Trump Attacks Transgender Service Members
ST PETERSBURG, FL — Earlier today, President Trump tweeted that transgender individuals will no longer be able to serve “in any capacity” in the U.S. Military.
Equality Florida’s Director of Transgender Equality Gina Duncan offers the following statement:
“On Wednesday, President Trump said he would ban transgender people from military service. It is alarming, unacceptable, and dangerous for the President of the United States to openly discriminate against transgender servicemembers stationed around the world who willingly serve their country. By “tweeting” that transgender people will not be allowed to serve “in any capacity” in the US Military, this President is attacking thousands of brave and honorable transgender servicemembers and veterans and sending a message to all transgender people that they are unfit to serve our country simply because of who they are.
Furthermore, it is especially heinous that this harmful position is being communicated via a tweet. Currently, there are over 15,000 openly transgender people proudly serving in our military. This morning, those 15,000 patriotic transgender people woke up to learn that their Commander-in-Chief called them a "burden" and a "disruption" via a string of tweets.Countless trans people have bravely fought and died for our country, while Trump received five deferments from the Vietnam war draft. The contrast could not be more striking.
