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US rules block transgender and non-binary Australians from submarine training
Australian defence documents show transgender and non-binary sailors and applicants cannot currently begin training for Australia’s future nuclear submarine programme because they must follow US policies while training in the United States. The restriction applies despite the Australian Defence Force’s own inclusion policies, raising questions about how the AUKUS partnership will affect equal access to naval careers.
Hundreds of Australian personnel train on US submarines and at US bases, where US rules apply. Rear Admiral Tish van Stralen said the navy was exploring other career paths, including possible training in the UK. Australia plans to buy three US Virginia-class submarines from 2032; each is expected to require 135 crew, making recruitment a significant challenge.
In short
- US rules bar gender-diverse Australians from the submarine training pathway.
- The ADF is considering alternative career routes, including UK training.
- Australia plans to buy three Virginia-class submarines from 2032.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of applying US rules during training in the United States may argue that access to sensitive facilities and military programmes must follow the host country’s policies, and that consistent standards help protect security and operational cooperation. They may also point to the navy’s efforts to explore alternative career paths, including training in the UK, as a way to accommodate affected personnel while maintaining the AUKUS programme.
The case against
Critics may argue that excluding transgender and non-binary Australians from a major training pathway conflicts with Australia’s own inclusion policies and unfairly limits access to naval careers. With submarine crews already a significant recruitment challenge, they may see the restriction as both inequitable and counterproductive, and urge Australia to seek arrangements that uphold its standards within the partnership.
Explained simply
Australia’s future submarine force is being developed through AUKUS, a security partnership between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Australia plans to acquire three US-made Virginia-class submarines from 2032, and Australian sailors are expected to train with US crews and at US bases.
The Australian Defence Force has inclusion policies, but personnel training in the United States must follow US rules. That creates a difference between the standards governing Australian service and those applying during training abroad.
The issue matters because the submarine programme will need to recruit and train a large crew, while some sailors and applicants face limits on entering that training. The navy has said it is considering other career routes, including possible training in the UK.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Gender-diverse Australian sailors barred from US submarines despite Aukus deal, documents reveal”.