You'll recall that Donald Trump initially said "his generals" told him to ban trans soldiers from the U.S. military.
Well, "his generals" just told him to hit pause.
Putting the brakes on Trump's proposed ban on transgender folks in the U.S. military, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced today that there will be no change in the current policy regarding transgender soldiers serving in the military until he has a chance to review the results of a study by experts.
From USA Today:
The announcement follows an order from President Trump — first announced in a tweet — declaring that transgender service members can no longer serve in the military, effectively reversing an Obama administration policy. The order also affects the Department of Homeland Security, which houses the Coast Guard.
"Once the panel reports its recommendations and following my consultation with the secretary of Homeland Security, I will provide my advice to the president concerning implementation of his policy direction," Mattis said in the statement. "In the interim, current policy with respect to currently serving members will remain in place."
Mattis' move buys time for the Pentagon to determine how and if it will allow thousands of transgender troops to continue to serve, whether they will receive medical treatment, or how they will be discharged.
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