The Republican National Committee (RNC)
on Friday approved a resolution in support of President Donald
Trump's order to bar transgender individuals from serving in the U.S.
military.
In July, Trump tweeted his call for a
complete ban on transgender troops. Roughly a month later, the White
House issued guidance on implementing Trump's ban, in which Trump
claims that the Obama administration “failed to identity a
sufficient basis” to end the military ban – which was rolled back
in June, 2016 – and orders the Pentagon to reinstate the policy,
arguing that transgender people are a “disruption” to the
military.
According to the AP, the RNC approved
the resolution at its annual winter meeting held at Trump
International Hotel in Washington, D.C. The resolution supports
Trump's demand that being transgender is a “disqualifying
psychological and physical” condition for military service.
Judges in four cases challenging
Trump's ban have unanimously ruled against implementation of the
president's policy. One ruling required the Pentagon to allow
transgender people to enlist in the military starting January 1.
Democrats and LGBT rights groups
criticized passage of the resolution.
In a statement, the DNC called the
resolution “hateful.” “[It] only serves to subvert and further
demean hardworking men and women who want to serve their country in
the most honorable way they can,” the Democrats wrote.
“The RNC's statement is a disgusting
attack on thousands of brave transgender service members and the
armed services as a whole,” David Stacy, government affairs
director at HRC, said in a statement. “It goes against the expert
opinions of the medical and military communities in addition to
flying in the face of supportive statements offered by at least 20
Republican lawmakers. As every federal court ruling to date has
confirmed: this ban is unconstitutional. We will continue to fight
for, and win, the right of every qualified person to serve the
country they love.”