Trump restores Military ban on Transgender people

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Friday directed the Pentagon to extend indefinitely a ban o transgender individuals joining the military, but he appeared to leave open the possibility of allowing some already uniform to remain.


Trump gave Defense Secretary Jim Mattis authority to decide the matter of openly transgender individuals already serving, and he said the until the Pentagon chief makes the decision, "No action maybe taken against" them.

The Obama administration in June 2016 had changed longstanding policy, declaring that troops could serve openly as transgender individuals. And it set a July 2017 deadline for determining whether transgender people could be allowed to enter the military. Mattis delayed that to Jan 01,2018, and Trumps has now instructed Mattis to extend it indefinitely. 

But on the question of what will happen to those transgender individuals who already are serving openly- estimated to number in the low-hundreds. Trump seemed to leave wiggle room for exceptions. 

A White House Official who briefed reporters on the presidential order would not say whether Trump would permit any exceptions.

That Official, who spoke on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said Mattis has been directed to take a number of factors in consideration in determining how to deal with transgender individuals already serving. 


Those factor are to include broad measures such as " military effectiveness" budgetary constraints and " unit cohesion" as well as other factors Mattis deems "relevant". It was not clear whether that means it is possible for Mattis to come to the conclusion that some transgender troops should be allowed to remain. 

Trumps gave Mattis sixth months to come up with a policy on those currently serving, and he must implement it by March 23, 2018 , the official said. 

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