'Ready to fight': Transgender troops and veterans hit back over Trump ban Read moreTrump announced the ban on Twitter in July. There is no official count of transgender service members, but OutServe-SLDN estimates the number at about 15,500. Before a ban on their service was struck down, such service members could be involuntarily separated, discharged or denied reenlistment or continuation of service, just for being transgender. Shortly after Trump’s tweeted announcement, civil liberties groups including Lambda, OutServe-SLDN and the American Civil Liberties Union vowed to file suit once the ban took effect. Sources told the site a policy titled “A Guidance Policy for Open Transgender Service Phase Out” would allow transgender service members to continue serving but would not protect them from harassment and would encourage them to retire early.

Source: The Guardian August 05, 2017 19:30 UTC