NEW YORK – GLAAD, the world’s LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today expressed outrage over President Donald Trump announcing a ban on transgender soldiers from openly serving in any capacity within the United States armed forces. This anti-LGBTQ policy, announced on Twitter, follows what was a six-month delay by the Department of Defense in implementing recruitment policies for transgender Americans who are willing to serve and protect the freedoms of the United States of America.

Further, this announcement is a complete reversal from a directive by the Obama Administration which lifted a ban on trans soldiers from openly serving in the military. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, there are over 15,000 transgender Americans currently serving in the United States armed forces.

“President Trump today issued a direct attack on transgender Americans, and his administration will stop at nothing to implement its anti-LGBTQ ideology within our government – even if it means denying some of our bravest Americans the right to serve and protect our nation,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. “Today further exposed President Trump’s overall goal to erase LGBTQ Americans from this nation. Trump has never been a friend to LGBTQ Americans, and this action couldn’t make that any more clear.”

According to reports by Foreign Policy, Vice President Mike Pence has worked quietly with members of the United States Congress to introduce three separate but identical amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would prevent the Pentagon from using government money to provide medical treatment related to gender transition. This would be a reversal of the Department of Defense’s year-old policy on covering medical procedures for transgender soldiers already bravely protecting the freedoms of the United States of America.

Today’s anti-LGBTQ announcement summarizes the full-scale attack on LGBTQ Americans by the Trump Administration. Since President Trump’s inauguration, the administration has stopped at nothing to erase LGBTQ acceptance from the federal government. This includes appointing the most anti-LGBTQ administration in recent memory, deleting any mention of “LGBTQ” from government websites, and rescinding guidance that protects transgender students at their schools. GLAAD has cataloged every anti-LGBTQ action by the Trump Administration under its Trump Accountability Project.

###