Trump directive sparks criticism among transgender troops
Source: Associated Press
By JULIE WATSON and JENNIFER McDERMOTT
Today
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Active-duty transgender troops say a policy change that puts them at risk of being removed and indefinitely bars transgender people from enlisting in the military is a step backward for civil rights that will promote inequality in the armed forces.
President Donald Trump on Friday directed the Pentagon to extend a ban on transgender individuals joining the military but gave the Pentagon the authority to decide the future of openly transgender people already serving. Trump appeared to leave open the possibility of allowing some transgender people who already are in uniform.
The guidance from the White House contradicts Trump’s words, Army Capt. Jennifer Sims said, pointing out that he just praised the military for its tolerance when he told veterans in Nevada on Wednesday that those in uniform come from all walks of life and are united by shared values and a shared sense of duty.
Days earlier, Trump, speaking to thousands of soldiers at the Army’s Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, in Arlington, Virginia, denounced prejudice, bigotry and hate in the wake of violence that erupted at a rally organized by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Read more: https://apnews.com/f3ba1c1f8f8e4867998b9628ffe12809/Trump-directive-sparks-criticism-among-transgender-troops
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