Trump bans new transgender recruits

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump yesterday directed the Pentagon to extend indefinitely a ban on transgender individuals joining the military, but he appeared to leave open the possibility of allowing some already in uniform to remain.

Trump gave Defense Secretary Jim Mattis authority to decide the matter of openly transgender individuals already serving, and he said that until the Pentagon chief makes that decision, “no action may be taken against” them.

The Obama administration in June 2016 had changed longstanding policy, declaring that troops could serve openly as transgender soldiers, sailors and pilots. And it set a July 2017 deadline for determining whether transgender people could be allowed to enter the military. Mattis delayed that to Jan. 1, and Trump has now instructed Mattis to extend it indefinitely.

But on the question of what will happen to those transgender individuals who already are serving openly — estimated to number in the low hundreds — Trump seemed to leave wiggle room for exceptions.

Mattis has been directed to take a number of factors into consideration in determining how to deal with transgender individuals already serving. Those factors are to include broad measures such as “military effectiveness,” budgetary constraints and “unit cohesion,” as well as other factors Mattis deems “relevant.” Trump gave Mattis six months to come up with a policy on those currently serving, and he must implement it by March 23, the official said.

In a tweet last month, Trump said the federal government “will not accept or allow” transgender individuals to serve “in any capacity” in the military.

The White House official said yesterday Trump also directed Mattis to halt the use of federal funds to pay for sexual reassignment surgeries and medications, except in cases where it is deemed necessary to protect the health of an individual who has already begun the transition. That policy is to be written within six months and implemented by March 23.