The United States of America’s leader has barred transgender people from being a part of the country’s military on some grounds.
In a series of tweets posted on his very busy handle @realDonaldTrump, the president said the ban was necessitated by the “medical costs and disruption” transgender people cause.
“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.
Like much else President Trump has been obsessed with since assuming office in January, his latest policy is a roll back of Obama administration-era rules that loosened restrictions on transgender people to serve in the US military.
It also overrules the claim weeks ago by Defence Secretary, Jim Mattis that the Pentagon was giving the military another six months to conduct a review to determine if allowing transgender individuals to enlist in the armed services would impact its “readiness and lethality”
This puts the fate of about 2,450 transgender personnel in the US Army in the balance after they were allowed to serve openly in the US military, receive medical care, and start formally changing their gender identity in the Pentagon’s personnel system since October.
Expectedly, the President has been flayed on social media, with many Americans labeling him a ‘coward’ and ‘draft dodger’, while LGBTQ media advocacy organisaiton, GLAAD, accuse him of trying to ‘erase’ their kind from the country.
It is not yet clear though how he intends to implement the controversial ban, what with his equally contentious Muslim ban still being contested in court.
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