Donald Trump also ordered the US military to stop paying for gender-reassignment surgical procedures on 23 March. Photo: AFPWashington: US President Donald Trump ordered the US military on Friday to reject openly transgender people as new recruits but authorized defence secretary James Mattis to decide how to handle transgender personnel already serving in the armed forces. The defence department will have six months to consider how to handle openly transgender people currently serving in the military under a memorandum that Trump signed on Friday, the official said. Black Hawk downDemocratic senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a wounded Iraq War veteran, blasted the ban in a statement issued ahead of the White House announcement. In his campaign, he cultivated evangelical voters while at the same time promising to “fight for” the gay and transgender community.

Source: Mint August 26, 2017 07:41 UTC