Trump’s transgender military ban: 13,700 could lose their jobs from today

Donald Trump’s ban on transgender military service people takes effect from today, jeopardising the livelihood of thousands.

Almost two years after Trump first announced his much-maligned policy on Twitter, legislation banning trans people from openly serving in the military has been enacted.

According to the Palm Center, about 13,700 people will lose their jobs as a result.

“The military is the largest employer in the nation and, as the USTS found, transgender people are twice as likely to have served in the Armed Forces as the general population,” Gillian Bransetter, media relations manager for the National Center for Transgender Equality, told Advocate.

The 2015 US Trans Survey (USTS) found that 18 per cent of all trans people have served in the military, which is thought to be the single largest employer of trans people today.

When does the transgender military ban begin?

Trump first announced the ban in a series of tweets on July 26, 2017.

“After consultation with my generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the US military,” he wrote.

“Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.”

“We cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.”

—Donald Trump

The White House formally announced the policy in March 2018, which was blocked by a series of four injunctions.

In January 2019, the first injunction was lifted by an appeals court in Washington DC, with the Supreme Court removing a further two (from California and Washington state) in the same month.

On March 27 the final hurdle was lifted, paving the way for the ban to be enforced from Friday (April 12).