President Joe Biden signed an executive order that set a policy of including all qualified Americans to serve in the US military, effectively overturning a ban on transgender persons introduced by the former Trump administration, the White House said on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2021) President Joe Biden signed an executive order that set a policy of including all qualified Americans to serve in the US military, effectively overturning a ban on transgender persons introduced by the former Trump administration, the White House said on Monday.
"President Biden signed today an Executive Order that sets the policy that all Americans who are qualified to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States should be able to serve," the White House said. "President Biden believes that gender identity should not be a bar to military service, and that America's strength is found in its diversity."
Transgender people were officially allowed to serve in the military by the Obama administration in 2016. However, in 2017 former President Donald Trump said transgender individuals would not be allowed to serve in any capacity in the US military.
Trump explained he introduced the ban because the military could not be burdened with the tremendous medical costs of transgender persons undergoing sex change operations.
