- A 2016 RAND Corporation study estimated that the number of active-duty transgender troops could range from 2,000 to 11,000, but stressed that the true number could vary based on self-reporting.
- "Allowing all qualified Americans to serve their country in uniform is better for the military and better for the country because an inclusive force is a more effective force," the White House said in a fact sheet. "Simply put, it’s the right thing to do and is in our national interest."
Where it stands: Biden ordered military records to be correctedif service members were discharged, denied reenlistment, or continued service due to their gender identity.
Background: After a decades-long ban, trans people were first able to serve openly again in the armed forces in June 2016, under President Obama.
- Multiple legal battles ensued after President Trump first tweeted in July 2017 that transgender people would not be allowed "to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military," citing medical costs and "disruption."
- The Supreme Court let the ban proceed in a 5-4 vote in January 2019, after two federal judges had temporarily blocked it following a lawsuit from the ACLU.
What they're saying: LGBTQ and legal advocates praised the policy reversal, which comes after Democrats in the 2020 race held one of the most prominent political discussions of trans rights to date.
"Repealing the military ban sends a powerful message that transgender people belong in our country," ACLU senior legislative representative Ian Thompson said in an emailed statement.
- The ACLU hopes that Biden's reversal of the ban "is the first of many essential steps to not only rollback the many discriminatory policies from the Trump administration but go farther than any previous administration in fully recognizing transgender and non-binary people," Thompson said.
- Gillian Branstetter, a spokeswoman for the National Women’s Law Center, said she is optimistic that the Biden administration will keep LGBTQ rights a priority while juggling the pandemic and other crises — partially due to key nominations like Vanita Gupta as associate attorney general and Xavier Becerra as Health and Human Services secretary.
