The White House on Friday announced a policy to ban mosttransgender people from serving in the US military.
Following a Pentagon policy review after a tweet byPresident Donald Trump last year, the White House said the policy will say"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 serviceexcept under certain limited circumstances."
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in astatement that Trump had rescinded his previous policy to allow this new policyto take its place.
The new policy, according to Sanders, was "developedthrough extensive study by senior uniformed and civilian leaders, includingcombat veterans," under the direction of Defense Secretary James Mattis.
According to a Pentagon memo about the policy, exceptions tothe ban include people who have been "stable for 36 consecutive months intheir biological sex prior to accession," servicemembers who "do notrequire a change of gender" and troops who started serving under the Obamaadministration's policy prior to the new memo.
"This new policy will enable the military to applywell-established mental and physical health standards -- including thoseregarding the use of medical drugs -- equally to all individuals who want tojoin and fight for the best military force the world has ever seen,"Sanders said.
After Trump initially tweeted his announcement of a ban,transgender troops took the policy to court, which halted its implementation.
The Pentagon "will still comply with federal courtrulings and continue to assess and retain transgender service members," USArmy Maj. Dave Eastburn, a Pentagon spokesman, has told CNN.
In February, the Pentagon confirmed to CNN that the firsttransgender person had signed a contract to join the US military following afederal judge's ruling that said the military would have to accept transgenderpeople.
LGBT advocacy groups pushed back against the new policy,calling it a discriminatory attack on those who have volunteered their livesfor the country.
"The Trump-Pence administration's continued insistenceon targeting our military families for discrimination is appalling, reckless,and unpatriotic," said Ashley Broadway-Mack, president of the AmericanMilitary Partner Association and spouse of an active duty Army officer.
Senior staff attorney for the ACLU Joshua Block said,"What the White House has released tonight is transphobia masquerading aspolicy. This policy is not based on an evaluation of new evidence. It isreverse-engineered for the sole purpose of carrying out President Trump'sreckless and unconstitutional ban, undermining the ability of transgenderservice members to serve openly and military readiness as a whole."
(Published by CNN - March, 23, 2018)