US overturns ban on transgender people in the military.
US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced the end of the ban on transgender people in the Armed Forces; "Our duty is to defend the country. We cannot prevent the recruitment of people who can fulfill that mission," Carter stated; The Armed Forces will have up to 45 days to adapt to the new rules; Openly gay people have been allowed in the Army since 2011, when a decision revoked the "don't ask, don't answer" policy, but transgender people remained subject to exemption.
Ansa - US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced today (30) the end of the ban on transgender people in the Armed Forces.
The measure had already been anticipated by the local press last week, but was officially confirmed this Thursday. "Our duty is to defend the country. We cannot prevent the recruitment of people who can carry out such a mission," he stated.
Commission
A committee worked for a year to resolve all potential problems that could arise with the change. The Armed Forces will have up to 45 days to adapt, although some military personnel privately believe the deadline is too short.
Openly homosexual individuals were already allowed in the Army since 2011, when a decision revoked the so-called "don't ask, don't answer" policy, but transgender individuals remained subject to dismissal.
In the country, there are soldiers who have undergone gender reassignment surgery, but they were not allowed to discuss the matter openly, nor were they entitled to medical services related to their condition.
WikiLeaks
The ban on transgender people was based on the idea that this group suffers from psychological disorders. The most famous case of gender reassignment in the US Armed Forces is that of soldier Bradley Manning, who, in 2014, changed her name to Chelsea Manning.
She is serving a 35-year prison sentence for revealing military secrets to the WikiLeaks website and is undergoing hormone treatment in preparation for surgery.