Trump transgender military ban: 14,700 jobs at risk as controversial policy comes into effect

Transgender military personnel must serve as their ‘birth gender’ for the duration of their service

(AFP)

Today, as President Trump’s transgender military ban takes effect, 14,700 people may lose their jobs because of their gender identity.

First announced via a series of tweets in 2017, President Trump said, “Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.”

As reported by the Palm Center, there are 8,980 transgender service people in active duty and 5,727 in the Selective Reserve.

The ban, which has been widely contested by LGBTQ+ groups and previously blocked from implementation by a federal judge, will potentially remove transgender individuals from service if there is a history of gender dysphoria and they are unable to prove ‘stability in birth gender’ for 36 months prior to enlistment or have had prior gender transitioning.

Transgender military personnel must serve as their ‘birth gender’ for the duration of their service.

There is limited exception for currently serving transgender soldiers who require gender confirmation surgery for the “protection of their health”, covering only about 900 service members.

Trump’s plan will allow transgender military members who agree to serve as their birth gender for the rest of their tenure, without medical support for gender dysphoria, to remain in the military.

The Navy has announced that off-duty transgender soldiers may live, and dress, in a way consistent with their gender identity.

Former Navy Seal and transgender woman, Kristin Beck, used Twitter to advocate for her fellow trans service members.

She said, in a series of tweets, “I’m not sure who fights for us. Our nation is adrift in a political war of Right vs Left and the military is a PAWN.” She continues, “FACT: ‘The AMA has said repeatedly that there is no medically valid reason to exclude transgender individuals from military service.’ So this “Blanket” ban is based on FEAR... of what?”