On Wednesday, the Pentagon announced that Trump-era restrictions on transgender people serving in the U.S. military have been lifted.
According to NBC News, the announcement comes following a two-month review aimed at helping Pentagon officials develop new military guidelines after President Joe Biden reversed Trump’s policy in his first week in office.
The Pentagon press secretary told reports that the new policy allows transgender people to serve openly in the military according to their chosen gender identity. Access to medical treatments for gender transitions will also be made available.
Kirby also noted that the new Pentagon transgender policy goes back to before Trump banned transgender people from serving in the military in 2017.
Llyod Austin, a former U.S. Army four-star general and current Secretary of Defense, ordered the department to look over records of troops who were discharged or denied the opportunity to re-enlist because of Trump’s ban on transgender soldiers. “The secretary of defense strongly believes that the all-volunteer force thrives when it is composed of diverse Americans who can meet the high standards for military service,” Kirby said, adding that an “inclusive force” strengthens U.S. national security.
The new policies titled In-Service Transition For Transgender Service Teams are based “on the conclusion that open service by transgender persons who are subject to the same high standards and procedures as other Service members with regard to medical fitness for duty, physical fitness, uniform and grooming standards, deployability, and retention is consistent with military service and readiness.”
Wednesday’s announcement coincides with Biden's proclamation deeming March 31 Transgender Day of Visibility.
“Vice President Harris and I affirm that transgender Americans make our Nation more prosperous, vibrant, and strong,” Biden said in the proclamation. “I urge my fellow Americans to join us in uplifting the worth and dignity of every transgender person.”
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Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
