President Trump’s highly controversial and discriminatory military policy to ban all transgender individuals from serving in the United States Military will officially take effect today at the Pentagon.
In addition to banning transgender individuals from military service, the Pentagon will also prevent using any DoD or DHS resources to fund sex reassignment procedures or surgeries, which affects current and past military personnel. Specifically, the policy prohibits those diagnosed with gender dysphoria and who have, as a result, sought any medical treatment from serving in military troops. The Department of Defense stated that individuals who opt to not receive medical treatment will still be eligible to serve despite the diagnosis. It is estimated that over 15,000 active duty transgender troop will be impacted by this policy.
The official policy approval and installment comes nearly two years after Trump first tweeted about the policy proposal. Those who joined the military prior to Trump’s term in office will be grandfathered under Obama Era policies that protect transgender individuals. This means that they will be permitted to serve, however, they cannot use DoD or DHS resources for medical expenses.
Lawyer Shannon Minter, who opposed the ban in court, argued that “This is absolutely ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ for transgender people.” Minter has also stated that the new policy has created “extreme” anxiety for transgender individuals currently in active duty who have yet to come out.
Media Resources: ABC 4/12/2019; CBS 4/12/2019; NBC 4/12/2019
