Trump facing backlash over ban on transgender military personnel

Thousands face losing jobs after president says they are ‘disruptive’ and a ‘burden’ on armed forces

A TRANSGENDER retired Navy Seal demanded to meet Donald Trump face to face, after the US president yesterday announced a ban on transgender people in the military owing to the “disruption” they cause.

Kristin Beck spent 20 years in the Navy Seals, rising to join the elite Seal Team Six, which killed Osama bin Laden. She served in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, receiving the Bronze Star for valour and the Purple Heart for wounds suffered in combat. “Let’s meet face to face and you tell me I’m not worthy,” she said.

In a series of tweets, Mr Trump said his decision was based on the costs of medical services for transgender service members.

But Miss Beck, born Christopher, said: “You’re talking about .000001 per cent of the military budget.”

Mr Trump’s announcement left the future of as many as 11,000 transgender servicemen and women hanging in the balance.

TRANSGENDER US military personnel were last night facing career uncertainy after President Donald Trump said they will be barred from the forces, due to the “disruption” they caused.

Mr Trump tweeted that the policy implemented last year by Barack Obama would end, affecting up to 11,000 transgender personnel, though some put it as high as 15,000.

“After consultation with my generals and military experts, please be advised that the government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the military,” Mr Trump wrote. “Our military must be focused and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender would entail.”

The announcement removes the US from a relatively short list of 18 nations, including the UK, that do not discriminate against people who may enter the armed forces based on gender identity.

In 2016, Mr Obama lifted the ban on transgender personnel and ordered the Pentagon to fund certain medical services, including surgeries and hormone therapy. Joe Biden, the former

‘It’s going to invite litigation that will distract the department of defence for months, if not years to come’

vice-president, angrily said yesterday: “Every patriotic American who is qualified to serve in our military should be able to serve. Full stop.”

John Mccain, the Republican elder statesman who chairs the armed services committee, said Mr Trump’s statement was “unclear” and added: “Any American who meets current medical and readiness standards should be allowed to continue serving.”

Lt Cmdr Blake Dremann, an openly transgender serving member of the US Navy, said the decision was “unkind”. He told CNN: “I was definitely shocked and upset. I am absolutely worried about being separated from the military...my superiors are just as shocked as I am and they wanted me to know they support me.”

Brad Carson, a former congressman who worked on transgender policy deliberations under Mr Obama, said the decision will be “a personal tragedy” for the thousands and “a professional loss for the military”. He added: “And it’s going to invite litigation that will distract the department of defence for months, if not years, to come.”

Chelsea Manning, the transgender soldier, who was released from prison for leaking documents to Wikileaks earlier this year, ridiculed the decision. And Caitlyn Jenner, a Republican Trump supporter, was angered by what she saw as a betrayal. “There are 15,000 patriotic transgender Americans fighting for all of us,” she said.

Kristin Beck, 51, a 20-year veteran of the Navy Seal group, who transitioned in 2011, told Mr Trump: “Let’s meet face to face and you tell me I’m not worthy.” While Ellen Degeneres, the openly lesbian talk show host, tweeted: “We should be grateful to the people who wish to serve, not turn our backs.” n Republicans in the Senate fell short again last night in their effort to end Obamacare, rejecting a measure to repeal large portions of the former president’s signature law that has provided health insurance to millions.

Republican leaders were already trying to gain support for a slimmed-down “skinny” bill that would throw the issue to a Coingressional committee.