Summary
Donald Trump plans to ban transgender individuals from military service shortly after his inauguration, reversing President Biden’s 2021 policy and expelling about 15,000 serving trans troops.
Critics, including advocacy groups and military experts, warn this move will exacerbate recruitment and retention challenges, harm unit cohesion, and create skill gaps amid existing shortfalls.
The order aligns with Trump’s broader anti-trans agenda, which includes banning gender-affirming care and restricting trans rights nationwide.
Legal challenges are anticipated as the military faces administrative and operational disruptions.
I got out in 2017 partially because I’m trans and Trump was coming into the oval office. He had made it clear that trans people would not be welcome in his military, and I wasn’t going to risk being discharged because of President Bone Spurs.
The military held him off last time, but I’m not as hopeful this time. And I just wanted to throw out there: I personally believe the GOP is going to use federal funding to essentially strip LGBTQ+ people of their rights and healthcare access. It’s going to be the Minimum Federal Drinking Age Act of 1984 again, where the fed is gonna say, “Sure, you can offer gender affirming care in your state… If you do, you won’t have access to XYZ federal funding anymore.”
And the states will let it happen.
For anyone with any doubt about OP’s comment, here’s the current landscape for specifically anti-trans bills:
668 bills considered just this year. 1200 in the past two years. 84 national bills proposed this year. Tell me any minority in the history of the earth that has had this much legislation levied against them.
Next year the Republicans will be able to pass these bills carte blanche. It’s looking bleak out there y’all
