Republican Senator John McCain has spoken out against President Trump’s ban on transgender service people—which is now official policy.
McCain has released a statement saying that transgender people currently serving in the US armed forces should not be turned away because of their gender identity.
"It would be a step in the wrong direction to force currently serving transgender individuals to leave the military solely on the basis of their gender identity rather than medical and readiness standards that should always be at the heart of Department of Defense personnel policy," McCain said.
"The Pentagon’s ongoing study on this issue should be completed before any decisions are made with regard to accession.
“The Senate Armed Services Committee will continue to conduct oversight on this important issue," he added.
President Trump signed an official memorandum on Friday that criticises the Obama administration’s order to allow transgender people to serve openly.
“In my judgment, the previous Administration failed to identify a sufficient basis to conclude that terminating the Departments' longstanding policy and practice would not hinder military effectiveness and lethality, disrupt unit cohesion, or tax military resources, and there remain meaningful concerns that further study is needed to ensure that continued implementation of last year's policy change would not have those negative effects,” the memo reads.
US Senator Tammy Duckworth—who lost both her legs while serving in Afghanistan—has also criticised the ban.
“When I was bleeding to death in my Black Hawk helicopter after I was shot down, I didn’t care if the American troops risking their lives to help save me were gay, straight, transgender, black, white or brown,” Duckworth said in a statement.
“All that mattered was that they didn’t leave me behind.
“If you are willing to risk your life for our country and you can do the job, you should be able to serve—no matter your gender identity or sexual orientation.
“Anything else is not just discriminatory, it is disruptive to our military and it is counterproductive to our national security,” Duckworth wrote.
