Trump Bans Transgender People From Military in Terrible Move

• President Donald Trump released a surprise series of tweets this morning calling for a complete ban on transgender people serving in the military in any capacity. Trump tweeted —”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 U.S. Military. 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” In his first tweet, Trump fails to mention any generals of military experts by name. That’s because Trump never spoke to anyone studying the issue. According to the New York Times, “Officials at the Pentagon were caught off guard. They had been studying … how transgender troops in the military affect other service members, but not with a view toward removing transgender people from the military, several defense officials said.” In his second tweet, he is unequivocal that transgender individuals have no place in the American military.  We tried a similar policy in the military called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and it went horribly. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell forced many LGBT soldiers to stay in the closet while a member of the armed forces, although it prohibited discrimination against homosexuality.  However, if their sexuality was discovered, even in a case of sexual assault, LGBT soldiers were removed from military service and left without any help. Trump’s Trans Ban reverses a decision made by the Pentagon last year to lift the ban on trans soldiers. In fact, the Pentagon’s statement at the time was “These Are the Kind of People We Want” Obama’s Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said “The Department of Defense needs to avail ourselves of all talent possible, in order to remain what we are now: the finest fighting force the world has ever known,” … We have to have access to 100 percent of America’s population for our all-volunteer force to be able to recruit from among them the most highly qualified, and to retain them.” Carter also noted, that transgender Americans are “already serving in uniform today.” Trump’s argument is that trans soldiers are just too expensive to employ because of their medical costs and the disruption. How disruptive are trans soldiers? Lets ask the vets!

• Are trans people actually that much more expensive to treat medically? Let’s ask a trans vet! 

•  Wait, what’s the “F-35” again? The Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet is the most expensive military project ever. The jets barely work, the project is almost 10 years behind schedule, and has cost tax payers over $163 billion in sunk costs The “medical expenses” Trump is referring to is the military’s new policy offering soldiers gender reassignment surgery.The policy was enacted in October 2016, and only provides soldiers with reassignment surgery if it is deemed a medical necessity. Chelsea Manning was a recipient of one of the first reassignment surgeries provided by the military. Call me crazy, but medicine’s probably a better thing to buy than a plane loaded with guns that doesn’t work. Many people are upset that the president would make such a discriminatory announcement. One of the greatest reactions came from Twitter  What do you think of Trump’s ban? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter at @WhatsTrending.

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