Pride at Work and Union Veterans Council Condemn Trump Administration’s Transgender Military Service Ban
For Immediate Release – April 12, 2019
Contact: Jerame Davis – jdavis@prideatwork.org
Pride at Work and Union Veterans Council Condemn Trump Administration’s Transgender Military Service Ban
WASHINGTON – Today, the Trump Administration’s cruel and discriminatory transgender military ban goes into effect putting the careers of over 13,000 active duty personnel in jeopardy. Pride at Work’s Executive Director, Jerame Davis and Union Veterans Council’s Executive Director, Will Attig issued the following joint statement:
“In no uncertain terms, this ban is discriminatory toward dedicated service members and destabilizing to our military. This ban will result in the discharge of thousands of highly qualified active duty troops who have stepped forward to serve their county and only want to be treated like every other member of the armed forces.
“The Pentagon doesn’t want this ban – it’s own research shows that implementing this immoral policy will be costly and damage military readiness. With enlistment numbers already low, it makes no sense to force out these patriotic Americans our country has spent millions of dollars to recruit and train.
“Anyone who qualifies for service under military standards should be allowed to serve. This unfair policy treats transgender people differently than other service members, which is antithetical to the core values of our military. We urge the Administration to reverse this policy and stop the attacks on our transgender brothers, sisters, and siblings.”
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Pride At Work is the only national organization that builds power for LGBTQIA+ working people. We organize mutual support between the organized Labor Movement and the LGBTQ Community for social and economic justice. We seek full equality for LGBTQIA+ working people in our workplaces, our unions, and the public square. We organize in the spirit of the union movement’s historic motto, “An Injury to One is An Injury to All.” Learn more at www.prideatwork.org
The Union Veterans Council brings working class veterans together to speak out on the issues that impact us most, especially the need for good jobs and a strong, fully funded and staffed VA. Additionally, we hold private enterprise and elected officials accountable for their words and actions. We believe wholeheartedly that the ability for someone to self-identify as “pro-veteran” isn’t determined by what lapel pin they don or what catchphrase they employ; veterans face real issues that require real actions—constructive actions that lead to positive solutions. Learn more at www.unionveterans.org
