Pentagon lifts ban on transgender troops serving openly

(Image credit: Olivier Douliery/Getty Images)

published 30 June 2016

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has announced that transgender members of the military will be allowed to serve openly, putting an end to the Pentagon's ban. Carter added that the changes will begin to be implemented over the course of the next year.

Although there are already thousands of transgender people in the military, they risked being discharged if discovered, just as gay and lesbian troops did before "don't ask, don't tell" was repealed in 2011. Still, some in the upper ranks of the military have worried that the "social experiment" could hurt the military's ability to operate effectively, although Carter has condemned the transgender ban as being outdated. Studies have also failed to prove that the inclusion of transgender members would stunt the military's preparedness.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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