Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday night that the Pentagon's current policy on transgender troops "will remain in place" while President Trump's directive banning transgender people from joining the military undergoes an expert study. The move by Mattis allows transgender people to continue serving openly in the military while the Pentagon considers whether to discharge them in light of Trump's order. Trump formally directed the Pentagon to implement the ban on transgender individuals joining the military last week, which he first announced in a July 26 tweet. Trump also gave the Pentagon the authority to decide the future of openly transgender people already serving. "The implementation plan will address accessions of transgender individuals and transgender individuals currently serving in the United States military," Mattis said.

Source: Fox News August 30, 2017 00:19 UTC