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Statement on Anti-Transgender RNC Resolution

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Contact Name
Ash Orr (they/he)

Today, the Republican National Committee passed a resolution at its Winter Meeting supporting President Donald Trump’s proposed ban on open service by transgender people in the U.S. military. The resolution calls being transgender a “disqualifying psychological and physical condition," although thousands of transgender troops currently serve in all branches of the armed forces.

NCTE Executive Director Mara Keisling issued the following statement:

Transgender people have been serving openly for the last 19 months, and the only disruption has come from President Trump and others who are determined to jeopardize military readiness to advance their extremist political agenda. The fact is that we’ve shown, both through studies and experience, that open service by transgender troops is good for the military. We look forward to the courts settling this once and for all so that transgender troops can focus on protecting our country without having to worry about their job security every day.

The President’s claim that open service by transgender troops would entail “tremendous medical costs and disruption” directly contradicts the results of a study commissioned by the Department of Defense, and the RNC’s claim that simply being transgender is a “disqualifying condition” runs counter to statements by the American Medical AssociationAmerican Psychological Association, and American Psychiatric Association, among others. Some Republicans, including Senate Armed Services Committee Chair and Navy veteran John McCain, oppose the ban. They are joined by the majority of Americans.

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