Attorneys general from 18 states and D.C. have written to a congressional committee to oppose President Trump’s proposed ban on transgender individuals in the Armed Forces.
The letter, sent to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, urges Congress to protect transgender service members through explicit language added to the National Defense Authorization Act, which is currently being debated.
The proposed language would prohibit discrimination against transgender individuals who are currently serving and reaffirms that they cannot be banned because of their gender identity.
“The policy announced by President Trump’s tweet undermines the national security goal of giving every able American who wants to serve in the military the opportunity to serve, creates untold bureaucratic and legal cost and complexities in implementation, and would put in place a policy that violates fundamental constitutional and American values,” they write.
“[W]hat is clear is that the President’s stated new ban reopens a closed issue, is contrary to advice provided by our military leadership, and is based on factual misstatements and discredited claims.”
In his tweet, Trump cited the “tremendous medical costs” associated with allowing transgender individuals to serve openly.
However, estimates from studies by the New England Journal of Medicine and the RAND Corporation have found that the cost of transition-related care for the estimated 15,000 transgender service members in the Armed Forces would be negligible, particularly in light of the military’s multi-billion dollar budget.
The attorneys general also point to a Department of Defense study that found that transgender service members do not harm unit cohesion or negatively impact military readiness, another claim made by President Trump and opponents of LGBTQ people serving openly in the military.
“The members of our Armed Forces put their lives on the line to protect freedom for all Americans. Thousands of transgender Americans serve in uniform today. This policy tells them, ‘You are not welcome here,'” the letter concludes. “The decision to oust honorable, well-trained, and patriotic service members based on nothing more than their gender identity is undiluted discrimination and therefore indefensible. We urge that this newly announced policy be immediately reversed.”
The letter was signed by attorneys general from Hawaii, New York, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington State, and Washington, D.C.
D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine issued his own statement touting his decision to sign onto the letter.
“Transgender men and women from the District, as well as thousands of others, have served bravely in our armed forces. They deserve honor and respect from the Commander-in-Chief,” Racine said. “When the President of the United States says dismissive and demeaning things about a vulnerable minority group, it has real — and negative — consequences for that group, and particularly for children who may be struggling with their gender identity.
“I’m proud that the District is one of the nation’s most welcoming jurisdictions for transgender people of all walks of life, and I pledge to continue working hard to ensure they get the protection and the respect they deserve.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has begun enforcing a new rule requiring airlines to ignore any "X" gender markers on passports and instead enter either "M" or "F" for all passengers.
Announced in a July 7 bulletin, CBP said the rule stems from an earlier executive order by former President Donald Trump aimed at eliminating recognition of transgender identities. The directive took effect on July 14, with airlines given 90 days to comply before full enforcement.
Now in effect, the rule has sparked widespread concern over how it will be implemented in practice.
At 56, I've seen plenty. Never, of course, have I seen the federal government so batshit bonkers, so desperate to assert itself into every nook and cranny of American life, from the critical to the comical. Take that, Colbert and Kimmel! Gotcha, plaque mentioning Transgender participation at the Stonewall Inn! We're gonna get you, sandwich guy!! We're deporting Bad Bunny! To… ahem… Puerto Rico?
What do you call this clinical level of desperation? Stephen Miller.
We've got masked federal goons playing tough in cities far and wide. Are these Proud Boys? Oath Keepers? Three Percenters? Quite likely, but who the hell knows? Aside from Kristi "Canine Killer" Noem, Tom (sub)Homan, and their colleagues, presumably.
Reports that the person who fatally shot conservative activist Charlie Kirk had left behind bullet casings engraved with phrases espousing "transgender ideology" have been debunked.
The rumor spread quickly after conservative commentator Steven Crowder posted to X on the morning of September 11 -- the day after the shooting -- claiming he had received an email from a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives officer describing such engravings.
Crowder shared what he said was an email from an ATF officer claiming investigators had recovered the weapon used in Kirk's killing, with one spent cartridge in the chamber and three rounds still in the magazine. The email further alleged the cartridges were engraved with "transgender and anti-fascist ideology."
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.