President Joe Biden will reverse Trump’s transgender military ban soon (Picture: Getty)
President Joe Biden will reverse Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the US military.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki made the announcement this afternoon and said Biden will reverse the draconian law ‘in the coming days and weeks’.
Former US president Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the US army was approved by the Supreme Court in January 2019
The controversial new law came into effect in April the same year and meant that anyone with gender dysphoria who is taking hormones or has already undergone a gender transition was not be allowed to enlist in the US military.
On July 26, 2017, after a series of tweets by President Donald Trump which proposed to ban transgender people from military service, thousands of New Yorkers took the streets of in opposition (Picture: Getty Images)
Joe Biden will undo a number of Trump’s policies during his first day in office (Picture: AP)
The Department of Defense said that transgender individuals currently serving may continue to serve in their preferred gender, receive hormone treatments and undergo necessary surgeries despite Trump’s ruling.
The policy sparked numerous legal battles from human rights and equality campaigners.
The National Center for Lesbian Rights was one of the LGBTQ advocacy groups that tried but failed to fight the policy.
US President Joe Biden kisses incoming US First Lady Jill Biden after being sworn in as the 46th US President, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC (Picture: REX)
The news of Biden’s plans to reverse such measures will bring a huge sense of relief to thousands of transgender US military personnel who may have faced scrutiny over their gender.
As Biden dismantles the former President’s policy he will increase inclusivity and diversity in the US military by opening the door again to transgender citizens to enlist as a serviceman or woman.
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Joe Biden inauguration 2021
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn into office during the inauguration ceremony today.
During the ceremony, Biden delivered a speech outline his vision for his term as president.
You can follow all the updates on our Inauguration Day live blog.
Here are the latest updates from January 20:
