The commander-in-chief is in charge of the U.S. Armed Forces, but doesn’t have a say in who serves in the military.
At least, that’s according to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
The D.C.-based appeals court dealt President Donald Trump a set back in trying to put an end to allowing transgender people — who suffer from proportionately higher rates of mental health issues — to enlist in the military, CBS News reported.
The decision by the three-judge panel means the issue may likely end up before the Supreme Court.
Trump announced on Twitter in July that transgender people will not be allowed “to serve in any capacity” in the US military.”
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
Amid legal challenges to Trump’s proposed ban, the Pentagon has said the enlistment of transgender recruits will start Jan. 1 and current transgender troops will be allowed to continue to serve, according to CBS News.
While the LGBT community and their media allies scream of discrimination from the rooftops, concerns over mental health issues in a field widely seen as one of the most stressful jobs you could have are very real.
Psychology Today reported last year that nearly half of all individuals who identify as transgender experience depression and some version of an anxiety disorder, which is considerably higher than the general population.
Even more alarming, the magazine said “over 41 percent of trans men and women are estimated to have attempted suicide — a rate that’s nearly nine times as high as the rate of cisgender Americans.”
As it is, the suicide rate among veterans is more than double the general population.
Clearly, a fox hole is no place for those suffering from such daunting challenges — not for the defense of America and not for those serving next to them whose lives may be at stake.
Via BizPAC