Days after President Donald Trump signed a memo banning transgender soldiers from enlisting in the military, several service members are making a statement on the MTV Video Music Awards red carpet. “Historically, the VMAs have been a huge platform for social issues that are currently happening, so being able to have that platform and share our stories is important to us,” Laila Ireland said to Billboard. Logan B. Ireland spoke out earlier this summer after Trump’s tweets about his intention to ban transgender service members from serving. “For the President to deny an able-bodied, fully qualified person the inherent right to raise their right hand and serve their country, potentially giving their own life for our freedoms, is doing this country an injustice,” he said at the time. Save for Brynn Tannehill, who was in uniform, the service members walked the VMAs red carpet Sunday night in jeans and black T-shirts identifying their military affiliation.

Source: Huffington Post August 28, 2017 00:11 UTC