Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the US military has sparked a fight over equality and human rights in the US.
US President Donald Trump in a meeting with governors at the White House on February 21 – Photo: AFP
On January 27, President Trump issued an executive order banning transgender people from joining and serving in the US military, causing a wave of controversy and fierce struggle in this community.
“A man identifying as a woman is inconsistent with the humility and compassion expected of a soldier,” Mr. Trump declared.
LGBTQ+ organizations have since begun filing lawsuits against the executive order, with a legal challenge filed by LGBTQ+ rights group GLAD Law and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR).
In addition, the American Civil Liberties Union has announced that it will mobilize its network to fight against these directives.
New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim said the order is an insult to the courage and dedication of transgender service members .
There are currently about 1.3 million active-duty members of the US military , of which up to 15,000 are transgender. The majority of them are special operators, pilots and doctors.
“We are as capable as anyone and we are not going anywhere,” Reuters quoted Patricia King, a retired infantry officer who served 20 years in the US military.
Bloomberg quoted an unnamed protester as saying: ” President Trump ‘s order has broken the trust of transgender service members who have trusted in the government’s promise that they can serve the country equally with others.”
“This ban is an unjustified and prejudicial attack on service members who risk their lives to serve their country. It clearly violates the right to equality under the Fifth Amendment,” this person analyzed.
People protest against the Trump administration’s executive orders restricting transgender rights at the Stonewall National Memorial, New York – Photo: REUTERS
Not only the transgender community serving in the military, Mr. Trump also signed an executive order to eliminate “transgender ideology” for competitive athletes, school sports and in the medical field (restricting policies supporting gender transition for people under 19 years old).
Mr. Trump announced that the US government’s policy will only recognize two genders, male and female, ending the third gender option.
Mr Trump’s order has been criticised, with some organisations calling it a “cruel attack on transgender people”.
Legal battles are still ongoing despite the ban from Mr. Trump.
