July 27, 2017 | Sex & Society

Donald Trump bans trans people in the US military

Yesterday, Donald Trump took to Twitter to declare that trans men and women would no longer be allowed to serve in the US Armed Forces.

This reverses President Barack Obama's decision to lift the ban on trans soldiers last year.

The outrage was immediate.

"Donald Trump said he would protect LGBTQ people, but today’s decision to ban transgender Americans from serving in the military proves his promise was another bald-faced lie," the Democratic National Committee (DNC) said in a statement. "Democrats stand with the transgender community and we will fight this administration’s bigotry tooth-and-nail."

"This is an outrageous and desperate action," added the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). "The thousands of transgender service members serving on the front lines for this country deserve better than a commander-in-chief who rejects their basic humanity."

And the Human Rights Campaign said: "This heinous and disgusting action endangers the lives of American service members, undermines military readiness and makes our country less safe. It is also the latest effort by Trump and Mike Pence to undo our progress and drag LGBTQ people back into the closet by using our lives as political pawns."

Criticism even came from the right.

The Trump-lovin' Log Cabin Republicans, a gay Conservative group, was not happy with the President's declaration, accusing Trump of playing politics.

"The United States military already includes transgender individuals who protect our freedom day in and day out," the group said. "Excommunicating transgender soldiers only weakens our readiness; it doesn’t strengthen it."

Even Senator John McCain, who served in the military (unlike Trump), took issue with the President's decision. McCain argued, “There is no reason to force service members who are able to fight, train, and deploy to leave the military -- regardless of their gender identity.”

According to Politico, the sudden decision was made in order to save funding for his precious border wall. He was warned by members of the House GOP that if he didn't stop Pentagon-funded sex reassignment operations, certain Republicans would not vote for his spending bill. The bill allocates funding for many of Trump's campaign promises, especially the wall he wants between Mexico and the US.

As for resistance from supposedly LGBT-friendly Ivanka Trump and her hubby Jared Kushner, a senior White House official said they felt their “political capital [should] be spent elsewhere." Thanks!

So for gay men still riding the Trump train, at the very least stop pretending that this man has any interest in, or love for, the LGBT community. He does not.