We Won't Stand For Trump's Trans Ban
This administration's ludicrous attempt to block the participation of transgender individuals in the military is an assault on the very principles on which this country is founded. It is a retrograde waste of time, an outrage, and a measure based on pure discrimination.
Thousands of transgender individuals are already protecting our country.
Trump's ostensible justifications are pathetic excuses: the president of the American Medical Association responded that there is no medically valid reason to exclude transgender individuals from military service. The military spends FIVE TIMES AS MUCH ON VIAGRA as on medical care for gender transition related treatment.
This is yet another pathetic power grab by an ineffectual administration to achieve any legislative win at all.
We will not stand for it.
What you can do1. BLOCK THE BAN THROUGH APPROPRIATIONS
Politico is reporting a rumor that Democrats are going to try to attach language to the “Securitybus” spending bill to overturn Trump’s ban. Call your members of Congress and tell them you want them to support this effort: https://callyourrep.co/.
2. SUPPORT TRANS VETERANS’ GROUPS
Donate to the Transgender American Veterans Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting trans veterans receive the care and benefits they deserve: http://transveteran.org. (H/T Gaby Ortiz Flores)
3. STAND UP FOR TRANS RIGHTS IN YOUR STATE
Important to remember that this isn’t just Trump. Republicans across the country are trying to continue and worsen discrimination against the transgender community. Check out the National Center for Transgender Equality’s Action Center to see what’s going on in your state and sign up to be alerted to take action: http://www.transequality.org/action-center.
(For Massachusetts folks especially: #TransLawMA is under threat of repeal at the ballot box next fall. You can sign up for the Freedom for All Massachusetts action team to stand with transgender people in our state and keep in place protections against discrimination in public spaces: http://action.freedomma.org/page/s/act)
4. STAND UP FOR TRANS RIGHTS NATIONWIDE
You can start right now by volunteering to phone bank with the
National Equality Action Team. They’re a grassroots field program that mobilizes supporters of equality and allows anyone, no matter where they live, to play a role in historic campaigns: http://volunteer.theneat.org/events
5. PROMOTE TRANS AWARENESS through the excellent documentary series We've Been Around that celebrates the lives of just a few transgender pioneers in history.