Donald Trump’s transgender military ban: What forced US President’s controversial decision?

IT HAPPENED so suddenly, seemingly without any consultation. But there’s more to US President Donald Trump’s military ban than meets the eye.

IT appeared to be a sudden snap decision made with little or no consultation.

But US President Donald Trump’s controversial ban on transgender people serving in the military “in any capacity,” didn’t come out of nowhere.

In fact, a congressional fight over gender reassignment surgery which threatened funding for his controversial wall with Mexico, is at least partly to blame.

According to Politico, Mr Trump was close to securing a spending bill which included funding his border wall when an internal fight with Republicans over healthcare costs for transgender troops threatened to overturn it.

Mr Trump’s ban didn’t exactly come out of nowhere. Picture: Alex Brandon/AP

Some Republicans feared they might not have had enough votes to pass the legislation because defence hawks wanted a ban on Pentagon-funded sex reassignment surgery.

Several House conservatives threatened to obstruct the legislation unless the ban came into place.

Republican leaders approached Mr Trump with their concerns, and fearing his funding for the wall, a major campaign promise, would not be passed, the President announced the sweeping change on Twitter.

After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow......

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017

....Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming.....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017

According to numerous sources cited by Politico, the President’s decision was “in part, a last-ditch attempt to save a House proposal full of his campaign promises that was on the verge of defeat.”

Mr Trump claimed the ban’s purpose was to make the military run better.

However a Trump administration official told Axios’s Jonathan Swan the President’s reasoning was political.

Just spoke to a Trump administration official about the transgender military decision. Here's what they said... pic.twitter.com/eOWdvlxTfd

— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) July 26, 2017

Mr Trump wrote that he had consulted with “my generals and military experts,” but he did not mention Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the Associated Press reported.

The retired Marine general told the military service chiefs just last month to spend another six months weighing the costs and benefits of allowing transgender individuals to enlist.

At the time, Mr Mattis said this “does not presuppose the outcome of the review.”

The 45th President made the announcement without giving prior notice to the Pentagon, with defence officials largely unaware of the extent of the ban.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the President was concerned about the policy.

“This is a very expensive and disruptive policy and, based on consultation that he’s had with his national security team, he came to the conclusion that is erodes military readiness and unit cohesion and made the decision based on that,” she said.

Transgender army veteran Tanya Walker speaks to protesters in Times Square near a military recruitment centre as they show their anger at President Trump’s decision to reinstate a ban on transgender individuals from serving in the military. Picture: Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP

The decision affects around 7000 service members on active duty and 4000 reserves.

Former Defense Secretary Ash Carter ended the ban last year which prohibited transgender service members serving openly in the military.

However Mr Trump’s move sparked a furious response from both sides of politics.

His action is “harmful, misguided and weakens, not strengthens our military,” Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said while John McCain, the Arizona Republican and Vietnam War hero, said Mr Trump was simply wrong.

Transgender woman Caitlyn Jenner also blasted the ban.

There are 15,000 patriotic transgender Americans in the US military fighting for all of us. What happened to your promise to fight for them? https://t.co/WzjypVC8Sr

— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) July 26, 2017

And the most senior trans person to serve in the Australian military transgender woman Cate McGregor said she wasn’t surprised by the President’s move.

Getting lots of requests from media about POTUS ban of transgender military service. Like many others I served effectively before and..

— Catherine McGregor (@CateMc3273) July 26, 2017

... after transition. In a free society any suitably qualified citizen who is willing and able should be be allowed to serve in military.

— Catherine McGregor (@CateMc3273) July 26, 2017

Not surprising from a man who never served but sneered at John McCain's heroism and disparaged a Gold Star family.

— Catherine McGregor (@CateMc3273) July 26, 2017

Amnesty International said Mr Trump’s decision violated the human rights of all transgender Americans and accused the President of making the decision based on prejudice.

Tarah Demant, Amnesty International USA’s director of Gender, Sexuality, and Identity program said: “It lays bare the president’s prejudice and underlines the fact that creating policy based on bigotry is becoming a dangerous and cruel pattern for President Trump.

“The administration continues to target minority communities without pause and without facts. From stripping protections from transgender students to today’s announcement, the Trump administration has made clear it has an agenda of discrimination.”

‘NOT GOING ANYWHERE’

While news of Mr Trump’s ban sets in, active members of the transgender community insist they are staying put.

Transgender airman Sgt Logan Ireland told the Air Force Times he isn’t going anywhere.

“I would like to see them try to kick me out of my military,” he said.

Protesters gather in front of the White House following Mr Trump’s announcement that transgender people may not serve “in any capacity” in the US military, citing the “tremendous medical costs and disruption” their presence would cause. Picture: Paul J Richards/AFP

“You are not going to deny me my right to serve my country when I am fully qualified and able and willing to give my life.”

Others who spoke to the Airfoce Times also insisted they are staying in uniform.

A Priceonomics analysis said a 2014 UCLA report found there around 15,500 transgender men and women serving in the military, with an addition 134,300 veterans.

With a population of 700,000 “this suggests that over 1-in-5 (or 21.4 per cent) of all openly transgender Americans are in the military or have served at one point.”

TRUE COST

While defence hawks and Republicans cite cost concerns of treating transgender personal, the Washington Post highlighted how the military spends much more on Viagra.

Citing a Rand study which estimated treatment of transgender service members would cost the military between $2.4 million and $8.4 million annually, the Pos t found the US military spends far more on other issues.

In comparison, the total military spending on erectile dysfunction medicines amounts to $84 million annually, it said citing a an analysis by the Military Times.

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