The White House has reportedly
developed a “guidance” policy for moving ahead with President
Donald Trump's ban on transgender troops.
In a series of tweets late last month,
Trump declared that the military will no longer “accept or allow”
transgender troops to serve “in any capacity.” The president
said that the ban was needed to avoid “tremendous medical costs and
disruption” posed by transgender people serving in the military.
According to various sources, the
administration's plan to implement his proposed ban cleared the
White House counsel's office on Friday. It is now expected to be
delivered to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
The policy – titled “A Guidance
Policy for Open Transgender Service Phase Out” – has yet to be
made public.
One source familiar with the document
told the
Washington
Blade that the plan would “encourage early retirement,
usher out any enlisted personnel after their contract is up, and
would fire trans officers up for promotion.”
“The administration wants to get rid
of transgender service members as fast as they can,” the source
said.
(Related: Dozens
of retired generals, admirals oppose Trump's ban on transgender
troops.)
Matthew F. Thorn, executive director of
OutServe SLDN, a group which supports LGBT service members, said that
Trump was conducting a “purge based on bigotry.”
“We recognize this purge for what it
is – a discriminatory attack on the people who have volunteered
their lives for the defense of the country,” Thorn said in a
statement. “It is arbitrary and capricious, a callous and
questionable exercise of constitutional authority which is beneath
the dignity of a Commander-in-Chief.”
“We condemn the actions of the White
House in initiating this purge. We condemn the disregard that the
President has shown to transgender men and women who wear the
uniform. We condemn the intent of any person who would make it the
mission of United States military to discriminate against the very
citizens they are charged to defend. And we condemn the indifference
of any elected official who does not now stand up for both military
personnel and the LGBT community by opposing this purge,” he said.
Thorn added that his group would
challenge the policy in federal court if implemented.