I mean it's a bit more complex obviously, e. g. it's highly medicalized, you need a "gender identity disorder" diagnosis to legally transition and GAS in order to change your legal gender, but on the other hand HRT and GAS are state subsidized among other rights and protections specific to trans people.
In general, it's not that Iran recognizes "trans people". There is no (officially allowed) trans identity. Medical and surgical transition is allowed as a way to "smooth a flaw" and assimilate into cishet-normative society. It is often applied as a way of state-sponsored conversion therapy: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/world/middleeast/iran-transgender-surgery.html
I'm sorry what exactly has changed since then, on a systemic level?
Yeah the US trying to pinkwash their war efforts has certainly made the situation for LGBTQ people more difficult, but that's not a phenomenon unique to Iran. It's the same in Russia, large parts of Africa, West asia and I think latin america as well. If the nation hostile to you (like e.g. bombing schools while they're in session) is also loudly proclaiming they want more gay rights, the knee-jerk reaction is that this must be a hostile act aimed at dismantling your society as well. That's one of the ways how capitalists divide society into different identities and pit them against eachother.
It's complicated. Thailand has a continuous culture of recognizing gender non conformance (in part due to having never been colonized).
It's not amazing, and a lot of transfeminized people in Thailand are pushed into sex work, as well as facing some social stigmas. But from everything I've heard it's a lot better than a lot of the world
To be honest, if a country is gonna implement a draft or some form of compulsory service requirement, it should be gender neutral, and apply to their citizens universally, with no bearing on gender identity. By all means keep the physical fitness standards to ensure force effectiveness, but possession of one or another particular combinations of genitalia should not play into the equation at all.
On one hand, I agree with you, on the other hand I don't want to impose a military draft on 50-ish % of the population. On the other other hand, true gender equality would be if it didn't apply to anyone regardless of gender cause fuck drafts
The post is incorrect to begin with. I don't know the source of the photo, but in Thailand, the service is based on a lottery for men. You may easily never roll it. There are many thai students (girls too) that do military training during their high school years on some days and don't have to serve later. Also, this transitioning strategy will work in most countries in the world as most of them don't allow transwomen.
*won't work
But yes, even in "developed" countries it's a whole process and they might still force you to serve. (I wouldn't have been able to doge it since I'm too old to transition or whatever, but depression saved me)
I've been a trans rights supporter my whole life. Trans rights = humans rights. But now I'm being accused of using dog whistles because I don't follow the latest terminally online trends from extwitter/bsky on how to properly phrase things? You need to pick better battles, my man,
Trans is an adjective, so it's simply incorrect to ever write trans women without a space. TER"F"s have been using "transwomen" as a dogwhistle for over a decade, it's not some new speak.
This is such of a niche of a niche of a niche of a niche of a problem, I can't even. All this language debate stuff was fine in 2015 when things were good. Now it's 2026 and we're having the absolute worst people running every country it seems. We have to focus on big things like right to repair, right to privacy, right to your data. Not debating a usage of a single space "trans" and "woman"
Only if there are ways out for the elite. Otherwise it's essentially a defense co-op.
If you believe your country is using the military in ethically wrong ways, that's the actual problem, not the draft.
It's the military. I'll tell you without even looking up a source that they 100% verify the individuals got the appropriate genitalia to get out of serving.
93 replies
Surely the army would conscript them to a cybersecurity red team?
military bad, draft bad.
but, yhea, gender discrimination is also bad. not sure if finding roles for them in the system is progress.
It's the classic "is it progress if women are smoking" dilemma.
We have non-binary drone pilots, diversity
or We can have women war criminals, bossgirl feminism.
I think the joke is that at least in the west there is a very high amount of people in the tech industry who are trans.
I got that part, the "programmer socks".
Also in military intelligence for that reason. At least if my veteran friends are telling the truth
Donβt think they have enough striped unix-socks.
Draft tends to apply to men only, so they probably can't conscript them, even if they want to.
Here in Germany, men can get drafted, even during peace time, while women can only be required to work in healthcare during a war.
