Pentagon: Transgender People Can Serve in Military

Changes will be phased in over one year
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jun 30, 2016 1:17 PM CDT
Pentagon: Transgender People Can Serve in Military
Defense Secretary Ash Carter speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on Thursday.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The Pentagon will let transgender individuals serve openly in the US military, ending one of the last bans on service in the armed forces, the AP reports. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the change Thursday. Carter says it's the right thing to do. He says only a person's qualifications should matter, and that there should be no other unrelated barriers to service. Carter's announcement comes despite concerns from senior military leaders that the department is moving too fast and that more time is needed to work through the changes. The changes will be phased in over a year. But by October 1, transgender troops should be able to receive medical care and begin formally changing their gender identification in the Pentagon's personnel system. (More US military stories.)

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