Amongst other Trump-era regulations, President Biden rolled back Trump’s infamous transgender military ban.
The military ban, in addition to being a form of blatant transphobia, came as a response to a debate about whether taxpayer dollars should cover gender affirming care for transgender service members. The Obama administration decided transgender individuals could openly serve in the military, and would have access to gender-affirming medical and psychological care. In addition to the ban being lifted, cases in which service members were discharged for their gender identity will be reexamined.
Trump initially called for the ban in July 2017, but it didn’t officially take place until January 2019. In August 2017, Trump had the audacity to say he was doing the military a great favor with this ban. At the time of the ban, current service members who had already received a diagnosis of gender dysphoria could continue serving identified as their preferred gender, and could receive hormone treatments and undergo gender-affirming surgery. After that, anyone with gender dysphoria who was taking hormones or had already undergone a gender transition would not be allowed to enlist, and any currently-serving troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria would have to serve as their assigned sex at birth and would be barred from taking hormones or getting gender-affirming surgery.
Biden rolling back this ban is a huge step for trans rights. Biden said, “What I’m doing is enabling all qualified Americans to serve their country in uniform.”
One of the major things that bothered me about the military ban was the blatant hypocrisy. It is constantly preached, especially by the conservatives who support this ban, that freedom isn’t free and to respect our troops — but what about our trans troops? Why do the people in uniform suddenly not deserve our respect due to their gender identity?
Nic Talbott said in an interview with The New York Times, “The only thing keeping me from serving my country is one word on my medical record.”
With the ban lifted, the path is cleared for transgender individuals to serve the United States proudly and openly.
Categories: Opinion
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