Defense Department lifts transgender ban

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Transgender servicemen and women and serve openly.
Transgender servicemen and women and serve openly.
The U.S. military today ended its ban on transgender service members.

    Transgender members may serve openly and will no longer be “involuntarily separated, discharged or denied reenlistment solely on the basis of gender identity,” a U.S. Department of Defense press release said.
    “In taking these steps, we’re eliminating policies that can result in transgender members being treated differently from their peers based solely upon their gender identity rather than upon their ability to serve,” said Defense Secretary Ashton Carter during a televised news conference. “And we’re confirming that going forward we will apply the same general principles, standards and procedures to transgender service members as we do to all service members.”
    The department announced that it would issue a training handbook for commanders, transgender service members and others. A timeline will guide the military's transition to the new inclusive policies.
     For example, a year from now, in July 2017, when training is complete, the military will begin assessing transgender applicants who meet all standards, "holding them to the same physical and mental fitness standards as everyone else who wants to join the military,” the news release said. Before entering the military, transgender service members must have been “stable in their preferred gender” for 18 months and completed medical treatment connected with gender transition.
    Transgender service members will be responsible for meeting military standards in their preferred gender. They will use berthing, bathroom and shower facilities associated with their gender.
    Carter said that the first and fundamental reason for the change in policy was that the military must retain "all talent possible in order to remain what we are now, the finest fighting force the world has ever known.”
    An estimated 2,500 out of 1.3 million active duty service members and 1,500 out of 825,000 reserve service members are transgender, Carter said.
    Transgender service members must currently go outside of the military medical system to get treatment judged necessary, he added. Now, the military’s health system will be required to provide them with medically necessary care related to gender transition.

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