Trump cancels transgender in US military

By HAMDALAT OPEYEMI with Agency Report

President Donald Trump has rejected transgender individuals in the United States of America (USA) armed forces; emphasizing  the imperative to cut costs and properly focus the US military.

National Daily gathered that Trump had explained that after consultation with the generals and military experts in US, he resolved that ‘the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the US military”.

He maintained that the US “military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption,” adding that, “transgender in the military would not be accepted.”

It has been recalled that the Obama administration had in 2016 lifted the ban on transgender service members, giving the Pentagon one year to determine how to implement parts of the policy.

James Mattis, US Defence Secretary early this year, announced a six-month delay in the recruitment of transgender people.

At the time, Mattis said that the delay “in no way presupposes an outcome,” adding that he had determined that more time was needed to make a decision based on conversations with generals and other senior defence officials.

National Daily inquiry unveiled that the decision which followed the conversation was the outright rejection and cancellation of transgender in the US military.

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The National Centre for Transgender Equality called Trump’s announcement an “egregious attack” on the 15,000 transgender people currently serving in the US military.

“This is the worse than don’t ask don’t tell, this is don’t serve, don’t serve,” Mara Keisling, director of the National Centre for Transgender Equality, said in a statement.

“This is an appalling attack on our service members; it is about bigotry rather than military readiness, reason or science. It is indefensible and cannot stand.”

Others online were also quick to criticise Trump’s announcement, calling it “evil” and horrid”.