Donald Trump bars most transgenders from US military
March 24, 2018
US President Donald Trump has moved ahead with his plan to ban most transgenders from serving in the military, with limited exceptions, following up on a proposal he called for last year.
The White House issued a memorandum on Friday night on policies determined by Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, stating that transgenders were “disqualified from military service except under limited circumstances”, The Hill magazine reported.
The memorandum, filed in the US District Court in Seattle, stated that “transgender persons with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria — individuals who the policies state may require substantial medical treatment, including medications and surgery — are disqualified from military service except under certain limited circumstances”.
According to a Pentagon memo about the policy, exceptions to the ban included people who have been “stable for 36 consecutive months in their biological sex prior to accession”, servicemembers who “do not require a change of gender” and troops who started serving under the Obama administration’s policy prior to the new memo.
Mattis will have some leeway in implementing the policy, the memo stated, as will Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen when it comes to the Coast Guard.
The two top officials “may exercise their authority to implement any appropriate policies concerning military service by transgender individuals”, it said.(Agencies)