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| Donald Trump bans transgender people from serving in US military due to 'disruption' they would cause | Donald Trump bans transgender people from serving in US military due to 'disruption' they would cause |
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| Donald Trump has surprised the LGBT and military communities in what could be a radical shift away from recent inclusive policies that opened up the door for transgender people to serve in the US armed forces. | |
| Mr Trump effectively banned transgender people from serving in the US military, blaming the "medical costs and disruption" they would cause in a series of tweets. The announcement did not give details on the issues. | |
| "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," Mr Trump said. | |
| "Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you," he added. | |
| The new policy is a roll back of Obama administration-era rules that loosened restrictions on transgender people to serve in the US military, and comes just weeks after Mr Trump's Defence secretary said that they were reviewing the issue. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said in June 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". | The new policy is a roll back of Obama administration-era rules that loosened restrictions on transgender people to serve in the US military, and comes just weeks after Mr Trump's Defence secretary said that they were reviewing the issue. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said in June 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". |
| It did not seem as though the Pentagon or other interested parties were prepared for Mr Trump's Twitter announcement. | |
| While the Pentagon did not immediately have a statement or press release available following Mr Trump's Twitter announcement, the organisation later indicated that it would "work closely" with the White House on the policies in the "near future". The Pentagon later referred all questions to the White House. | While the Pentagon did not immediately have a statement or press release available following Mr Trump's Twitter announcement, the organisation later indicated that it would "work closely" with the White House on the policies in the "near future". The Pentagon later referred all questions to the White House. |
| Details around what Mr Trump's Twitter announcement means were also not immediately available. | Details around what Mr Trump's Twitter announcement means were also not immediately available. |
| The Department of Defence website, at the time of Mr Trump's announcement, did not reflect new policies. | |
| Transgender people have been 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. But, former Defence Secretary Ash Carter had given the military until July to develop policies around allowing people who had already identified as transgender to join the military if they met physical, medical, and other standards. | Transgender people have been 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. But, former Defence Secretary Ash Carter had given the military until July to develop policies around allowing people who had already identified as transgender to join the military if they met physical, medical, and other standards. |
| Military chiefs had argued that they needed more time to assess policy, and requested an extension of six months past July. | |
| Civil rights activists responded to Mr Trump's transgender announcement saying that it ignored the facts surrounding transgender military service, and called it a cruel policy that violates human rights. | |
| "Today's announcement violates human rights of all transgender Americans," Tarah Demant, the director of Amensty International USA's Gender, Sexuality, and Identity programme, said in a statement. "It lays bare the President's prejudice and underlines the fact that creating policy based on bigotry is becoming a dangerous and cruel pattern for President Trump. The administration continues to target minority communities without pause and without facts." | |
| There isn't an official tally of transgender people serving in the military, but Mr Carter quoted an estimate from the think tank Rand last year when making his decision, saying that there are around 2,450 transgender personnel in some active position in the US military. Other groups like the Transgender American Veterans Association, American Military Partner Association, and OutServe-SLDN have said that the figure is higher at 15,500 transgender personnel in the military. | There isn't an official tally of transgender people serving in the military, but Mr Carter quoted an estimate from the think tank Rand last year when making his decision, saying that there are around 2,450 transgender personnel in some active position in the US military. Other groups like the Transgender American Veterans Association, American Military Partner Association, and OutServe-SLDN have said that the figure is higher at 15,500 transgender personnel in the military. |
| There are approximately 1.3 million active service members in the US military, and 1,510 in the Select Reserve. | There are approximately 1.3 million active service members in the US military, and 1,510 in the Select Reserve. |
| Following the loosening of restrictions on transgender people last year, there were as many as 250 service members who had announced they were in the process of changing their gender identity, or who had been approved for a formal gender change in the Pentagon's personnel system. | Following the loosening of restrictions on transgender people last year, there were as many as 250 service members who had announced they were in the process of changing their gender identity, or who had been approved for a formal gender change in the Pentagon's personnel system. |
| The announcement last year followed years of pressure from transgender rights activists to change the policy, an effort that increased following the repeal of the Pentagon's Don't As Don't Tell policies in 2011. Don't Ask Don't Tell allowed gay people to serve in the military so long as they did not openly identify as gay. | The announcement last year followed years of pressure from transgender rights activists to change the policy, an effort that increased following the repeal of the Pentagon's Don't As Don't Tell policies in 2011. Don't Ask Don't Tell allowed gay people to serve in the military so long as they did not openly identify as gay. |
| Transgender rights activists have long argued that a ban on service from the community does nothing but alienate and dehumanise transgender people. Research institutions such as the Palm Center, a think tank that supports open dialogue, have argued that allowing transgender people to serve in the military would be beneficial. | Transgender rights activists have long argued that a ban on service from the community does nothing but alienate and dehumanise transgender people. Research institutions such as the Palm Center, a think tank that supports open dialogue, have argued that allowing transgender people to serve in the military would be beneficial. |
| "The outdated regulations serve no purpose and only dehumanise and prevent qualified and capable individuals from enlisting and serving. The ban perpetuates trauma to all those involved, both the service member and their family," a report from the Transgender American Veterans Association and the American Military Partner Association on the issue said. | "The outdated regulations serve no purpose and only dehumanise and prevent qualified and capable individuals from enlisting and serving. The ban perpetuates trauma to all those involved, both the service member and their family," a report from the Transgender American Veterans Association and the American Military Partner Association on the issue said. |
| The Pentagon itself has noted that increasing the eligibility for serving in the military could be beneficial. A video posted online by the Department of Defence following last year's announcement says that 75 percent of young adults in the United States are ineligible to join the military for reasons related to health, educational background, or physical appearance. The video also noted that the decision to open up eligibility to serve to transgender people included input from: the leadership of the armed forces, medical and personnel experts across the Pentagon, transgender service members, outside medical experts, advocacy groups, and the RAND corporation. | The Pentagon itself has noted that increasing the eligibility for serving in the military could be beneficial. A video posted online by the Department of Defence following last year's announcement says that 75 percent of young adults in the United States are ineligible to join the military for reasons related to health, educational background, or physical appearance. The video also noted that the decision to open up eligibility to serve to transgender people included input from: the leadership of the armed forces, medical and personnel experts across the Pentagon, transgender service members, outside medical experts, advocacy groups, and the RAND corporation. |
| Perhaps the highest profile example of a transgender person in the military was Chelsea Manning, who announced her gender identity in a statement the day after being convicted on charges for violations of the Espionage Act and other offences related to the release of nearly 750,000 military and diplomatic cables. Ms Manning was later released from prison after having her sentence commuted by former President Barack Obama. Ms Manning and her attorneys fought for her right to begin gender transition therapies, including hormone treatment, during her time in prison. Those procedures are provided in American civilian prisons when medically necessary, but were not provided at the time in military prisons. | Perhaps the highest profile example of a transgender person in the military was Chelsea Manning, who announced her gender identity in a statement the day after being convicted on charges for violations of the Espionage Act and other offences related to the release of nearly 750,000 military and diplomatic cables. Ms Manning was later released from prison after having her sentence commuted by former President Barack Obama. Ms Manning and her attorneys fought for her right to begin gender transition therapies, including hormone treatment, during her time in prison. Those procedures are provided in American civilian prisons when medically necessary, but were not provided at the time in military prisons. |
| The US military later approved hormone therapy for Ms Manning - a first - and then later approved gender transition surgery - another first. Ms Manning revealed in January 2017, months before her release, that she had not seen a surgeon, however. She also charged then that her medications and therapies up until that point had been severely discounted for the US military, and had cost just $600. |