WASHINGTON (ChurchMilitant.com) - President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday that so-called transgender people will not serve "in any capacity" in the U.S. military. The reason cited was "tremendous medical costs and disruption" that would be brought about by transgenders in the armed forces.
The announcement takes place after Adm. Mike Mullen, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, told Congress Tuesday to accept transgender service members: "I led our armed forces under the flawed 'Don't ask, Don't tell' policy and saw firsthand the harm to readiness and morale when we fail to treat all service members according to the same standards."
Church Militant reported at the end of June 2016 that the Pentagon would lift the ban on transgenders in service. Just last month, Church Militant reported that the U.S. military was struggling with implementation of the new policy. On July 14, The Republican-controlled house voted in favor funding for so-called sex change surgery for service members.
In late 2016, the U.S. Marine Corps became the last branch of the service to roll out guidelines for implementation of transgender service policy. The Marines' guidelines for "transitioning" Marines included requirements for meeting height and weight standards for the gender with which Marines identify. Church Militant also reported that the Navy was implementing transgender re-education.
President Trump in February stood against the transgender agenda by reversing Obama's transgender bathroom policy for public schools. This development comes as US states continue the battle over so called transgender bathrooms, the Texas Senate voting on a bill requiring use of the bathroom assigned to one’s biological sex.
The U.S. military ban on active and professed homosexuals, known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," was lifted in 2011 under Obama.