Biden Reverses Trump Era Ban on Transgender Military Members

Via AAN: 

The Biden Administration has now officially lifted a ban on transgender people serving in the military that was instituted under former President Trump.

Biden attempted to justify the executive order, signed by him today in the oval office, by claiming that it was not only the ‘right thing to do’ but also ‘the smart thing to do.’

As ABC News reports:
 

New Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley joined Biden at the signing Monday.

“I fully support the President’s direction that all transgender individuals who wish to serve in the United States military and can meet the appropriate standards shall be able to do so openly and free from discrimination,” Austin said in a statement.

“This is the right thing to do,” the statement continued. “It is also the smart thing to do.”

The controversial ban was announced by former President Donald Trump in 2017 through a tweet. It reversed an Obama administration policy that allowed open service by transgender people.

Under Biden’s new order, not only would transgender individuals be allowed to serve opening but they would also be allowed to serve as the gender they self-identify as. Meaning that a biological male who considers himself female would be allowed to serve as a female.

In addition, all ‘medically necessary’ sex change operations requested by transgender individuals would be covered by the military.