Tony Perkins: Better To Disband The Military Than Include Transgender Service Members

Yesterday, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins reacted to the news that “the Pentagon has published a handbook for transgender service” by claiming that it would be better if the military disbanded altogether than accommodate transgender service members.

Perkins spoke about the new handbook on his “Washington Watch” program with Jerry Boykin, the FRC’s executive vice president.

“So we see the administration pushing forward without congressional input on integrating transgenders [sic] into our nation’s military,” Perkins said. “What else can this administration do to the military other than just disband it?”

Later, he added: “I probably need to take it back when I said that the only thing worse the president could do would be to disband the military. Actually, that might even be better. We’re probably better off without a military that is not compromised, because we think we have a military that’s defending our country and able to do that but we have a military that in many ways is a hollowed-out shell.”

Perkins reacted to the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell with similar hysteria, making a variety of predictions—such as the reinstatement of the draft—that did not come true.