleeding together, and watching each other’s backs no matter what.
Every time America’s faced a real crisis, it’s been the people on the margins—immigrants, women, minorities, queer folks—who stepped up and showed what courage really is.
[EZRA]
And what kind of country forgets its defenders?
History’s judgment is clear:
The Tuskegee Airmen were right to fly.
The 442nd were right to fight.
LGBTQ troops were right to serve.
Trans troops are right to stay.
We do not get to rewrite our values just because they challenge our comfort.
Leadership means rising to the moment. Not shrinking from it.
[JOE BOB]
Let me say this straight:
If you’re more comfortable with a Fox News host than a fellow soldier who saved lives in a combat zone, you’ve lost the plot.
If you’re cheering a policy that boots heroes and keeps hacks, you’re not patriotic. You’re performative.
And if you call that “freedom,” you don’t understand the word.
[EZRA]
Patriotism is not a costume.
It is a commitment.
And if someone’s willing to wear the uniform, swear the oath, and lay down their life for this country—they have earned their place.
We do not purge patriots.
We salute them.
[JOE BOB]
Final reading from the Bullshit-O-Meter?
“Purging Patriots for Politics”
LEVEL 10: FLAG-WRAPPED COWARDICE.
[EZRA]
Final word from a man who’s led soldiers in war?
America doesn’t win by shrinking the ranks. It wins by honoring the brave.
And every trans service member willing to stand post is part of that courage.
Want to do something that MATAs?
Share this post. Don’t let silence do the purging.
Call your rep: Find your House member here
Support orgs like SPARTA, a non-profit that supports trans military personnel.
Speak up when someone twists patriotism into bigotry.
Because the real America—the one worth fighting for—doesn’t discriminate in uniform.
— Joe Bob Justice & Col. Ezra Stone
Next Read:
Check out [Walden’s reflection on the week’s silencing] or [Daisy’s and Liberty’s piece on Glendale and mental health].