Press Contact:
Elliot Levy
Press Contact
202-800-7409
Release Date: Wednesday, July 26, 2017
New York – Following President Trump’s announcement that his administration will attempt to bar transgender people from serving in the U.S. military, Bend the Arc Jewish Action CEO Stosh Cotler issued the following statement:
“President Trump’s disgusting move to ban transgender people from military service is made especially appalling by its timing, with today being the 69th anniversary of the desegregation of the U.S. military. We must call out this decision for what it is--discrimination against transgender people and a cheap attempt to gain electoral victories in 2018. President Truman’s historic desegregation and the decades-later repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell enabled our nation to step toward ‘a more perfect union,’ allowing any American who so chose to honor their country through service in the military and throughout society. With today’s announcement by the president, our nation has taken a huge step backward. Our Jewish faith teaches us to serve others and to honor those who do so, and American Jews remain in solidarity with all our servicemembers, cis and trans alike.
Experts estimate that there are currently tens of thousands of transgender people courageously serving our country, doing difficult jobs under tough circumstances, having proven themselves on the battlefield in our nation’s recent and ongoing conflicts. Transgender service members are not a ‘disruption’ as Trump would have our nation believe--it is this attempt to ban them from service that is a disruption. Because this announcement also follows the Obama administration’s declaration that transgender service members could openly serve, prompting many to openly declare their identities, it also represents an enormous betrayal of trust.
Despite these facts, our president and Republicans in Congress (who have already unsuccessfully tried to strip transgender service members of their health care) have put their ideology ahead of common sense and American values in reaching this wrongheaded decision. At a time when violence against transgender individuals and laws aimed at limiting their rights are on the rise, our civilian elected leaders and members of the Defense Department leadership must stand up for all our troops and demand a reversal of this absurd and discriminatory policy.”
