Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) issued the following statement condemning President Trump’s cruel and discriminatory ban on transgender military service members from serving in the U.S. Armed Forces:
“Today’s attack by the Commander-in-Chief on our military’s active duty personnel is appalling,” Representative Nadler lamented. “The arguments against allowing transgender service members to serve openly in our military reflect the same arguments that have been used against every other group that has been prohibited from serving in our country’s history – including black and Latino men, women, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. President Trump is attacking the very individuals he asks to risk their lives.”
The following is the full text of Congressman Nadler’s statement:
“Transgender individuals are part of the fabric of America and have always been part of our military, whether we have historically acknowledged them or not. Today’s attack by the Commander-in-Chief on our military’s active duty personnel is appalling.
“The arguments against allowing transgender service members to serve openly in our military reflect the same arguments that have been used against every other group that has been prohibited from serving in our country’s history – including black and Latino men, women, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. Each time the doors of our military are opened to better reflect the diversity of our nation, the same tired and disproven arguments are brought back: that any individual within that new group, regardless of their ability, is unfit to serve and that they will disrupt unit cohesion. Not once have these cries been proven right.
“We also hear that ending discrimination is somehow imposing a social experiment on the military, which is an extraordinary inversion of the truth. Not only should all willing and able Americans be allowed and encouraged to serve – they already do. A report prepared for the Department of Defense estimates thousands of transgender individuals serve today, without issue.
“Imposing blanket bans that prejudge service members based on their identity, rather than their own merits, is truly imposing social biases upon the military. President Trump is attacking the very individuals he asks to risk their lives. It is shameful, and must be undone.”