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Topics: LGBTQ, Transgender, US News, Military
Joe Yates
Topics: LGBTQ, Transgender, US News, Military
The future for transgender people in the military is looking uncertain as newly sworn in president Donald Trump continues his tirade against the far-left.
The 78-year-old has wasted no time in signed off a wide range of executive orders in the seven days since he moved his stuff back into the White House for his second term.
And among those orders, the Republican leader is set to sign an order canceling former POTUS Joe Biden's instruction from 2021 that allowed transgender people to serve openly in the military.
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Trump is expected to sign two more executive orders today (January 27) which will prohibit the trans community from serving in the US armed forces, as well as axing Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs from the military.
One of the orders will detail new military standards regarding gender pronouns, as well as mental and physical readiness that will see transgender people be banned from the military.
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Brock Stone has been fighting tirelessly for more than 15 years against those who wish to harm the US, but after all his efforts, he could be facing an exile from the military.
"I went to Afghanistan. I did all these things. I mean, what does that tell me? That tells me I'm not welcome," Stone told ABC News Live back in 2021.
"That tells me that I am not respected as myself."
Yes, this soon-to-be new executive order isn't as new as you'd think. Back in 2017, Trump sidelined all transgender people from fighting for their country.
Stone is a cryptologic technician who speaks three languages, and his work is to decipher foreign intelligence and analyze electronic threats.
"All the adversaries you hear about in the news are always out to get us. Not all those people speak English, and that's where I come in," Stone explained.
CNN was able to speak with two White House officials who had seen the documents.
Citing a fact sheet, one of them told the outlet: "It can take a minimum of 12 months for an individual to complete treatments after transition surgery, which often involves the use of heavy narcotics.
"During this period, they are not physically capable of meeting military readiness requirements and require ongoing medical care. This is not conducive for deployment or other readiness requirements."
As of 2018, it was estimated that 14,000 transgender service members were employed by the US military, according to the Palm Center.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT national hotline at 888-843-4564, available Monday to Friday 4pm-12am ET and 12pm-5pm ET on Saturdays.