November 25th 2024.
According to some sources, it has been reported that the newly elected President, Donald Trump, is planning to remove all transgender individuals from the US Army, even as tensions rise about the possibility of World War III. It is said that he may sign an executive order on his first day in office, which is January 20th.
It is estimated that there are currently around 15,000 transgender individuals serving in the US Army. This order would prevent any further enlistments of transgender individuals and would also discharge all current transgender soldiers, regardless of their years of service. They would be given a special medical discharge that would declare them unfit for service, as reported by insiders to The Times.
One source stated, "These individuals will be forced out at a time when the military is struggling to recruit enough personnel. Even some of our most senior members will be affected by this decision, as only the Marine Corps is meeting their recruitment numbers."
For the LGBTQ+ community, this may feel like a case of history repeating itself. Trump previously banned transgender individuals from serving during his first term in 2019, only for President Joe Biden to reverse the policy when he took office. Transgender individuals have faced discrimination in the military for decades, with a brief period of being allowed to serve between 2016 and 2019 under certain conditions.
However, Trump's policy has been compared to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that previously prevented queer individuals from enlisting in the military. His ban prohibited individuals who had undergone gender-affirming surgery or had a history of gender dysphoria from serving. This meant that transgender individuals would have to hide their true identities in order to serve, unable to wear the uniforms, use the bathrooms, or sleep in the barracks that align with their gender.
Trump had previously justified the need for this policy in 2017, citing "tremendous medical costs and disruption". However, the recruitment rates for the US Army have remained stagnant for years, even with the increased geopolitical tension. Only 1% of Americans serve in the military, and experts attribute this to a lack of awareness, unqualified young individuals, and a competitive labor market.
Now, with the possibility of 15,000 transgender individuals being removed from the military, there are concerns about the army's ability to defend the country. This comes at a time when tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to escalate, with Biden's approval of Ukraine to use American long-range missiles being criticized by Trump's allies. Some have even accused Biden of "triggering World War III" by taking this action.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
