Transgender Troops Ban (AUDIO)

Since the Trump administration’s ban on transgender service members has been temporarily blocked by four federal courts we still haven’t heard about what the Department of Defense will do as we reach today’s February 21st deadline to reinstate a full ban on transgender troops. Aaron Belkin Palm Center Director sated, “On Aug. 25, 2017 President Trump directed Defense Secretary Mattis to reinstate a full ban on transgender troops, setting a Feb. 21, 2018 deadline for an implementation plan. As Sec. Mattis prepares to release the road map for implementing President Trump’s ban he should keep in mind that four federal courts have blocked the ban from going into effect & have ruled that the only constitutional option is to apply the same standards to every service member, meaning that troops who are fit for duty can serve. Applying a single standard to all service members is not only the sole legal option, but is the best way to promote military readiness. Transgender troops have been serving openly in the U.S. military for nearly two years & have been widely praised by commanders. All available research, including the military’s own extensive study of the issue & the results of a thorough study by the RAND Corporation, indicates that inclusive policy promotes readiness by ensuring equal treatment & drawing on all available talent. Eighteen foreign militaries allow transgender troops to serve openly & none have reported any compromise to readiness. The Trump administration should not politicize the evidence to score political points with its anti-LGBT base.” Last Summer in this exclusive podcast I talked to Matt Thorn, President & CEO of OutServe-SLDN about this crucial issue. LISTEN
For More Info: outserve-sldn.org
Listen: Mariah Hanson Talks The Dinah 2018 Empowering Women