GLAD and NCLR Applaud Congressional Effort to Reverse Transgender Military Ban, Prohibit Discrimination in Military Service

GLAD and NCLR, organizations leading the legal fight against the ban on transgender military service, released the following statements on this week’s anticipated U.S. House vote on an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would allow any qualified individual, including transgender people, to serve in the U.S. military:

Statement by Jennifer Levi, Director of Transgender Rights Project at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD): 

“We applaud the bipartisan leadership shown by members of Congress in their efforts to reverse this policy that turns away qualified, dedicated Americans who want to serve their country. Military leaders and the American people see this ban for what it is — baseless discrimination that weakens our military.”

Statement by Shannon Minter, Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR): 

“Diversity is an asset to our institutions and that includes the U.S. military. We’ve seen this hold true time and again — through desegregation, the integration of women, and the end of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Allowing transgender people to serve on equal terms in our nation’s military will only make our military and our nation stronger.”