From Politico, inside Trump’s snap decision to ban transgender troops: A congressional fight over sex reassignment surgery threatened funding for his border wall. It looks like the president just banned thousands of transgender troops without coordinating with the Defense Department; the White House also didn't offer the Senate Armed Services Committee a heads-up, either. From RAND, a special report on Assessing the Implications of Allowing Transgender Personnel to Serve Openly. Trump says allowing transgender military service would hurt combat readiness; actual research says nope. The military spends five times as much on Viagra as it would on transgender troops’ medical care.
One military that has no problem with transgender soldiers: Israel’s. A history lesson for Trump: Transgender soldiers served in the Civil War. Trump’s ban on transgender troops is reckless, misguided, and, frankly, pretty dumb. How Congress could overrule Trump’s military transgender ban. Why Trump’s ban on transgender servicepeople is flatly unconstitutional. Why Trump’s transgender military ban is destined to fail.
From Buzzfeed, Navy SEAL veteran Kristin Beck has a message for Trump; and meet Monica Helms, the transgender veteran who created the trans pride flag. Check out this bipartisan hate for Trump’s trans ban. “If Secretary Mattis does not condemn this — loudly, forcefully, unequivocally — his silence will be to his eternal shame”. Trump administration worried president burning through minority scapegoats at unsustainable rate. “First they came for”: All the targets of Trump’s ire must push back with a united front before it is too late.
