Don't Ban Transgender Troops!

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The recent announcement on Twitter by President Trump that "the United States government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military \[1\]" is an insult to all of the brave transgender individuals currently serving in the military with honor and courage. It is, in fact, discrimination of the worst kind and must not become actual U.S. policy.

The road to diversity and inclusion in the military has been long and hard \[2\], and just as we were beginning to see the signs of military finally becoming a place of equality – with women and the LGBT community finally being able to serve openly and proudly – this idea of banning people from serving their country because of their gender identity is an enormous step backward.

There are many other countries that allow transgender individuals to serve openly in their military units \[3\], and those service members do so proudly and courageously. If Trump's proposal to ban people from the military who willingly want to serve their country would be put in place, it would affect thousands of current active-duty service members and untold future military recruits \[4\].

President Trump needs to change his decision about transgender individuals serving in the military, and the Secretary of Defense, the Joints Chiefs of Staff, and other military officials \[5\] need to step up and be a voice for these service members who are now being discriminated against. Our military strength relies on its cohesiveness, but that falls apart if we have bias and prejudice instead of inclusion and tolerance.

**Sign the Petition and tell President Trump that transgender troops are a good thing, and no one who wants to serve should be banned from serving in the military! End the discrimination now!**