Transgender veteran says ban on transgender people in military is discrimination
HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Houston's transgender community is outraged amid president Donald Trump's tweet banning transgender people from our military.
His tweet read, "After consultation with my generals and military experts...Please be advised that the United States government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory...and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail."
Josephine Tittsworth is a transgender woman from Pasadena who served in the U.S. Coast Guard during the 1970's. She told us "I’m a patriot, I love my country I'm so proud to be an American, and I'm so proud that I had an opportunity to serve my country." Now she feels that opportunity is being taken away from thousands of transgender people who serve. She feels that this ban is about discrimination "it's not right I mean they're human beings they're not third class citizens we all love our country we all want to serve our country because our country gives us the freedoms what few freedoms transgender people have they get it from our country."
On the other side there are those who back the president and the military's decision. Paul Simpson Chairman of Harris County Republican Party says that this is about keeping the country safe.
"Cost was one factor that he mentioned I think the other was military readiness and that's got to be the main focus that our troops all across the world and we live in a very dangerous world today feel comfortable and prepared to fight wars and protect the United States so that's gonna be our focus not some social experimentation," Simpson said.
When asked what would happen to transgender people who currently serve in our military, White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the White House and the Department of Defense would implement a policy that they would work together to lawfully determine.