Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Pentagon signs directive to push Trump's transgender military ban

You do not treat soldiers the way the Trump Administration has treated our transgender troops

The Trump Administration just announced the new guidelines to ban transgender men and women from serving in the military. The Pentagon claims that this is not a ban. Whatever it is labeled, this is still some mess and not the way to treat people who fight for your freedoms.

The Pentagon announced Tuesday night that a directive has been signed to implement President Trump's policy barring most transgender people from serving in the military.
Under the policy, transgender people would have to serve in the gender they were assigned at birth. Service secretaries would be allowed to grant waivers on a case-by-case basis. The policy will go into effective in 30 days, according to the memo signed by acting Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist. The directive is being issued after a court last week lifted the last of the orders preventing the transgender military policy from taking effect. 
A federal judge in Maryland ruled he had no choice but to lift the injunction after the Supreme Court in February ruled 5-4 to lift two other holds. The Trump administration said it planned to move forward with the policy following the judge's ruling last week. Still, advocates for transgender troops have argued the Pentagon is still constrained by a fourth injunction, pointing to a stipulation in the order that allows for a period of time for the plaintiff to decide whether they want a rehearing in front of the court’s full bench. That 21-day period, though, ends before the memo signed Tuesday says the new policy takes effect. 
 . . . The Pentagon denies the Mattis policy is a ban, but advocates argue it effectively is, comparing it to the defunct “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy for gay, lesbian and bisexual service members.

You can read more here and check out the links below about those who "crafted" and then pushed this hot mess. It is not over by any means:

Don't forget what Mike Pence and the religious right are doing to transgender soldiers

Family Research Council exposes own lie about cost worries in latest attack on trans soldiers

'Trump invites anti-LGBTQ Brazilian president to the White House' & other Tue midday news briefs

Trump send another negative message to the LGBTQ community.

Trump Invites Homophobic Brazilian President to White House - Trump slaps the LGBTQ community in the face again.

South Carolina school rejects 4th grader’s essay supporting LGBTQ rights - Unbelievably homophobic crap from my state, unfortunately. 

The LGBTQ Equality Act heads back to Capitol Hill, this time with massive corporate support - Keep your fingers crossed, although extremely problematic. 

Iowa Supreme Court sides with two trans women fighting for Medicaid coverage - Wonderful news! 

Seth Owen: Gay teen shunned by Florida parents starts college fund for others - Several days old but still a wonderful story.