WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum directing the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to discontinue allowing transgender individuals to serve in the US military, the White House said in a press release.
"Until June 2016, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (collectively, the Departments) generally prohibited openly transgender individuals from accession into the United States military and authorized the discharge of such individuals," the release stated on Friday.
The DHS and Pentagon have six months to review the current policy while maintaining it until January 1, 2018, the release added. However, both departments must suspend the use of their resources to fund medical procedures for service members who want to reassign his or her sex.
US Secretary of Defense James Mattis should provide Trump with a detailed proposal on how to implement the executive order by February 21, 2018, the release noted.
Trump first announced his intention to reinstate a ban transgender people serving in the US military in any capacity on July 16. The president's message on Twitter sparked immediate criticism of Democrats and prompted rights group to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration.
