Dr. Christine McGinn, an ex-Navy surgeon, has vowed to offer free gender-confirmation surgery for transgender military patients.
McGinn told CNN’s Michael Smerconish that she will still perform operations for patients already on her list despite President Donald Trump announcing a ban on transgender people in the military.
“If the commander-in-chief won’t take care of our veterans, our veterans will. I will do surgery for free on the number of people that I have already lined up for surgery,” McGinn, who is also transgender, told Smerconish.
Trump stated that the reason for the ban was that transgender people in the military caused “tremendous medical costs and disruption.”
McGinn says the cost of medical care for transgender people is one the military’s budget can afford.
“I think it’s being twisted and spun to make it seem like it would be more than it is,” McGinn says. “I think the cost of getting rid of very well specialized, trained military service people is exponentially larger than just taking care of them.”
McGinn transitioned in 2000 while a senior flight surgeon at Willow Grove Naval Air Station. She was also nominated flight surgeon of the year for the U.S. Navy.
Trans ex-Navy surgeon: Cost of losing trained service people is “exponentially larger than just taking care of them” https://t.co/4JmaQUS6lg
— CNN (@CNN) July 29, 2017
