Washington: US Department of Defence officials have condemned new laws in several states that oppose LGBTQ activism, such as prohibitions on child sex-change surgeries, arguing that the legislation could weaken the readiness of the US military.

Gil Cisneros, chief DOD diversity officer, said at a Pentagon event honouring Pride Month on Wednesday that "LGBTQ+ and other diverse communities are under attack just because they are different - hate for hate's sake." However, we need to stick together and be ready to face any challenge head-on.

Cisneros was referring to legislation on LGBTQ-related issues that was either passed or proposed in more than a dozen states with Republican governors. Some US states have made it illegal to perform sex-change procedures or administer hormone blockers to minors, and they also forbid schools from providing gender identity education without parents' permission. Florida has outlawed teaching in schools about sexual orientation and gender identity, specifically targeting curricula that Governor Ron DeSantis has called "indoctrination."

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According to Lieutenant General DeAnna Burt, chief of space operations for the US Space Force, such laws could weaken the country's armed forces and "demonstrate a trend that could be dangerous for service members, their families, and the force's overall readiness."

Similar worries were voiced at an event on Tuesday by Alex Wagner, the top official in charge of manpower and reserve affairs for the US Air Force, who claimed that troops at some bases needed to be relocated.

According to Wagner, if service members are thinking about and worried about the experience their children are having, they won't be fully present at work. They won't be mission-focused, I predict.

Since President Joe Biden took office in 2021, Republican lawmakers have criticised the Pentagon for implementing "woke" policies, including teaching cadets critical race theory and endorsing transgender ideology. Conservatives have also claimed that the DOD's initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion have made it harder to find qualified candidates.

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Burt cited a 2020 poll that claimed 20% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 25 identify as LGBTQ and cautioned that unsuitable policies and messaging could harm military recruitment efforts. 

Our most valuable operational advantage—our people—are directly impacted by the resilience and wellbeing of those barriers, she said, adding that they pose a threat to our readiness.

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The DOD's response to some of the criticism from the right has angered LGBTQ activists. US Representative Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, pressed Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin on why military bases were hosting "drag queen story hours" for kids, and Austin responded that such events wouldn't be permitted on DOD property. Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada's earlier this month scheduled drag performance was cancelled.