TRUMP SIGNS DIRECTIVE TO REINSTATE BAN ON TRANSGENDERS IN U.S. MILITARY
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
WASHINGTON — President Trump signed a directive on Friday instructing
Defense Secretary James Mattis to revert to the nation’s longstanding ban on
open “transgenders” in the U.S. military.
“In my judgment, the previous administration failed to
identify a sufficient basis to conclude that terminating the
departments’ longstanding policy and practice would not hinder military
effectiveness and lethality, disrupt unit cohesion, or tax military
resources, and there remain meaningful concerns that further study is
needed to ensure that continued implementation of last year’s policy
change would not have those negative effects,” he wrote in a memo posted to the White House website.
He therefore directed the Secretary of Defense and the
Secretary of Homeland Security to “return to the longstanding policy and
practice on military service by transgender individuals that was in
place prior to June 2016 until such time as a sufficient basis exists
upon which to conclude that terminating that policy and practice would
not have the negative effects discussed above.”
As previously reported,
Trump first announced his decision to reinstate the transgender service
ban on Twitter last month, advising that the Obama-era policy change is
a distraction and would place a burden on the finances of the Armed
Forces. The new policy included federal payment of the gender transition
treatments and procedures of transgender service members.
“After consultation with my generals and military experts,
please be advised that the United States government will not accept or
allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S.
military,” Trump tweeted.
“Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and
cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that
transgenders in the military would entail. Thank you.”
Defense Secretary James Mattis had just issued a statement on
June 30, outlining that the previous administration’s policy
implementation deadline of July 1 would be pushed back six months to
give additional time to determine whether or not allowing open
transgenders to serve would negatively affect military readiness.
Reaction to the matter has been mixed, with Christian and
conservative groups cheering the move and transgender advocates decrying
the policy reinstatement as a let-down.
“The president’s order to remove transgender service members
from the United States armed forces and deny them healthcare is nothing
less than a purge,” OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Matt Thorn
remarked in a statement.
“He is implementing this purge based on bigotry, motivated
by agents of an ideology that has no concern for the national defense,
and in blatant disregard of the experience of career officers who spent
more than a year developing and implementing the current policy,” he
asserted.
“Every cent spent on this politically-correct exercise is
money that could prepare our troops for war. Every second wasted in
‘transgender sensitivity training’ is time that could be spent on the
rifle range,” Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin, the vice president of Family
Research Council, also said.
“Every American should thank President Trump for boldly
prioritizing our military’s war-fighting capabilities by lifting this
unnecessary burden from those preparing and fighting to achieve
victory,” he opined.
In his memo, Trump directed that no action be taken against
those already serving in the military who have been diagnosed with
gender dysphoria, and those who have already been undergoing a gender
transition must be allowed to continue. Mattis must submit a plan by
Feb. 21 that includes information on how the Armed Forces will address
those existing service members.
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SEE ALSO:
https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/26781-president-issues-official-directive-banning-transgenders-from-military