News Update
THE incoming government of President-elect Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order in 56 days that would remove all transgender members from the United States military, Daily Mail reports.
It was reported on Monday that state officials had stated transgender personnel would be discharged on medical grounds, deeming them “unfit” to serve.
During Trump’s first term as president, he introduced a similar policy that prohibited transgender individuals from joining the armed forces while allowing those already enlisted to remain in their roles.
After Trump left office, President Joe Biden overturned the military ban in his first week as president in 2021, issuing an executive order to restore transgender individuals’ right to serve openly.
However, with Trump’s potential return to the White House, transgender rights in the US may face renewed challenges.
The current proposal, as reported, would extend to removing all transgender service members, regardless of their current status.
If signed in less than two months, Trump’s new directive could be broader and more contentious than the policy he implemented during his first term.
Reports indicate that approximately 15,000 transgender individuals are actively serving in the US military.
This is coming in the same week as moves by the US Congress to stop the first transgender lawmaker from using female restrooms and bathrooms in her new workplace.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed his support last Wednesday for the policy, which disregards transgender ideologies in the legislative arm.
“All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings—such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms—are reserved for individuals of that biological sex,” Johnson said in a statement.
“It is important to note that each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol. Women deserve women’s-only spaces,” he added.
The move to prevent McBride from using the women’s facilities in the House was first initiated by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who on Monday introduced a resolution to ban trans women from using women’s bathrooms inside the complex.
Mace said the resolution was “absolutely” in response to McBride, a Delaware Democrat, being elected to the House.
She took her anti-trans crusade even further on Wednesday, announcing a bill to ban trans people from using bathrooms that align with their gender in all federal buildings across the country. Neither of the resolutions has been brought to a House vote.
Reacting in a press statement issued on Instagram on Tuesday, Sarah McBride said she would follow the rules agreed upon by her co-lawmakers.