Today, President Biden signed an executive order to reverse Trump’s transgender military ban in yet another win for equality. With Biden’s policy, trans people are able to openly serve in the United States military.
According to CNN, Biden stated, “This is reinstating a position that the previous commanders, as well as the secretaries, have supported. And what I’m doing is enabling all qualified Americans to serve their country in uniform.”
The ban on transgender people serving in the military was just one of Trump’s many homophobic and anti-LGBTQ actions. Most notable was Trump’s choice for Vice President, Mike Pence, who has a long history with fanatical evangelicalism and homophobia.
LGBTQ rights groups are praising Biden’s move. Erin Uritus, the CEO of Out & Equal, stated, “This is a huge step towards full equality for the LGBTQ community and serves to make us stronger as a nation. It will allow transgender Americans who choose to serve to do so freely, safely, and honorably.”
The ACLU also praised the move and went further by saying they hope this is the first in a long line of equality-driven policies from the new administration. The organization stated that this “is the first of many essential steps to not only roll back the many discriminatory policies from the Trump administration but go further than any previous administration in fully recognizing transgender and non-binary people.”
