The ban we all knew would be coming…is. President Donald Trump has halted the military in
moving ahead with the Obama-era plan to allow transgender folks to be recruited into the U.S.
military. His ban will also stop the Department of Defense from providing medical regiments for
those transgender soldiers already serving. And with a directive to Defense and Homeland
Security to “…determine how to address transgender individuals currently serving based on
military effectiveness and lethality, unitary cohesion, budgetary constraints, applicable law, and
all factors that may be relevant.” The presidential memorandum also bans the Department of
Defense from using its resources to provide medical treatment regimens for transgender
individuals currently serving in the military.

There has come no word, despite reporters’ questions at a recent briefing, if transgender troops
already in the military will be able to stay.

If nothing else, Trump is moving ahead with the conviction of his tweets. Though one might
recall Trump’s convictions during his campaign to champion for LGBT persons. The White
House rejects any criticism that these current directives run contrary to those Trump pre-election
promises. A spokesperson for the President said Trump was “…going to continue to ensure that
the rights of the LGBTQ community, as well as all Americans, is protected. This policy is based
on a series of national security considerations.”

Confused? Angry? Both?

Even here at the EHM, under the tower of Trump International Hotel, Las Vegas, learned folks
as our staff and our visitors are, the constant conundrum sired by our President is mind-boggling.
And dare we say dangerous to life, liberty and everything else we probably hold dear?

FYI: A recent Rand Study put the number of transgender people serving in the armed forced
presently between 1,320-6,630. They calculate 30-140 new hormone treatments happen yearly.
And also report that 25-130 gender transition related surgeries occur yearly among service
people.