President Trump made waves this week when he announced, via Twitter, that the military would no longer allow transgender people to serve. He (briefly) cited a few reasons including healthcare and unit cohesion. The decision, made while Secretary of Defense Mattis was on vacation, shocked, hurt and galvanized many who believe that identifying as transgender should not affect a person’s ability to serve their country. So, we ask, what does inclusive leadership look like for the people around Trump in the wake of this tweet storm?
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
….victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
Many transgender service men and women and veterans have come out to defend themselves and the military’s values and to encourage fellow and future transgender people who want to serve. Below is a video featuring Navy veteran Landon Wilson who shares his story of transitioning while in active duty:
Landon Wilson, a veteran who transitioned while serving in the Navy, has a message for Donald Trump following today’s military ban. pic.twitter.com/KJxPsg1k14
— Mic (@mic) July 26, 2017
