Donald Trump Bans Transgender Individuals from Joining the U.S. Military

The President of the United States intends to prohibit the entry of transgender individuals in any position or responsibility within the armed forces, stating that their inclusion would incur "heavy medical costs and cause disruptions." According to the Associated Press, Donald Trump announced this on Wednesday morning, August 4, via a Twitter message but did not clarify the status of transgender individuals currently serving in the military. In part of his message, he wrote that after consulting with "generals and military experts," the government "will not accept that transgender individuals serve in any position or responsibility in the military." He added, "Our armed forces must focus on decisive and effective victories and should not be burdened by the heavy medical costs and disruptions caused by transgender individuals." According to information provided by several defense officials, approximately 250 transgender individuals are currently undergoing treatment and transitioning to their desired gender within the armed forces, or their gender change has been approved under the Department of Defense's hiring regulations. Since last year, when then-Defense Secretary Ashton Carter lifted the ban on accepting transgender individuals into the military, they have been allowed to serve openly and freely. As of October 1 of last year, medical facilities have been made available to these personnel, and they have been permitted to change their gender within the framework of the Department of Defense's hiring regulations. Ashton Carter also allowed the armed forces until July 1 of this year to establish specific policies for individuals considered transgender, provided that these individuals meet the physical and medical requirements for joining the armed forces and have maintained a stable gender status for at least 18 months. Recently, military commanders announced that the acceptance of transgender individuals would be postponed. The main points of discussion are whether transgender individuals currently in the armed forces have medical issues or other considerations that prevent their full activity or compliance with the physical and medical requirements of military personnel. According to U.S. defense officials, military commanders also want to review how to handle these individuals and determine whether they have faced discrimination or have had disciplinary issues. These officials cannot discuss the details of decision-making and the results of internal Department of Defense reviews and preferred to remain anonymous in the report. It was expected that starting this year, those transgender individuals who have maintained a "stable" gender status for at least 18 months would be able to join the armed forces. Last month, Defense Secretary James Mattis approved a six-month delay in accepting transgender individuals into the armed forces. The approval of these regulations has raised concerns among activists and advocates for transgender rights. The former U.S. Defense Secretary had previously stated, citing research from the RAND Corporation, that approximately 2,500 transgender individuals are part of the active personnel of the U.S. armed forces, and among the reserve forces, about 1,500 of these individuals have been counted.