Hey, you can't be sure these girls aren't also there to visit their boyfriends in the army.
In Greece they check that you have 2 balls. You can't serve if you have one only.
That's nuts...
nah, nuts implies two (or more!)
What if you have more? You've got three balls so we're promoting you to a higher pay grade.
That's the benefit of having a uranium buttplug. I grow one extra ball each year. Also it keeps me warm during the winter
Wouldn't want Hitler serving in the Greek army!
Here in brazil they do the same thing
Why do you need the second ball to hold a gun?
3 or more is fine tho?
Thou shalt not pass two. Four is right out.
Bollocks!
Crawley?
well at least its pretty deterministic
... So Thailand actually has significantly better trans rights than the US does.
Because currently, in the US, trans people do not legally exist.
Iran has better trans rights than the US does...
You serious?
I mean it's a bit more complex obviously, e. g. it's highly medicalized, you need a "gender identity disorder" diagnosis to legally transition and GAS in order to change your legal gender, but on the other hand HRT and GAS are state subsidized among other rights and protections specific to trans people.
see here for more https://outrightinternational.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/OutRightTransReport.pdf
Your source is a decade old. The situation has deteriorated in practice after the 2022 protests, with the regime seeing trans people as connecting with the broader Western lgbtq+ movement and so "importing harmful ideas". Source from last year: https://uprdoc.ohchr.org/uprweb/downloadfile.aspx?filename=13540&file=EnglishTranslation
In general, it's not that Iran recognizes "trans people". There is no (officially allowed) trans identity. Medical and surgical transition is allowed as a way to "smooth a flaw" and assimilate into cishet-normative society. It is often applied as a way of state-sponsored conversion therapy: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/world/middleeast/iran-transgender-surgery.html
I'm sorry what exactly has changed since then, on a systemic level?
Yeah the US trying to pinkwash their war efforts has certainly made the situation for LGBTQ people more difficult, but that's not a phenomenon unique to Iran. It's the same in Russia, large parts of Africa, West asia and I think latin america as well. If the nation hostile to you (like e.g. bombing schools while they're in session) is also loudly proclaiming they want more gay rights, the knee-jerk reaction is that this must be a hostile act aimed at dismantling your society as well. That's one of the ways how capitalists divide society into different identities and pit them against eachother.
It's complicated. Thailand has a continuous culture of recognizing gender non conformance (in part due to having never been colonized).
It's not amazing, and a lot of transfeminized people in Thailand are pushed into sex work, as well as facing some social stigmas. But from everything I've heard it's a lot better than a lot of the world
They are recognized by DoD policy and can opt out, but they also cannot opt in.
They effectively cannot vote in half the the county.
They're recognized as men in Thailand.
Draft bad
Gender discrimination bad
but in this case, somehow, they cancel each other out.
To be honest, if a country is gonna implement a draft or some form of compulsory service requirement, it should be gender neutral, and apply to their citizens universally, with no bearing on gender identity. By all means keep the physical fitness standards to ensure force effectiveness, but possession of one or another particular combinations of genitalia should not play into the equation at all.
On one hand, I agree with you, on the other hand I don't want to impose a military draft on 50-ish % of the population. On the other other hand, true gender equality would be if it didn't apply to anyone regardless of gender cause fuck drafts
Having a country's population be trained in the military can have some benefits. (Yes I know this is very vague)
Not occupying all the time of half your population for two years of their lives probably has greater, less-vague benefit.
Higher education will have a far more profound impact.
Yes, but it requires far more spending by the government.
I don't care.
Yeah but it's like spending on health
I agree that gender discrimination is bad, but progress needs to be about a abolishing military and drafts, rather than making it "diverse".
No, they still sum up to double bad. Cute trans girls exist regardless.
Nobody ever talk about the maid wars.
The post is incorrect to begin with. I don't know the source of the photo, but in Thailand, the service is based on a lottery for men. You may easily never roll it. There are many thai students (girls too) that do military training during their high school years on some days and don't have to serve later. Also, this transitioning strategy will work in most countries in the world as most of them don't allow transwomen.
