This morning, President Donald Trump announced that he is banning all transgender people from serving in the U.S. military, according to the Washington Post . He made the announcement in a series of posts on Twitter.
“After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the US Military,” he wrote.
He went on to say that U.S. military branches must “be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory” and that allowing transgender individuals to serve would be costly and burdensome.
In July of 2016, former Defense Secretary Ash Carter declared that transgender soldiers could serve openly and no longer be discharged solely for being transgender. He gave the military one year to determine how to best integrate transgender members, including how to provide medical care. The Boston Globe notes that at the time of the ban was lifted, there were already thousands of transgender people serving in the military; however, they were forced to exist under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” veil of secrecy that lesbian, gay, and bisexual military members lived under until they were allowed to openly serve in 2011.
After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
….Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
….victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
Trump’s transgender ban comes a month after Defense Secretary James Mattis asked for a six-month delay in implementing the military’s plan to accept transgender members. Mattis ordered a review of how accepting transgender members would impact military branches, though he claimed that the delay “in no way presupposes the outcome.”
Among the issues Mattis claimed needed exploration were the impact transgender military members may have on “the readiness and lethality” of the military force and the “ability” of the military to carry out its defense duties.
According to CNN, the Defense Department commissioned a Rand Corp. study in 2016 that found that transgender people would have “minimal impact” on the readiness of the military. It also concluded that the cost of providing medical care to transgender service members would be low because they make up a very small percentage of the military force.
Carter’s deadline for the military to update its medical standards to treat transgender members was set to expire tomorrow, July 27. It is not yet known if Trump’s ban will affect transgender military members already serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines.
What do you think of Trump’s transgender ban for the U.S. military? Tell us in the comments below.
[Featured Image by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images]
