Trump to remove all trans people from US military 'on day one'Link to Full ArticlePink News - Chantelle Billson
25 NOV 2024
That could mean as many as 15,000 people being discharged immediately after Trump takes office on 20 January, and being labelled "unfit" for their roles.
Trump's first transgender military ban was first imposed in 2019 before being overturned by president Joe Biden in 2021. It prevented transgender people serving in the military, a policy which was described as "harmful" and "backwards".
Trump vowed to restore the legislation ... earlier this year. "I will ban the Department of Veterans Affairs from wasting a single cent to fund transgender surgeries or sex-change procedures," he said.
"Those precious taxpayer dollars should be going to care for our veterans in need, not to refund radical gender experiments for the communist left. I'll also restore the ban on transgender in the military... we had it banned."
Retired British army major-general Jonathan Shaw, who commanded NATO troops in Kosovo ... responded: "It's very simple, there's only one test that makes sense and that's whether they are good at their job: are they good at combat efficiency?
"If you are in a foxhole, you want the [person] next to you to be good at their job. If they are good at their job, that's good enough for me."---------------
Trump may issue the Executive Order on Day One, but it takes a long time for any government agency to adapt to new regulations. The military will move the fastest. When Joe Biden issued the Executive Orders to the Department of Defense, the regulations were changed within 90 days.
BUT, that does not mean that 15,000 service members will be discharged within 90 days. If you served in the military, you know how long it takes to boot someone out. Many procedures must happen first, appeals, and so forth. If you are on active duty, get ready. Prepare yourself and your family.
I spoke with Tom Johnson, the Public Affairs Director for the Black Hills VA Healthcare System. He has assured me that it will not happen on "Day One". The VA moves very slowly to make any changes to any policy.
We know this is true because the Secretary of Veterans Affairs promised to change the policy to allow Gender Affirming Surgeries back in 2016 and they never did. So it is most likely that the VA will not change its current policies regarding gender-affirming care. It just means they will not add anything new (like surgeries) to the current policies.
If you receive your hormones from the VA Pharmacy, ask your doctors to change the labels so they do not read "For Gender Transition". Instead, they should read, "For Hormone Replacement".
It is also important to understand that Executive Orders are only binding under certain conditions: They only apply to agencies within the Executive Branch of government and they cannot violate the Constitution or existing Federal Law. An Executive Order that does is automatically null and void.
These orders will be challenged in court. The American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, and many civil rights organizations are ready to file those challenges in court.
There are already civil rights and anti-discrimination laws in effect. Those can only be repealed by an act of Congress.
The U.S. Supreme Court has made its position clear:
"A law repugnant to the Constitution is void. An act of Congress repugnant to the Constitution cannot become a law. The Constitution supersedes all other laws and the individual's rights shall be liberally enforced in favor of him, the clearly intended and expressly designated beneficiary." ~ Marbury v. Madison, (1803)
"Where rights secured by the Constitution are involved, there can be no rulemaking or legislation which would abrogate them." ~ Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
"An unconstitutional act is not a law; it confers no rights; it imposes no duties; it affords no protection; it creates no office; it is in legal contemplation as inoperative as though it had never been passed." ~ Norton v. Shelby County, Tennessee (1886)
Although the situation does not look good, there is no need to hit the panic button yet.
Think. Form a plan while there is still time.
Stay alert. Pay attention to what is happening in your city and state. If you need to relocate, research the area you plan to go to. Federal law covers all states. Some states are ready to fight back.
