In July 2016 the U.S. formally opened up the military to transgender individuals. In 2017, Trump reversed Obama’s policy. He claimed it was a waste of resources and would affect combat readiness, despite multiple retired top officials blasting the ban as cruel political point-scoring.
Just days into his term, President Joe Biden signed an executive order overturning a Trump administration ban on transgender individuals serving in the military.
Gina Duncan, director of transgender equality for the statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization Equality Florida, told the Orlando Sentinel that her agency was ‘thrilled to have allies at the highest level of government.’
She pointed out that the Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has recently banned transgender girls from taking part in women’s sport.
‘In a moment of fierce state and local backlash against the transgender community, this move by the Biden administration is a reminder that elections matter,’ Duncan said.
‘Support for transgender veterans and the lifesaving health care they need to live authentically is a critical component to fulfilling our nation’s promise of caring for those who’ve served.’
The military has fallen.