*won't work But yes, even in "developed" countries it's a whole process and they might still force you to serve. (I wouldn't have been able to doge it since I'm too old to transition or whatever, but depression saved me)
"Trans women" should be written separately, as "trans" is an adjective.
"transwomen" and "transmen", on the other hand, are common dog whistles used by science denires to imply trans people are in a category of their own.
I've been a trans rights supporter my whole life. Trans rights = humans rights. But now I'm being accused of using dog whistles because I don't follow the latest terminally online trends from extwitter/bsky on how to properly phrase things? You need to pick better battles, my man,
Trans is an adjective, so it's simply incorrect to ever write trans women without a space. TER"F"s have been using "transwomen" as a dogwhistle for over a decade, it's not some new speak.
This is such of a niche of a niche of a niche of a niche of a problem, I can't even. All this language debate stuff was fine in 2015 when things were good. Now it's 2026 and we're having the absolute worst people running every country it seems. We have to focus on big things like right to repair, right to privacy, right to your data. Not debating a usage of a single space "trans" and "woman"
In 2015 when things were good? Ok, sure? Anyways, I'm not debating anything. I told you two facts, if you want to ignore them then you do you.
The US excludes us too, but it just feels... different.
Mandatory military service is a slavery.
Only if there are ways out for the elite. Otherwise it's essentially a defense co-op. If you believe your country is using the military in ethically wrong ways, that's the actual problem, not the draft.
It has merits in some cases. (Eg living beside a hostile country like N Korea)
It can be a good thing.
While Canada doesn't have it, most of our military usage is disaster relief and it comes with free education.
I wouldn't mind everyone having to help in shelters, evacuate people, or fill sand bags in exchange for free education.
Could you just show up in a dress and say your trans or do they make some attempt to verify?
like "install arch linux without setup scrip within 20 minutet. go!"
"compile a kernel in under 9 months"
Is it cheating if I have a script that builds a kernel package for my system?
No ma'am.
Still much to learn I have, meditate I must
Well shit, I guess I'd be getting drafted then.
It's the military. I'll tell you without even looking up a source that they 100% verify the individuals got the appropriate genitalia to get out of serving.
It took me 15 seconds to read that explanation and I understand it fully without ever even going there. Terrible answer to the posted question.
I think the assumption is that there is an unspoken "unless it was explained to them"
otherwise that would be the case for like pretty much all answers
Those drafted can also pay to not go to the military. My girlfriend's brother who is now living abroad paid i think ~200β¬ to not have to go there
Sounds cheap enough for not having to serve for two years
Yea here it is cheap but back there that is almost an entire month's salary
Understandable. Still a good deal, though.
In my country, there is no official paid leave from draft, but using legal loopholes to avoid it will cost you many, many salaries over.
I think I completely understand this situation and I do not live in Thailand.
Sooo this is a good way to meet sexy singles in my area?
Enlisting in the military has always been an effective means of getting laid from what I hear
I hear it's more effective to marry someone in the military. You get a ton of action while they're deployed.
Is this because trans peeps are not allowed in the military or because women cannot enlist?
Women can enlist but not be chosen in the draft lottery.
Thailand recognizes trans women as men but can be excused for medical reasons if they have undergone gender reassignment surgery.
Previously the exemption was recognized as mental illness.
Oh I see. Thank you!
If this was the only way to avoid the draft, I would become trans sooooo fast.
Is that the only thing stopping you now?
Stan's what?
Stan's tuck
or maybe you would become trans anyway π₯
Protect the dolls
Well fuck, now I know where to go in thailand. Now, just to find when to go.
When's the next draft?
Cute, more like.
This comment is so disgusting that i guess i will just go to sleep atp
I think this is privilege and unacceptable.
The problem is the forced labor not trans people having something vaguely good happening to them for once
The draft is what's unacceptable.
Oh are you joining the Thai military?