Skip to main content

NCTE Responds to Military Announcement Allowing Open Trans Military Service

Press Contact

Contact Name
Ash Orr (they/he)

Washington, DC - Today, Pentagon leaders announced that they are finalizing plans aimed at lifting the ban on transgender individuals serving in the military.

In response to reports of the forthcoming change, Executive Director of the NCTE Mara Keisling released the following statement:

"Today's Department of Defense announcement is a positive sign that they understand that open trans military service is desirable and inevitable. The Pentagon's rickety system of discrimination against us is falling apart. It is in everyone's interest that the 15,000 or so currently serving trans people be allowed to serve openly and honorably. The Pentagon knows, as we do, how this review is going to end. The National Center for Transgender Equality urges the Department of Defense to quickly end the discriminatory policy and allow trans people to serve openly and with dignity."

Update: An earlier version of this statement conflated the announcement of the forthcoming policy from the Associated Press report as that of a Pentagon official directly. The statement now corrects that. NCTE apologizes for the confusion.  

Join Our Mailing List

Sign Up