Trump Tweets that Trans People will be Banned from Military
Addison Herron-Wheeler is OUT FRONT's co-publisher and editor-in-chief and friend…
Early this morning, Donald Trump announced through a series of tweets that transgender individuals will no longer be allowed to openly serve in the military.
After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
….Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
….victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
The tweeted announcement came as a surprise to everyone, and has already elicited a fair amount of outrage. There has already been some debate about whether the military should continue to help trans people with healthcare bills related to transitional expenses, but this extreme stance seems to have taken even those at the Pentagon by surprise.
Many are upset about this recent turn of events, not only because of the blow to transgender military members, but because it is not supported by existing data and fact. A study carried out by the Rand Corporation stated that allowing people to serve in the military would “have minimal impact on readiness and health care costs.”
“Using private health insurance claims data to estimate the cost of extending gender transition–related health care coverage to transgender personnel indicated that active-component health care costs would increase by between $2.4 million and $8.4 million annually, representing a 0.04- to 0.13-percent increase in active-component health care expenditures,” the study states. This does not represent a significant increase in healthcare costs.
Many have vowed to fight Trump’s abrupt Twitter announcement, and predict that he will likely end up in court facing off against those who oppose him.
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Addison Herron-Wheeler is OUT FRONT's co-publisher and editor-in-chief and friend to dogs everywhere. She enjoys long walks in the darkness away from any sources of sunlight, rainy days, and painfully dry comedy. She also covers cannabis and heavy metal, and is author of Wicked Woman: Women in Metal from the 1960s to Now and Respirator, a short story collection.