Today, Trump used Twitter to announce that “the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military.” National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Legal Director Shannon Price Minter issued the following statement in response:
“In three tweets, Trump is purporting to fire 15,000 transgender service members bravely serving our country and to prevent other patriotic transgender persons from enlisting. While the impact of Trump’s tweets is unclear, banning transgender service members would erode military readiness and contradict our country’s values and ideals. Like every American, transgender service members should be judged by their qualifications and performance. President Trump’s bizarre assault on these dedicated service members is appalling. Those who serve our country deserve our gratitude and respect. We call on the President to retract this harmful statement and to defer to the Pentagon’s assessment that transgender people are fit to serve.”
