Pentagon Lifts Ban on Transgender Troops

June 30, 2016

Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter announced that starting today, transgender people will now be allowed to openly serve in the armed forces. "Effective immediately, transgender Americans may serve openly. Our mission is to defend this country, and we don’t want barriers unrelated to a person’s qualification to serve preventing us from recruiting or retaining the soldier, sailor, airman or Marine who can best accomplish the mission,” Carter said. That means trans troops can no longer be discharged from the military.

According to a RAND Corporation study that was commissioned by the military, there are around 2,450 transgender service members on active duty, out of 1.3 million total active duty, and 1,510 in the Reserves.

Until now, trans troops were not eligible for promotion and had to get medical care outside of the system as well as pay for it themselves. When referring to them, their colleagues were required to use the gender assigned at birth.

While the plan will be implemented starting today, full implementation will happen over the next year.

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Washington Post