The RNC yesterday approved a resolution which asserts that all transgender people have a "disqualifying psychological and physical condition" towards military service.
Trans people, including those currently serving and those seeking to soon enlist, challenged Trump’s ban in four different cases. Four different judges in four different jurisdictions, as well as two U.S. Courts of Appeal, all ruled against the ban as being blatantly discriminatory. In late December, the Trump administration stopped fighting for its ban, and as of January 1, individuals who are openly transgender can enlist in the military for the first time. Several already have.
--Zack Ford, Think Progress
While the resolution states the committee supports Trump’s “intent and prerogative to strengthen our military with sound personnel policies,” it also urges the Justice Department to seek U.S. Supreme Court action.
The issue has divided the GOP. Some Republicans in the Senate, including military veterans Joni Ernst of Iowa and John McCain of Arizona, have objected to Trump’s ban.
DNC LGBTQ Media Director Lucas Acosta released a statement calling the resolution "hateful” because of the way it “only serves to subvert and further demean hardworking men and women who want to serve their country in the most honorable way they can.”
The RNC has proven they are more than willing to deny basic rights to LGBTQ Americans all while accepting money from an accused sexual predator and funneling money to an alleged child molester.
--Acosta
Shame on the Republican National Committee for slandering the brave transgender men and women who serve our nation. Not only did the RNC just degrade active duty service members, but they also maligned countless military families across the country with family members who also happen to be transgender.
This is a disgusting, vile attempt to play politics with the lives of our military families.
--Ashley Broadway-Mack, American Military Partner Association
Transgender members of the military are serving their country with effectiveness and honor. The RNC’s statement is a disgusting attack on thousands of brave transgender service members and the armed services as a whole. It goes against the expert opinions of the medical and military communities in addition to flying in the face of supportive statements offered by at least 20 Republican lawmakers. As every federal court ruling to date has confirmed: this ban is unconstitutional. We will continue to fight for, and win, the right of every qualified person to serve the country they love.
--David Stacy, Human Rights Campaign
We note that the RNC is neither a medical nor a mental health organization, and would do well to defer to associations of professionals which know what they are talking about.
There is no medically valid reason to exclude transgender individuals from military service. Transgender individuals are serving their country with honor, and they should be allowed to continue doing so.
--AMA
We’ve seen no scientific evidence that allowing transgender people to serve in the armed forces has had an adverse impact on our military readiness or unit cohesion. Therefore, we ask that transgender individuals continue to be allowed to serve their country.
--American Psychological Association