The U.S. Air Force has been rather cagey about its practices concerning transgender individuals within its ranks, according to a recent lawsuit.
The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA) has taken legal action against the Air Force, alleging that it is wrongfully withholding records related to its Transgender Health Medical Evaluation Unit (THEMU).
The lawsuit, which was filed last month, is related to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted by the organization in August 2023 aimed at gathering information about the unit. The Air Force acknowledged receiving the request but has failed to provide the records, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation exclusive.
The Center to Advance Security in America filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in August 2023 seeking materials related to the Air Force’s Transgender Health Medical Evaluation Unit (THEMU), according to a copy of the suit obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Air Force initially acknowledged the FOIA request but then failed to provide further updates to CASA, prompting the think tank to file a lawsuit in late May against the branch in a Washington, D.C., district court for the records.
The FOIA request is seeking communications between THEMU officials related to the establishment of the unit and the implementation of its policies. CASA also asked for interactions between the unit and members of the corporate media and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). “We have been patient, but to date, CASA has received no responsive records and no additional communication from the Air Force regarding our request after the initial confirmation of submission,” said James Fitzpatrick, director of CASA, in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The lawsuit highlights the Air Force dragging their feet in fulfilling the FOIA request. The agency claimed it was managing a backlog of request cases. In an email, it told CASA that it would “strive to provide an update between 90 and 120 days,” which exceeds the standard 20-day timeline.
The agency has still not provided the requested information. “Through USAF’s failure to make a determination within the time period required by law, CASA has constructively exhausted its administrative remedies and seeks immediate judicial review,” the lawsuit reads.
Meanwhile, the Department of Defense under President Joe Biden has been having a field day, kowtowing to the progressive gender agenda. It has enacted a slew of initiatives aimed at catering to the LGBTQ community across its military branches. It has even mandated the use of pronouns for service members.
The lack of transparency from the Air Force raises questions about the reasons behind the delay in releasing the requested records. There is speculation that the Air Force might be trying to conceal information related to taxpayer funding of gender ideology or other potentially damaging details. Given the significant amount of time that has passed since the initial FOIA request, it is evident that there may be more at play than just bureaucratic inefficiencies.
This development is part of the overall debate over gender ideology in American institutions. Critics of the Armed Forces argue that it is now more focused on adhering to progressive ideology than being prepared for military confrontations.
The fact that the Air Force has yet to respond to the lawsuit or the delayed FOIA requests certainly suggests there is something to hide. It is possible the agency’s leadership does not want Americans to see how much taxpayer dollars are being used to fund “gender-affirming” treatments.
Perhaps the agency is trying its best to conceal collaborations with WPATH and other entities promoting gender ideology. Maybe it is even worse than we might imagine. Either way, it certainly seems clear someone is afraid of certain types of information getting out to the public and is stalling for as long as they can.